2010-June 2024 Coalition/Conservative

• Changes made: 

  • EMA cut
  • Increased tuition fees
  • Pupil Premium
  • Free School Meals in first three years of school
  • A Level system changed
  • Structure and grading of GCSE changed
  • Raising of school leaving age
  • Free schools
  • Got rid of Aim Higher
  • Got rid of Sure Start
  • Academies (different from last one)
• • Increased tuition fees - more expensive to go to university
• • Pupil Premium - students from a disadvantaged background have money going to the school which is around £9000 more, this can help get resources, school meals, school trips and school clothes. Closes the gap between people who are and aren’t disadvantaged. 
• • Free School Meals in first three years of school - everyone gets a free school lunch at school. Make sure that everyone is equal. This is for reception, year 1 and year 2. 
• • A Level system changed - started with modules where you would do an exam at the end of year 12 and another at the end of year 13 to get A-Level. Now there is just an exam at the end of year 13 and this is how you get the qualification of an A-Level. They got rid of a lot of coursework. 
• • Structure and grading of GCSE changed - grading went from A-E to 9-1, meaning that more grades could be added on the top. 
• • Raising of school leaving age - don’t need to stay in school to 18 but do need to be in either education or training. 
• • Free schools - set up by charities, parents, businesses, anyone who thinks that there is a need for a school can set it up and they can control their term dates, be selective and their rules. Gives them more control over schools, gives parents more choice. 
• • Academies (different from last one) - money from central government straight to them which means that they have control and can decide term dates and how they are going to spend their money.
• Positives of the policies:

  • Structures and grading of GCSE changed - built in an extra stretch for grades
  • Free schools - increase choice for parents because they bring another school into the system.
  • Academies - gives the school more freedom so it drives up standards. 
  • Raising school leaving age - benefits the working class because they have to stay in education or training which means that they are going to be working at a higher level.
• Positives of the policies:

  • Free School Meals in first three years of school - provides quality food for everyone to help to close the gap, students are thinking more about what they are learning than the fact that they might not have to eat. They will definitely have at least one meal a day. 
  • A Level system changed - only an exam at one time instead of spread out over the two years, less coursework.
• Positives of the policies:

  • EMA - students weren’t forced into continuing school post 16 if they didn’t want to continue. People would abuse money, use it for the wrong reasons. 
  • Increased tuition fees - more money/funding is going into the education system. 
  • Pupil Premium - Closes the gap between people who are and aren’t disadvantaged, schools have more control as to how their money is spent, more money to improve education. Help the working class to achieve better and help the school. 
• Negatives of the policies:

  • Structures and grading of GCSE changed - some would argue that it was an unnecessary change, some people don’t understand the new system.
  • Free schools - these schools run by businesses so students' needs might not be met in the best way. 
  • Academies - there isn’t any
  • Raising school leaving age - there isn’t any
• Negatives of the policies:

  • Free School Meals in first three years of school - only happens for three years then it stops and that might be some students only substantial meal, it is not means tested (everybody gets it so it isn’t necessarily meeting needs). 
  • A Level system changed - for some students coursework is better for them, disadvantaged people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, used to be able to resit the tests. Favours the middle class students and the ideal way of working which benefits the middle class.  
• Negatives of the policies:

  • EMA - There isn’t an equal education for everyone, less financial support for the working class who do want to stay. 
  • Increased tuition fees - people from disadvantaged backgrounds will be unable to attend universities as they might be unable to afford it. Still create divide with working class and middle class as there is a fear of debt. 
  • Pupil Premium - it can be used in the wrong ways, it hasn’t closed the gap and there is still a disadvantage.