Time line

• Education Act 1944 (Butler Act) - Established free and compulsory education for all children aged 5-15, introduced the tripartite system of secondary education (grammar schools, secondary modern schools, and technical schools)


  1944
• Circular 10/65 - Issued by the UK government, recommended comprehensive secondary education to replace the tripartite system, leading to the gradual phasing out of grammar schools


  1965
• Education Reform Act 1988 - Introduced by the Conservative government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, this act made several significant changes, including the introduction of the National Curriculum, standardized testing (SATs), and the establishment of grant-maintained schools


  1988
• Education Act 1997 - Passed by the Labour government under Prime Minister Tony Blair, this act abolished grant-maintained schools and introduced new categories of schools, such as foundation schools and community schools


  1997
• Education Act 2002 - Introduced changes to the inspection and regulation of schools, strengthened measures for school discipline, and increased parental involvement in education


  2002
• Education and Inspections Act 2006 - Gave schools more power to discipline students, introduced the requirement for schools to promote community cohesion, and established the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) as a non-ministerial government department


  2006
• Academies Act 2010 - Expanded the academies program introduced by the Labour government, allowing more schools to become academies independent of local authority control and receive funding directly from central government


  2010
• Education Act 2011 - Gave schools greater autonomy and flexibility, introduced the pupil premium to provide additional funding for disadvantaged students, and expanded the academies program further


  2011
• Children and Families Act 2014 - Introduced reforms to special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision, including the introduction of education, health, and care (EHC) plans to replace statements of special educational needs


  2014
• Education and Adoption Act 2016 - Streamlined the process for converting failing schools into academies and introduced measures to intervene in schools deemed to be underperforming


  2015
• These reforms reflect the changing priorities and policies of successive UK governments over the decades, aimed at improving standards, increasing accountability, and enhancing the Curriculum
• Parity of esteem


  The principle that all types of education and qualifications are valued equally, regardless of their mode of delivery or the background of the learners.
• Ofsted


  The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, a non-ministerial government department responsible for inspecting and regulating schools and other educational institutions in the UK, was established by the Education and Inspections Act 2006