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Butler Education Act
Free and compulsory education to 15, with a tripartite system comprising of - grammar schools, secondary modern schools and technical colleges.
Based on the "importance of education to economic and social welfare" and "the system that emerged in most parts of the country was indeed a bipartite structure comprising grammar schools on the one hand and modern schools on the other" (Chitty, 2002). -
Period: to
JH Educational Timeline
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GCE's introduced
Replaced the old School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC). Graded into O levels for top 25% academically and CSE's for lower level. -
Crowther Report
School leaving age raised to 16 -
Circular 10/65
Abolition of 11-plus
Many schools abandoned formal teaching of spelling and times-tables -
GCSE's introduced
Replacing O levels - now included coursework marked by teachers instead of just externally marked examinations -
Education Reform Act
National Curriculum and key stages (1, 2, 3, 4) introduced. Purpose of NC to standardise content taught to enable assessment, and thereford enable compliation of national league tables.
Commented on by Chitty (2002), "curriculum package...would serve as ideal justification for a massive programme of national testing at 7, 11, 14 and 16. This, in turn, would provide the raw data...national league tables..evident to parents as to the desirability or otherwise if individual schools." -
West Hill Primary School (1989-1991)
Building dates back to late 1800's when it started as a Board School. As pupil numbers increased during the 1980's, portacabins were used for teaching, which I remember being not so pleasant during winter time! -
Pye Green Valley Primary School (1991-1996)
School opened in September 1991, and I was one of the first pupils to move in (in to Year 2). In March 1993 the junior section opened, up until then they only catered for Reception-Year 2. We had to complete most of Year 3 in the infant section.
This is me aged 8 (Year 3). We had open plan classrooms and corridors (no doors), a design that had come about in the 1970's. -
Open plan classrooms
"Architects in the 1970's designed hundreds of primary schools with open-plan classrooms. It was claimed they allowed pupils to learn at their own pace rather than being explicitly taught by the teacher" (Paton, 2008). In more recent years it seems that, "schools are...returning to traditional layouts" (Paton, 2008). -
Ron Dearing's revised NC
Key Stage 4 alterations, which "identified three broad pathways in post-16 education and training: NVQ's, GNVQ's and A or AS levels." Chitty (2002) -
Blake High School (1996-2001)
Grouped according to ability from Year 7 (based on Year 6 SAT's test marks). Started languages in Year 7 (either German or French - the school alternated between the two each year), and had to continue as either a full or half GCSE.
Took SAT's tests end of Year 9. In KS4 vocational 'modules' (including Life Skills, Travel and Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Agriculture, Information Technology) were offered lasting 5 weeks or so. Lead to an OCR Initial Award at pass, merit or distinction. -
Advanced skills teachers
Incentive for excellent teachers to pass on their skills and teaching methods to other teachers, whilst still continuing as classroom practioners. An attractive salary! Long term plan to increase number of AST's year on year. -
Curriculum 2000
Reform of the A level examination. Modular structure of four or six units studied over 2 years. -
Stafford College of F.E. (2001-2003)
Chose not to stay at my secondary school 6th form due to poor reputation. Was ran as a consortium of three schools; friends who stayed on said travel between sites hindered motivation for learning. Studied 4 AS levels, and continued 3 to full A level. General consensus that all doing A levels would apply to university. I successfully gained a place at Bangor University to study Marine Biology and Zoology. -
Revised National Curriculum
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Triple Award Science offered
Offered to students who achieved level 6 or above end of KS3 assessment. Recent policy states schools can encourage uptake for students who they deem appropriate.
Only Double Science award was an option when I took my GCSE's. -
National Curriculum currently being revised
Majority will come in to force from September 2014. English, mathematics and science for KS4 to be phased in from September 2015. Levels for attainment / progress removed.
