Policies

• Policies:

  > tripartite system

  > comprehensive system

  > education reform act

  > new labour reforms

  > conservative coalition
• Tripartite System (1944):

  > introduction of secondary school for all pupils and free education up to 15, after WW2 - three types of school for three types of pupil

  > grammar - academic curriculum for access to higher education, had to pass 11+, around 20% attended

  > secondary modern - practical curriculum for access to manual work for those who failed 11+, around 75% attended

  > technical - vocational education for those who failed 11+ but had a specific talent, around 5% attended
• Comprehensive System (1965):

  > Labour governments offered a one size fits all system to support the disadvantaged in society e.g. working class

  > all children attend comprehensive schools (equal opportunities)

  > school facilities were upgraded so new comprehensive schools could provide a broad curriculum and more sport/recreational activities
• Educational Reform Act (1988):

  > league tables

  > OFSTED

  > formula funding

  > open enrolment
• Educational Reform Act (1988) - League Tables:

  > rank schools based on percentage of pupils obtaining 5 GCSEs at grade C or above (including English and maths)

  > published online so can be accessed by parents - allows them to make an informed choice

  > creates competition, so encourages schools to raise standards
• Educational Reform Act (1988) - OFSTED:

  > measures performance of schools - success and improvements

  > grades schools from 1 (outstanding) to 4 (inadequate), who are then placed in 'special measures' to ensure standards are improved

  > published so parents can make informed choices

  > creates competition between schools
• Educational Reform Act (1988) - Formula Funding:

  > more pupils = more funding - encourages schools to raise standards to attract pupils

  > best schools get more money to invest in better facilities, whereas, unpopular schools lose income and find it harder to attract pupils
• Educational Reform Act (1988) - Open Enrolment:

  > parents can send their child to any school, rather than the closest one (parentocracy)

  > encourages competition and raised standards as schools are not guaranteed pupils - need to attract them
• New Labour Reforms (1997):

  > academies

  > specialist schools

  > faith schools

  > EMA
• New Labour Reforms (1997) - Academies:

  > introduced to help underperforming schools (largely WC)

  > sponsored by businesses that would invest cash, and local authorities did not take a cut = extra money

  > free to spend the money on what pupils needed, which improved outcomes - claims it will raise the achievement of the WC so help them to achieve social mobility

  > more choice for parents
• New Labour Reforms (1997) - Specialist Schools:

  > secondary schools encouraged to apply for specialist status in a particular curriculum area e.g. technology, humanities

  > offers parents increased choice

  > raises standards by letting schools build on their strengths
• New Labour Reforms (1997) - Faith Schools:

  > cater to one faith

  > increases parental choice

  > promotes diversity - tailors education to students
• New Labour Reforms (1997) - EMA:

  > payments of up to £30 a week made to pupils from low-income backgrounds who attended college, to encourage them to stay in post-16 education - required 100% attendance

  > helps them cover costs of equipment, transport, uniform etc
• Conservative Coalition (2010):

  > English baccalaureate

  > academies

  > free schools

  > inequality policies
• Conservative Coalition (2010) - English Baccalaureate:

  > introduced to tackle the rise in vocational qualifications by measuring pupil performance in 'core' subjects - maths, English, science, a language, and either geography, history or music

  > believed it would restore high standards of qualification
• Conservative Coalition (2010) - Academies:

  > made it possible for all public schools to become academies, not just failing schools

  > still publicly funded but with increased autonomy e.g. setting wages, diverging from National Curriculum

  > many of the best schools applied and were fast tracked by the government
• Conservative Coalition (2010) - Free Schools:

  > set up and run by parents, teachers, faith organisations or businesses

  > funded by state but not wholly controlled by local authority - greater control over how they operate

  > claim to improve education standards by taking control from the state and giving it to parents
• Conservative Coalition (2010) - Inequality Policies:

  > free school meals for all children in reception, year 1 and 2

  > pupil premium - money that schools receive for each pupil from a disadvantaged background
• Vocational Education:

  > prepares pupils for a particular work role and transition to work

  > has recently focused on improving basic skills and raising the status of vocational education

  > globalisation means education should create flexible workers to help students take advantage of the global jobs market

  > functionalists and New Right - beneficial effects for economy

  > Marxists - second-rate education for working class
• Effects of Globalisation:

  > marketisation creates competition, which created the global education market

  > PISA - global league tables - ranked England high for maths and English, but low for students mental wellbeing

  > followed Finland in raising entry requirements

  > followed Singapore - master teachers
• Privatisation:

  > Ball - education becomes a source of profit in the Education Services Industry, who provide supply teachers and OFSTED

  > cola-isation - brands entering education to develop brand loyalty (make brands look legitimate) and schools can benefit e.g. save coupons and get a computer for school
• Ethnicity (1960s - 70s) - Assimilation Policies:

  > ethnic minorities expected to integrate

  > for example, helping EAL students (English as an Additional Language)
• Ethnicity (1980s) - Multicultural Policies:

  > government wanted to promote ethnic minority achievement by valuing all cultures in the curriculum
• Ethnicity (1990s) - Social Inclusion Policies:

  > detailed monitoring of exam results by ethnicity and EAL programmes

  > Race Relations Act was amended so schools had a legal duty to promote racial equality