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1944 Education Act
Established three stages of education. Primary, secondary and further education. LEAs were changed so that they contributed towards the spiritual, moral, mental and physical development of the community through education in these stages, targetted to meet the needs of the population of their area. This act also meant free compulsory education to the age of 15 and free education to 18. It made reference to how it should be organised leaving most of the ground work to the LEAs. -
The Crowther Report 1959
The report recommended raising the school leaving age to 16 years and introducing comprehensive schooling for all with a new exam below level to cater for a wider ability range. The report also suggested a range of sixth form courses other than the A level and pointed out a 'wastage of talent' among working class children and school leavers. This introduced the idea of vocational education and training. -
1962 Certicate of Secondary Education
introduced the next 40%, still leaving 40% without accreditation. -
Newsom Report 1963
This report provided statistics detailing pupils reading test scores by school and region with schools failing many students aged 13-16 of average and below ability. This called into question many secondary modern schools who seemed to be seriously deficient with most funding being channelled into the grammar schools. -
1965 Circular
This declared the labour parties intentions to end selections and seperation in secondary school education. -
The Plowden Report 1967
This report stressed the influence of environmental factors in learning and development rather than a genetic ability. It developed the idea that every child is an individual and develops at their own rate physically, intellectually and emotionally. The Plowden committee put the child at the centre of learning and opened up new approaches to pedagogy. -
1970 Circular
This withdrew the requirement for LEAs to become comprehensive. -
School leaving age raised to 16
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Manpower Services Commission set up
This was to address the growing problem of unemployment in youth through such initiatives as the youth training schemes. -
Sex Discrimination Act
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Race Relations Act
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Callaghan's Speech at Ruskin College
James Callaghan, labour prime minister, claimed that schools were failing pupils, parents and the country. He said schools did not meet the needs of industry and did not take employment into account when planning curricula. He introduced the idea that school was to equip children with the skills that they need to do a job and get work along with taking a constructive place in society. Employers joined this debate leaving teachers feeling uncertain of their role. -
Warnock Report and the 1981 Education (special education) Act
Introduced the concept of a special educational need when a child has significantly greater difficulty in learning that most children of the same age. This gave LEAs a duty to identify and assess special needs and provide a statement so these needs must be met. This also gave parents the rights to be consulted and to appeal against statements of special needs and said that children with special needs should be educated in mainstream schools provided that their needs can be met. -
City Technology Colleges
This introduced 11-18 schools partially funded by industry, run on business lines (longer school day) and was offering a vocational as well as academical curriculum. -
16+ Examinations Trial
This trial involved combining GCE 'O' level with CSE. -
1986 National Council; for Vocational Qualification
This was established and following the introduction of national vocational qualifications (NVQs) to acredit achievement and competence in the work place, it followed that this led to the introduction of vocational qualifications in schools and colleges. -
Task Group on Assessment and Testing.
This was chaired by Paul Black and identified attainment targets and levels of attainment in each subject, suggesting what each student should be attaining at each key stage. -
Grant Maintained Schools
In the late 80s schools were allowed to opt out of LEA control by getting funding direct from central government and secure funding from borrowing against their assets and through business partnerships. -
GCSEs
In 1988 the O level and the CSE were replaced with GCSEs in all subjects. This introduced course work and an application of knowledge which was not just the memorisation of facts. -
1988 Education Reform Act
A national curriculum stated that core subjects must be taught from the ages 5-16 and stipulated that other subjects should be taught. This also introduced national testing (SATs) at ages 5,7 and 11 in the corse subjects with the results being published as a way of measuring school quality. -
Nathaniel Newton Infant School
I started school in September 1992 at the age of 4. My birthday is in August so I was one of the youngest at school and did not go to nursery. Instead I went to play school then straight to infant school. -
Ofsted Established
Office for Standards in Education established to monitor and report on the quality in schools. This also investigated wider issues such as equality, teaching and learning in specific subjects. -
Department of Education & Science became the Department for Education
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The Dearing Review
Set up in response to the campaigns against the national curriculum and its testing regime by major teaching unions. This recommended a slimmer and less prescribed curriculum and a range of academic and vocational pathways for students aged 14-19. -
Teacher Training Agency
Teacher training agency takes control of the funding and quality of teacher training. -
SEN Tribunal for parental appeals
Code of practise for special educational needs sought clarity on what constitutes a special need. An SEN tribunal panel was set up for parental appeals. -
Disability Discrimination Act
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Michael Drayton Junior School
I started at Michael Drayton Junior School in September 1995. I started at this school when I was in year 4 although the year I moved up there had been a change so that year 3 was at Michael Drayton also and year 7 was moved to Hartshill school. I sat year 6 SATs at the end of my time there. -
Abolition of Assisted Places Scheme
Also KS1 class sizes were reduced to 30. -
Literacy Hour
White Paper 'Excellence in Schools' recommended that the literacy hour be in place in all primary schools by 2008. -
Ethnic Minority achievement grant (EMAG) targeted funding
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Green Paper: Teachers: Meeting the Challenge of Change
This proposed a network of Training Schools that would have additional funding to become leaders of initial and in-service professional development. -
School Standards and Framework Act
Education Action Zones set up to allow local partnerships to develop new and imaginative approaches to raising standards in disadvantaged areas. New categories of school were introduced incluing Community, Foundation, Voluntary Aided and Voluntary Controlled. -
Crick Report
Education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools. This gave guidance on homework, established the literacy hour and set up a numeracy task force. -
Expansion of Specialist Schools
Also the introduction of 'Beacon' schools (successful schools funded to support less successful ones). The National Grid for learning was establish and there was guidance on national childcare strategies and early years development. -
Hartshill School
Founded in 1959. I joined in 1999. Hartshill was a comprehensive and was 'grant maintained' gaining technology college status while I was there. I did year 9 SATs at Hartshill and studied GCSEs in Maths, English Language, English Literature, Science (Double), RS (Short), Spanish, Music, Graphic Products and Art. I was in top sets for all setted subjects. -
Surestart Programmes established in some areas
Established predominantly in areas of social deprivation to work with 0-3 year olds and their families. Also the excellence in cities initiative was launched in the Robinson Report: All our futures. -
Race Relations Amendment Act
This was now the duty of LEAs to promote racial equality. -
General Teaching Council for England established
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DfEE becomes DfES
Department for education and skills -
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act
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Citizenship courses mandatory
as part of the national curriculum -
Every Child Matters
Brought in after the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report. Building Schools for the future is launched. -
Raising Standards and Tackling Workload: A National Agreement
This removed administrative tasks from teachers such as exam invigilation and gave planning, preparation and assessment time to teachers in the working day. -
King Edward VI College
In 2004 I started at King Edward VI College known affectionately as KEGS (King Edward Grammar School). The school was founded in 1552 as a fee paying grammar school. It became non-fee paying following the education act in 1944 and closed in 1974 to be re-established as the sixth form college. I gained 3 A-levels in my time there and 1 AS level. -
DfES Five Year Strategy for Children and Learning
This included the view that all schools should become foundation schools i.e independant from LEA control. This responded to various reports about schools admission policies. -
Every Child Matters Extended
This now integrated children's services, extended shools to provide out of school activities and community facilities and to give access to specialist services. -
2005 Education Act
This stated that funding from schools would now come directly from central government. and that new schools could be part funded by any 'promoters' eg religious groups or parent groups. TTA became the TDAS (Training and development agency for schools and they took responsibility for the whole school workforce. -
Coventry University
In 2006 I started at Coventry University. I graduated in 2009 gaining a 2:2 in Computing.
