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Education Act 1944
Establishment of the ministry for education, along with two central advisory councils. LEA takes control of staff and buildings for education and charged with providing primary and secondary education, SEN provision to be catered for. Religious Education is to be provided for, although it must be balanced and parents have the ability to opt-out. Attendance is compulsory with leaving age set at 15 with plans to raise it to 16. Provision of further education for post compulsory education. -
Initial Implementation
Government change: Conservative to Labour. Vision of 'laughter in the classroom, self-confidence growing every day, eager interest instead of bored uniformity' (Wilkinson 1947:5, quoted in Jones 2003:24). Minister for education included raising the leaving age to 16 and free school meals for all students in their vision. Development of tripartite system; grammar, modern and technical schools -
GCE's introduced
Government Change; Labour to Conservative. General Certificate of Education (GCE) O-levels and A-levels are introduced, replacing the School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate. -
'Winds of Change'
MacMillan makes a speech in South Africa about the winds of change. This speech alludes to a growing national conciousness about the fairness of society. Whilst this was aimed at African nations it is also applicable to british society. -
'Social Reinvention'
Goverment Change: Conservative to Labour. Socially there was massive change, Capital Punishment, Theatrical censorship and the criminality of homosexuality were all abolished. Abortion was legalised and divorce law was overhauled. This liberality in society was reflected in certain areas of education, spending increased and women were offered more university places, although comprehensive education did not manage to break through. -
Start of 11-16 education
Government change; Labour to Conservative. Groundings built upon in order to raise the school leaving age to 16 (finally made law in 1972). Free milk withdrawn in order to balance spending and LEA's are no longer allowed to make sweeping requests to comprehensivise schools, but made individual applications, although this led to large numbers of comprehensives being set up. -
Consumer led education
Government Change; Conservative to Labour. The Assessment of Performance Unit (APU) was set up, a forerunner of Ofsted. Teacher become more accountable and the push for comprehensives in legislated but largely ignored due to loopholes. Ruskin college speech is the first political call centered around education. Both Labour and Conservatives left behind comprehensive ideals, due to financial pressures. -
Thatcherism
Change of Government: Labour to Conservative. Against a backdrop of economic cutbacks, selection was again allowed to take place in LEA's and power is shifted to parents away from LEA's and schools. The concept of 'statmenting' certain children with SEN brought into legislation. The groundwork for the national curriculum was also lain down during this time, with government providing frameworks for curricula in schools and LEA's -
Governmental power grab
Government: No Change. CATE formed to provide guidlines on the provision of ITT nationwide. The Schools Council, made up of teachers is disbanded in 1984, replaced by a council made up of ministerially appointed professionals. Increase in the fees charged to overseas HEI students as well as laying down legislation for boards of governers and placing more responsibility on the headteachers of a school in particular. -
The Beginning
Current Governemnt: Conservative
David James Tilley is born -
Hidden Agenda
Government: No Change.
Corporal punishment abolished in state maintained schools in 1987
The largest change to the education system during this time was the education reform act of 1988. It masqueraded as a tool to remove powers from government, but on reflection increased their power. this was also used as a tool to rid the gonvernment of the ILEA, This led to creation of the National Curriculum, City Technology Colleges, which were sponsored by business. GCSE's also introduced -
Any Change?
Governement: No change; Conservatives (Thatcher to Major)
In a time when people were struggling finacially and public spending on education was at a low, the gonvernement introduced a body to examine teachers pay (1991). Further education was removed from LEA control and led to their self governance. Then, in 1992, the dreaded OfSTED was set up in order -
Start of School
Joined reception at Lyndon Green Junior & Infant school. -
Major wns the election
Government; No change
Major wins the election against what had been forecast. Curriculum is reduced and more choice is promoted within schools with greater autonomy. 1993 Education act changed prescription for finance, provision, attendance and also school standards. TTA also set up to try and raise the standard of teaching in the UK -
Change of schools
Moved from Lyndon Green to Greswolde Primary school -
Education, Education, Education?
Government change: Conservative to Labour
Despite its promises the labour government didn't repeal the grammar schools and instead drove schools towards specialisation and further prescribed time that needed to be devoted to certain subjects. In 1998 further legislation was put in place that further constrained schools and diverted the powers away from them. Selection on aptitude and specialisation were encouraged, as was the concept of academies. -
BIG School!
Move from Greswold primary school to Cockshut Hill Secondary School -
A new idea?
Governement: no change
The governement sets up Education Action zones, as a way to interest private businesses in struggling schools and gave them a flexibility where the curriculum is concerned. This was replaced in 1999 by the excellence in cities school, using successful schools to try and improve the fortunes of struggling schools. In 2000 city academies were proposed under a guise of a new idea, but they were a rehashing of the technology colleges of the previous government. -
5 year plan!
Governament: No change
Continued push towards academies, specialised and faith schools -
Specialisation, Privitisation and Religion
Government: No change.
2002's education act pulled even more funding control from LEA's and handed it to headteachers. Specialist schools, academies and faith schools all flourished under this act and the aim was to narrow attainment gaps between different ethnicities and communities. Grammar schools offered more funding in order to create a supportive network for failing schools. -
Further Education
Leave Cockshut Hill and attend Solihull Sixth Form Centre to complete A-levels -
Selection and Privitisation
Government: No change
The 2006 act led to all schools being encouraged to be independent, 'band' students, tendered on the open market when failing. Around this time reports came out that the academy system wasn't working where results, or behaviour, were concerned. In december of the same year a report was published that espoused student ownership of their education. OFSTED notice times were reduced and standards were raised even higher and strigently than before -
Life at University
Begin BSc at University of Leicester, studying Physics with Astrophysics -
New direction?
Government: No change (Blair to Brown)
Immediately broke up education department into two parts, one for Higher education and one for compulsory education. The main steps forward concerned the care of children, especially those from poorer backgrounds and attempts to take away the stealth selection that had been occuring in academies and faith schools for some time. However these schools continued to grow in number and continued to be highly prescriptive of teaching methods. -
End of education, for now!
Graduate in 2008 -
Budget Education
Government: Labour to Coalition.
The first thing to be pushed through was the implementation of expansion of academies and the foundation of 'free schools'. Power over education was moved solely to schools and the need to consult on academy status was largely removed. KS3 exams dropped and the E. Bacc has been introduced in response to the belief that the GCSE is no longer 'fit for purpose'. Pupil premiums for children from poorer backgrounds, although this money came from within slashed budgets
