Acts of Parliament
as originally enacted: i.e. without later amendments
1825 Universities Act 1825 (pdf text 88kb): behaviour of Oxbridge students.
1840 Grammar Schools Act 1840 (pdf image 1.6mb): allowed endowment funds to be spent on modern and commercial subjects.
1841 Five School Sites Acts passed between 1841 and 1852 facilitated the purchase of land for school buildings and allowed for 'Parliamentary Grants for the Education of the Poor':
1855 School Grants Act 1855 (pdf text 76kb).
1862 Oxford University Act 1862 (pdf text 132kb).
1868 Public Schools Act 1868 (pdf image 2.8mb): based on the 1864 Clarendon Report.
1868 Endowed Schools Act 1868 (pdf image 82kb): paved the way for the 1869 Endowed Schools Act.
1869 Endowed Schools Act 1869 (pdf image 2.7mb): based on the 1868 Taunton Report.
1870 Elementary Education Act 1870 (pdf image 6.5mb): the 'Forster Act' introduced compulsory universal education for children aged 5-13 but left enforcement of attendance to school boards.
1871 Universities Tests Act 1871 (pdf text 80kb).
1873 Elementary Education Act 1873 (pdf image 1.8mb).
1873 Endowed Schools Act 1873 (pdf image 1.2mb).
1874 Endowed Schools Act 1874 (pdf image 512kb).
1876 Elementary Education Act 1876 (pdf image 3.7mb).
1879 Elementary Education (Industrial Schools) Act 1879 (pdf image 348kb): extended the powers of school boards in relation to the establishment and extension of industrial schools.
1880 Elementary Education Act 1880 (pdf image 496kb): the 'Mundella Act' tightened up school attendance laws.
1888 Local Government Act 1888 (pdf text 2.6mb): created county councils and county borough councils which later became the framework for educational administration.
1889 Technical Instruction Act 1889 (pdf image 716kb): placed technical instruction outside secondary schools.
1889 Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889 (pdf image 1.4mb): established the Welsh secondary education system.
1891 Elementary Education Act 1891 (pdf image 520kb): elementary education to be provided free.
1892 Technical and Industrial Institutions Act 1892 (pdf text 60kb).
1893 Elementary Education (Blind and Deaf Children) Act 1893 (pdf image 820kb).
1899 Board of Education Act 1899 (pdf image 540kb): established the Board of Education.
1899 Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act 1899 (pdf image 776kb).
1902 Education Act 1902 (pdf image 3.7mb): the 'Balfour Act' established a system of secondary education integrating higher grade elementary schools and fee-paying secondary schools; abolished school boards and established local education authorities (LEAs).
1906 Education (Provision of Meals) Act 1906 (pdf text 68kb): allowed LEAs to provide meals for undernourished elementary school children.
1907 Education (Administrative Provisions) Act 1907 (pdf image 960kb): introduced scholarship/free place system for secondary education and required LEAs to provide medical inspections of elementary school children.
1914 Education (Provision of Meals) Act 1914 (pdf image 1.1mb): extended the powers of local education authorities to provide meals for undernourished elementary school children.
1918 Education Act 1918 (Fisher) (pdf text 748kb): wide-ranging Act extending education provision in line with recommendations of 1917 Lewis Report.
1920 Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act 1920 (pdf text 220kb).
1921 Education Act 1921 (pdf image 19.8mb): consolidated all previous laws relating to education and raised school leaving age to 14.
1923 Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923 (pdf text 384kb): established Commissions for the two universities.
1936 Education Act 1936 (pdf image 3.8mb): authorised building grants of up to 75 per cent for new denominational 'Special Agreement' senior schools.
1944 Education Act 1944 (pdf text 1.8mb): the 'Butler Act' set the structure of the post-war system of state education.
1945 Education (Scotland) Act 1945 (pdf text 1.5mb).
1946 Education Act 1946 (pdf text 280kb): set out arrangements for the management of voluntary and controlled schools.
1948 Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1948 (pdf text 292kb).
1948 Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act 1948 (pdf text 200kb).
1953 Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1953 (pdf text 424kb).
1956 Teachers (Superannuation) Act 1956 (pdf text 572kb).
1959 Education Act 1959 (pdf text 68kb): grants and loans to aided schools and special agreement schools.
1962 Education Act 1962 (pdf text 240kb): required LEAs to provide students with grants for living costs and tuition fees; placed legal obligation on parents to ensure that children received a suitable education at school or otherwise - failure to comply could result in prosecution; made LEAs legally responsible for ensuring that pupils attended school.
1963 London Government Act 1963 (pdf text 5mb): abolished LCC and replaced it with the Greater London Council (GLC).
1963 Children and Young Persons Act 1963 (pdf text 1020kb): extended LEAs' responsibilities.
1964 Education Act 1964 (pdf text 64kb): facilitated the introduction of middle schools.
1965 Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1965 (pdf text 336kb).
