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The Butler Education Act
Post war policy for social and economic regeneration. Introduced the Tripartite system of educations based on the report of the Norwood committee (1943). Free edcuation for all until 15. Based on the concept of fixed inherited intelligence of 3 types. Grammar , technical and secondary modern schools with 'parity of esteem'. -
School leaving age raised to 15
Not raised untl 1947 because basically there weren't enough schools.Britain still being rebuilt after the war. -
GCE O and A levels introduced
replaced School Certificate and Higher School certificate
Adopted by Grammar schools. Very few secondary schools made them available -
Started Croston Village Infants School
Croston Infants and unior school were in one building in the village. The school is now a museum !! Strong emphasis on reading, arithmetic and handwriting. Asssesment of IQ based mainly on reading age. I was bribed with a toy iron to improve my handwriting. We used to have a nap on little camp beds in the afternoon. Free school milk sometimes had to be defrosted on the coke stove in the corner of the classroom. -
Crowther report
Only 20% pupils able to go to grammar schools. Therefore 11 plus results not reliable (especially for girls)
Secondary moderns the schools for failures. 80% leaving school with no qualifications.
Report noted the ‘wastage of talent'
Recommended:
• a coherent national system of vocational education
• introduction of comprehensive education
• raising school leaving age to 16 -
Started Croston Village Junior school
The Junior school was on the right hand side of the same building as the Infants.The middle 2 years were combined together into one class. The top half of the top year were coached for the 11 plus. The school playground was right next to the river behind railings which I once got my head stuck in ! -
CSEs introduced
a less academic qualification than GCEs. to stimulate more purposeful work in secondary schools, reduce the fact that 80% leaving school with no qualifications to 40%, Note school leaving age was still 15, so you could leave school without attempting any exams. -
Newsom report
Entitled "Half our Future" the report argued that the future of the country depended on better education for those of below average ability. Secondary modern schools seriously deficient with far less funding than grammar schools. Contradicted the notion that intelligence is a fixed quality and said IT could be modified by social and educational approaches -
My brother failed his 11 plus
On the basis of his 'lack of reasoning skill'. Since he was very bookish and not at all practical this made him a fish out of water at a secondary modern school. He was bullied mercilessly. This was the first time that I encountered the notion of unfair assessment affecting someone's future. He felt a failure. My parents were very disappointed -
Circular 10/65
Instruction to Local Authorities to implement the comprehensive system. This took some time to take off basically because of the cost of re-organisation, new buildings etc.Tripartote system not formally abolished until 1976 -
Started secondary school
I passed my 11 plus and started St. Anne's Convent Grammar School. Total emphasis on passing exams and going to University. Failing that to Teachers’ Training College or failing that into Nursing!
Expected to be grateful to be there. Huge pressure not to fail. Compulsory Latin in first three years, hats, gloves, no eating in the street. An alien culture to many. -
Comprehensive reorganisation
School became a 7 form comprehensive Inner city intake.
School reacted brilliantly to behaviour that they had never seen before and pastoral care was excellent but still everything based on exams. CSES introduced (notable in cookery and needlework) and typing qualifications and a secretarial course.
Us grammar lot continued going through old exam papers leading up to O levels. Beginning to feel rebellious!! -
Started 6th form
Started A levels in Maths with Statistics, French and geography.
Hippy dippy times !! The thought that our future would depend solely on the results of exams at the end of the 2 years disillusined most of us -
School leaving age raised to 16
First proposed in 1959! Supposed to encourage people to stay on for exams. However, in practice there were pupils in this ‘extra’ year who weren’t going to take exams and many schools didn’t know what to do with. My mum was employed to teach these ‘Newsom kids’ things like childcare, living skills, cleaning etc -
Started Wolverhampton Polytechnic
Didn’t get the grades for Uni, not surprisingly
Started B.A. degree in Economics and statistics
Very unhappy at the end of the 3rd year that my whole future would depend on one dissertation and a few hours of exams. I did pass -
Started work as computer programmer
Started as a computer programmer at Goodyears in Wolverhampton and swore never to take another exam in my life !! -
Tripartite system formally abolished
education Act -
Education Reform Act
- Implementation of national curiculum
- Introduction of Key stages of curriculum for assessment
- Introduction of school league tables based on exam results
- Parents could specify their preferred choice of school
- GCSEs replaced GCEs and CSEs Coursework the norm. But are we still teaching soely towards exams ?
