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Eleven Plus Introduced
The Eleven Plus exam was created to test verbal reasoning, mathematics and English of primary school leavers to determine secondary school entry: Grammar, Secondary Modern or Technical School. I had to sit the 11+ exam to enable to go to KEFW -
Education Act 1944
Free secondary school education for all! Most LEAs aimed to establish the three main 'streams' or categories of school - grammar, secondary modern and technical. Children would be allocated on the basis of an examination at the age of 11, known as the '11 plus'. This was intended to provide equal opportunities for children of all backgrounds. The school leaving age was raised to 15, though the stated intention that it should be 16 was not effected until 1972 -
Crowther report 1959
The report recommended school leaving age increase to 16. The recommendation wasn't implemented until 1975. The act also highlighted the need for schools to appeal to a wider audience by considering alternatives to A-Levels -
Education Act
Required LEAs to provide students with grants for living costs and tuition fees; placed legal obligation on parents to ensure that children received a suitable education at school or otherwise - failure to comply could result in prosecution; made LEAs legally responsible for ensuring that pupils attended school. -
Warnock Report
Addressed the inequality of the education system in relation to those with Special Education Needs. Reframed the concept of “Handicapped” and identified that LEA’s were to take responsibility to meet those with Special Education Needs (SEN) and would be educated in “mainstream” schools wherever possible. As a by-product of report the 1981 Education (Special Education) Act 1981 emerged. -
Abolition of Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment was outlawed in state schools.
Although corporal punishment was made illegal in the UK in state schools from August 1987, the practice still continues in private schools across the world, including Australia -
Education Reform Act 1988
This was the most influential change in the education system since 1944. Aspects of the Act:
o The National Curriculum was introduced.
o Key stages were developed as objectives for attainment.
o The act created a choice of where parents could send their schools.
o League tables were produced with the publication of school exam results.
o Grant Maintained Schools were introduced to create autonomy from LEA and were funded by Central Government. -
SATs Introduced
Standard Attainment Tests as part of the Conservative Government led by John Major attempted to raise the standards of core disciplines of English, maths and science. They assessed student achievement in line with the National Curriculum which was introduced in 1988. I completed SATs in Year 2, 6 and 9. These were then used by the schools to put us into appropriate sets when we started Secondary school and went on into year 10 to complete our GCSE's -
Started Primary School
Attended Our Lady & St. Kenlem RC Primary School. This has always been one of the most sought after schools in Dudley and they have managed to hold onto their outstanding OFSTED grading since it was introduced in 1992 and has been one of the top performing schools in the area. -
OFSTED
A national scheme of school inspection was created by John Major's Conservative government. Out of this emerged OFSTED, a non-ministerial government department, responsible for the inspection of schools in England under the Education (Schools) Act 1992. This is something which has changed over the years with the way schools are rated, how they are assessed and the amount of time the teachers have to 'prepare' for OFSTED. -
A* Introduced at GCSE
GCSE's were originally introduced in 1988 (the year I was born) A new grading of A* was introduced in 1992. This was now the gold standard everyone wanted. The sky was no longer the limit, it's all about the stars now. -
Student Finance Introduced
Education (Student Loans) Act 1996
This act extended the provision of the student loan act of 1990 and had wider financial implications for HE students. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8057871/Grants-loans-and-tuition-fees-a-timeline-of-how-university-funding-has-evolved.html -
Literacy Hour introduced
I remember this changing and having to call English and maths numeracy and literacy. It also introduced the mental arithmetic test which I had to sit in year 6 as part of my SATs -
Started Secondary School
Attended Kings Edwards VI Five Ways Grammar School
Five Ways was one of the first schools in the West Midlands to introduce computer technology in 1978. This was achieved with a communications link to use computing facilities at Aston University.
This used to be boys school and only started to admit girls into the main school in 1998 (the year before I started) -
Moved to St Paul's RC Girls School
Attended St Pauls Catholic girls school for years 10 and 11. I completed my GCSE'S here and left with 15 A*-B although the GNVQ I completed accounts for 4 of them. This was abolished in 2007 -
Every Child Matters
ECM was a green paper produced following the death of Victoria Climbié. The Children Act 2004 that followed set out an agenda for child welfare. The main aim was to ensure every child would have the support they needed to: be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. -
Education and Skills Act
Raised the education leaving age to 18; Key Stage 3 SATs effectively abolished. -
Academies Act
Provided for huge and rapid expansion of academies.
All the schools I have attended are now part of a multi academy. What does this do? Why are they part of the academy. -
Computer Science introduced to the curriculum
Computer Science was added to the curriculum this year -
Attended Halesowen College
I had to complete an Access to Education Course to enable me to apply to university as one of the requirements for UCAS was education in the last 5 years which I didn't have -
Started University of Wolverhampton
Started Computer Science with Secondary QTS
Since student finance introduced in 1996 it has been increased many times. The last time it was increased was.....so I will now leave university in nearly £60k worth of debt!