1966 Local Government Act 1966 (pdf text 880kb): made various changes in funding between central government and LEAs. Section 11 dealt with the funding of education for immigrant children.
1967 Education Act 1967 (pdf text 68kb): grants and loans to aided and special agreement schools etc.
1968 Education Act 1968 (pdf text 180kb): laid down rules about changing the character of a school (eg to comprehensive).
1969 Children and Young Persons Act 1969 (pdf text 2.2mb): gave LEAs responsibilities for children not receiving education or in need of care and control.
1970 Education (Handicapped Children) Act 1970 (pdf text 60kb): transferred responsibility for education of severely handicapped children from health authorities to LEAs.
1970 Education (Handicapped Children) Act 1970 (pdf text 60kb).
1971 Education (Milk) Act 1971 (pdf image 572kb): limited the provision of free milk in schools.
1971 Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1971 (pdf text 64kb).
1972 Children Act 1972 (pdf text 44kb): employment of children.
1973 Education Act 1973 (pdf text 296kb): provisions regarding the operation of certain educational trusts.
1973 Education (Work Experience) Act 1973 (pdf text 52kb): allowed LEAs to organise work experience for final year school students.
1973 Employment and Training Act 1973 (pdf text 1.5mb): required LEAs to set up careers services; established the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) under the Department of Employment, the Employment Service Agency and the Training Services Agency.
1973 National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973 (pdf text 2.4mb): transferred the school health service from LEAs to Area Health Authorities. LEAs were still responsible for dental and medical inspections.
1973 Employment of Children Act 1973 (pdf text 144kb): new regulations and supervision by local authorities.
1976 Education (School-leaving Dates) Act 1976 (pdf text 56kb).
1976 Education Act 1976 (pdf text 148kb): gave the Secretary of State the power to ask LEAs to plan non-selective systems (repealed by the Conservatives in 1979).
1979 Education Act 1979 (pdf text 40kb): repealed Labour's 1976 Act - allowed LEAs to maintain selection.
1980 Education Act 1980 (pdf text 1mb): a major act which instituted the assisted places scheme (public money for children to go to private schools), gave parents greater powers on governing bodies and over admissions, and removed the obligation on LEAs to provide school milk and meals.
1981 Education Act 1981 (pdf text 496kb) (following the 1978 Warnock Report): gave parents new rights in relation to special needs.
1983 Education (Fees and Awards) Act 1983 (pdf text 36kb).
1984 Education (Grants and Awards) Act 1984 (pdf text 88kb): introduced Education Support Grants (ESGs) - central government funds given to LEAs for specific purposes.
1986 Education (Amendment) Act 1986 (pdf text 36kb): education support grants and midday supervision.
1986 Education Act 1986 (pdf text 92kb): required LEAs to give governors information on funding.
1986 Education (No. 2) Act 1986 (pdf text 1.6mb): required LEAs to state policies, governors to publish annual reports and hold parents' meetings; laid down rules on admissions, political indoctrination and sex education; abolished corporal punishment; ended Secretary of State's duty to make annual reports.
1988 Social Security Act 1988 (pdf text 254kb): required 16 and 17 year olds to register for YTS.
1988 Local Government Act 1988 (pdf text 856kb): included homophobic Section 28 (which was repealed by New Labour in November 2003).
1988 Employment Act 1988 (pdf text 229kb): introduced bridging allowance for young people waiting to take up YTS place. MSC renamed the Training Commission.
1988 Education Reform Act 1988 (pdf text 4.1mb): major act establishing the National Curriculum, testing regime, Local Management of Schools (LMS) etc.
1990 Education (Student Loans) Act 1990 (pdf text 116kb): introduced 'top-up' loans for HE students and so began the diminution of student grants.
1991 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991 (pdf text 172kb): established a review body but gave the Secretary of State the final say.
1992 Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (pdf text 1.6mb): removed FE and sixth form colleges from LEA control and established Further Education Funding Councils (FEFCs), unified the funding of higher education under the Higher Education Funding Councils (HEFCs), introduced competition for funding between institutions, abolished the Council for National Academic Awards.
1992 Education (Schools) Act 1992 (pdf text 404kb): Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education).
1993 Education Act 1993 (pdf text 19.1mb): changed the funding of GM schools, laid down rules for pupil exclusions and for 'failing' schools, abolished NCC and SEAC and replaced them with the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA), defined special educational needs.
1994 Education Act 1994 (pdf text 332kb): established the Teacher Training Authority (TTA) and regulated student unions.
1996 Education (Student Loans) Act 1996 (pdf text 56kb): extended the provision of student loans.
1996 Nursery Education and Grant-Maintained Schools Act 1996 (pdf text 208kb): introduced unsuccessful voucher scheme for nursery education (later withdrawn by Labour), and allowed governors of GM schools to borrow money.
