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1944 Education Reform Act
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BFES Established
The BFES British Families Eduction Services established during Operation Union - headlined as "British Families route to join their military husbands stationed in Germany in 1946"
The BFES created the school system that became my own Primary School Education. This is now the SCE ( Service Childrens' Education) run by the MoD. -
Framework for Expansion - that did not happen
In 1972, Margaret Thatcher (Secretary of State for Education) created the Framework for Expansion White Paper promising nursery education for all by 1980. Due to economic recession, this did not happen (including in the forces). Therefore there was no nursery provision at the time, so I went to series of playgroups, some on base and some public. -
1973: School leaving age was raised to 16.
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Born - RAF Nocton Hall Lincoln
RAF Nocton Hall was an old manor hospital. It closed in 1983 and is now derelict, and considered to be haunted! -
1984 CATE
In 1984 the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (CATE) - established to set standards for initial teacher training courses. -
RAF Cosford - local playgroup
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Griffon School RAF Wildrenrath - Germany
This was a Foundation (pre-school) level run by the Primary School itself. This system was standard amongst forces schools at the time. The school followed its own curriculum for the most part. Now all forces schools follow the National Curriculum of England, and are not mixed. I remember learning with British and American children together. There were provisions in place for children coming and going, and so a fluid curriculum. This school was demolished along with the base. -
1988 Education 'Reform' Act
Presented as giving power to the schools. In fact, it took power away from the LEAs and the schools and gave them all to the Secretary of State.
The Act imposed on schools a National Curriculum.
Lawton described the new curriculum as 'the reincarnation of the 1904 Secondary Regulations'. It was huge and therefore unmanageable, especially at the primary level.
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) replaced O-levels and CSEs. -
Sawtry Junior School
We returned to the UK - to Sawtry, a small village just off the M1 near Peterborough. Sawtry Junior School had an Infant School attached, and most pupils continued on to Sawtry Community College, the local secondary school. -
Student Loans
1989 The Tories freeze grants and introduce student loans. -
1992 Education (Schools) Act
Made provision for the establishment of Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education). -
Sawtry Community College
This was a typical 11-16 comprehensive school - a Community College so called because it made provision for outside adult learning.
It is now Sawtry Village Academy. -
Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron - Comprehensive School
This comprehensive school in Wales followed the same National curriculum, but with the addition of compulsory Welsh up to the age of 16. There was no SAT in Welsh, but we did take a compulsory GCSE. Although this did not become lawfully compulsory until 1999. -
1994 Education Act
Made provision for the establishment of the Teacher Training Agency (TTA). -
A* Grades
1994: An A* grade was added to GCSEs to differentiate between top and lower A grades. -
SATs
1995: The government introduced National Curriculum Tests, often called SAT’s, for all children aged 7, 11 and 14 (tests for seven year olds were first tried in 1991).
I can remember sitting the SAT's at 14. -
1996 Education (Student Loans) Act
Extended the provision of student loans. -
SATs at 14 years old
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GCSEs
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1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act
1998 The Teaching and Higher Education Act is passed into law – setting an annual tuition fee for England of £1,000. Means testing means a third of students will not pay anything. -
AS levels introduced
2000: Advanced Subsidiary (AS-level) exams were brought in for 17 year olds. These were qualifications in their own right but also served as a halfway stage in the A-level course, unlike the Advanced Supplementary exams they replaced. -
A Levels
I just missed the transition to AS levels. My courses were modular, but single 2 year courses. -
Bristol University
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Increased Tuition Fees
2003 Less than two years after pledging not to introduce top-up fees, Labour publishes a white paper setting out proposals to allow universities to set their own tuition fees up to a cap of £3,000 a year. The fees will be repaid once graduates earn above £15,000 and will be accompanied by a means-tested package of support. -
Maintenance grants reintroduced
Maintenance grants reintroduced in 2004 but substantially increasing them in 2006 and then expanding entitlement in 2008. -
Athena SWAN Charter
ECU’s Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. -
Increased Tuition Fees (again)
2006 Students starting university in the autumn become the first to be charged the higher £3,000 fees. -
Swansea University
The University began admitting women to physics in the 60s. It is now a member of the ATHENA collaboration, and has been awarded Bronze level. -
Incresed tuition fees (again...)
64 universities announced their intention to charge the full £9,000 allowed by the government from 2012, with the remaining 59 all charging at least £6,000. -
Graduated
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University of Wolverhampton