1996 Education Act 1996 (pdf text 1.6mb): huge act mainly consolidating all education acts since 1944.
1996 School Inspections Act 1996 (pdf text 732kb): consolidated previous legislation on school inspections.
1997 Education Act 1997 (pdf text 996kb): wide-ranging but much watered down because of the forthcoming general election. Abolished NCVQ and SCAA and replaced them with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).
1997 Education (Schools) Act 1997 (pdf text 92kb): abolished the assisted places scheme. Proposed binding home-school agreements (not implemented).
1998 Education (Student Loans) Act 1998 (pdf text 88kb): transferred provision of student loans to the private sector.
1998 School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (pdf text 940kb): encouraged selection by specialisation, changed the names of types of schools, limited infant class sizes, established Education Action Zones etc.
1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (pdf text 836kb): established the General Teaching Council (GTC), abolished student maintenance grants and required students to contribute towards tuition fees.
2000 Learning and Skills Act 2000 (pdf text 484kb): established the Learning and Skills Councils for England and Wales, allowed city technology colleges to be renamed city academies.
2002 Education Act 2002 (pdf text 6.4mb): implemented the proposals in the 2001 white paper.
2004 Children Act 2004 (pdf text 280kb): based on the 2003 green paper Every Child Matters.
2004 Higher Education Act 2004 (pdf text 196kb): allowed universities to charge variable top-up fees.
2005 Education Act 2005 (pdf text 648kb): wide-ranging but relatively uncontroversial.
2006 Education and Inspections Act 2006 (pdf text 1.0mb): very controversial - passed only with Tory support.
2007 Further Education and Training Act 2007 (pdf text 196kb).
2008 Education and Skills Act 2008 (pdf text 672kb): raised the education leaving age to 18; Key Stage 3 SATs effectively abolished.
2008 Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (pdf text 228kb): local authority responsibilities and social work services.
2009 Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (pdf text 1.0mb): created statutory framework for apprenticeships.
2010 Child Poverty Act 2010 (pdf text 140kb): targets and provisions.
2010 Children, Schools and Families Act 2010 (pdf text 124kb): based on 2009 white paper but much reduced because of the impending election.
2010 Academies Act 2010 (pdf text 104kb): provided for huge and rapid expansion of academies.
2011 Education Act 2011 (pdf text 700kb): increased schools' powers relating to pupil behaviour and exclusions, further diminished the role of local authorities, further expansion of academies etc.
Official Papers
Green papers set out the broad direction of government policy to inform public discussion; White papers contain specific proposals for government Bills, which, if passed, become Acts of Parliament.
1943 White Paper Educational Reconstruction (pdf image 2.8mb): formed the basis of the 1944 Education Act.
1977 Green Paper Education in Schools: A Consultative Document: began the process of curriculum review called for by Jim Callaghan in his Ruskin College speech of 1976.
1992 White Paper Choice and Diversity: A new framework for schools (pdf image 6.7mb): formed the basis of the 1993 Education Act.
1997 White Paper Excellence in schools (pdf image 8.1mb): formed the basis of the 1998 School Standards and Framework Act.
1997 Green Paper Excellence for all children: Meeting Special Educational Needs (pdf text 4.3mb): set out five year plan.
2001 Green Paper Schools: building on success (pdf text 1.4mb): New Labour's rewriting of the history of comprehensive schools.
2001 White Paper Schools: achieving success (pdf text 1.5mb): formed the basis of the 2002 Education Act.
2001 The Learning Country (pdf text 508kb): the Welsh Assembly's first major statement on education.
2004 Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (pdf text 1.2mb): formed the basis for the 2005 White Paper Higher standards, better schools for all.
2005 White Paper 14-19 Education and Skills (pdf text 524kb): rejected most of 2004 Tomlinson Report's recommendations.
2005 White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All (pdf text 964kb): proposed independent trust schools. Led to 2006 Education and Inspections Bill.
2007 The Children's Plan (pdf text 640kb): ambitious plan for all future government policy relating to children, families and schools.
2009 White Paper Your child, your schools, our future (pdf text 2.4mb): wide-ranging proposals including the removal of central government prescription of teaching methods and reduction in the use of the private consultants to improve schools.
2010 White Paper The Importance of Teaching (pdf text 1mb): wide-ranging document covering teaching, leadership, behaviour, new schools, accountability etc.
Books
1911 Edmond Holmes What Is and What Might Be Often seen as the first manifesto of the 'progressive' education movement.
1913 Edmond Holmes Introduction to A Montessori Mother Dorothy Canfield Fisher's book commended the Montessori system of education to mothers in the US and elsewhere.
1915 AF Leach The Schools of Medieval England An invaluable book charting the history of English schools before the Reformation. (Leach is not without his critics, however. See for example Joan Simon's Education and Society in Tudor England Cambridge University Press 1966).
