Education in England: a brief history
Derek Gillard
first published January 2000
revised and updated May 2004, April 2007, January 2011
© copyright Derek Gillard 2011
Education in England: a brief history is my copyright. You are welcome to download it and print it for your own personal use, or for use in a school or other educational establishment, provided my name as the author is attached. But you may not publish it, upload it onto any other website, or sell it, without my permission.
Citations
You are welcome to cite this piece. If you do so, please acknowledge it thus:
Gillard D (2011) Education in England: a brief history www.educationengland.org.uk/history
References
In references in the text, the number after the colon is always the page number (even where a document has numbered paragraphs or sections).
Documents
Where a document is shown as a link, the full text is available online. Most of the Acts of Parliament and Official Papers have been downloaded from the National Archives website: these are text files and are therefore searchable. Acts and White Papers which are not available on the National Archives website have been photocopied and scanned: the resulting files are shown as 'pdf image'.
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.
Introduction
Education in England: a brief history explores the development of education in England from the earliest schools in the sixth century, through the establishment of the state education system in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, to current concerns about government policies. It aims to explain how we got where we are now.
As its name indicates, it covers England rather than the whole of the UK, though I have included occasional references, where relevant, to educational policy and provision in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Similarly, while it deals mainly with education in schools, some information about higher education is given where it is relevant to the development of education generally.
In addition to the twelve chapters there's also a timeline of major education acts, reports and other key events; a glossary of commonly used abbreviations and terms which I hope will be especially useful for non-UK readers; and a bibliography (which is a compilation of all the quoted sources listed at the end of each chapter).
Each web page includes chapter links (as in the left hand column on this page) and at the end of each page there are links to the previous and next chapters. The left hand column also displays the organisation of each chapter with links to the main headings, as shown in the Contents list below.
Finally, if you spot any errors - anything from factual inaccuracies to missing punctuation or broken links - I'd be very grateful if you'd let me know. Contact details are here.
Contents
Chapter 1 600-1800 Beginnings
600-1100 The earliest schools
St Augustine
Grammar schools, song schools
Alcuin
The Vikings and King Alfred
The Normans
1100-1500 Expansion and development
Church control of education
Universities
Oxford
Cambridge
Expansion
Independent schools
Winchester
Eton
Growing public interest
1500-1600 Renaissance and Reformation
The English Reformation
The English Renaissance
Apprenticeships and chivalry
New types of school
Elizabethan England
1600-1800 The concept of universal education
Comenius
Grammar schools
Dissenting Academies
Urbanisation
References
Chapter 2 1800-1860 Towards a state system of education
Industrialisation: the need for mass education
The industrial revolution
New types of school
Sunday schools
Schools of industry
Monitorial schools
Infant schools
Elementary schools
Technical education
Hostility to mass education
Parliamentary grants for school buildings
The involvement of the churches
The education of the upper classes
Preparatory schools
Resistance to change
The beginnings of change
A broader curriculum
Girls' education
Special educational needs
Provision for
- the blind
- the deaf
- the physically handicapped
- the mentally defective
Higher education
1825 Universities Act
References
Chapter 3 1860-1900 Class divisions
Three classes - three commissions
1864 Clarendon Report
1868 Public Schools Act
1868 Taunton Report
1869 Endowed Schools Act
1861 Newcastle Report
1870 Elementary Education Act
Summary of the Act
Commentary on the Act
The church problem
Further progress
1880 Elementary Education Act
1891 Elementary Education Act
1899 Board of Education Act
Content and structures
1862 Revised Code
Relaxing the Code
Infant schools
Higher Grade Schools
1881-4 Royal Commission on Technical Instruction
1888 Cross Commission on Elementary Education
1895 Bryce Commission on Secondary Education
Girls' education
Special educational needs
Provision for
- the deaf and blind
- the physically and mentally handicapped
- defective and epileptic children
Higher education
1862 Oxford University Act
1871 Universities Tests Act
Other legislation
1868 Endowed Schools Act
1873 Elementary Education Act
1873 Endowed Schools Act
1874 Endowed Schools Act
1876 Elementary Education Act
1879 Elementary Education (Industrial Schools) Act
1888 Local Government Act
1889 Welsh Intermediate Education Act
1889 Technical Instruction Act
1892 Technical and Industrial Institutions Act
The purposes of education
Utilitarianism
Social class
A common education for all
References
Chapter 4 1900-1944 Taking shape
1900-1914 Laying the foundations
The Cockerton Judgement
1902 Education Act (Balfour)
Religion
Secondary education
Teacher training
Summary of the Act
Further developments
1904 Secondary Regulations
1906 and 1914 Education (Provision of Meals) Acts
1907 Education (Administrative Provisions) Act
1907 Free Place Regulations
Reports
A bewildering variety of schools
Higher elementary schools
Central schools
Day trade schools
Junior technical schools
Infant schools
World War I
1918 Education Act (Fisher)
Summary of the Act
1918-1939 Between the wars
1921 Education Act
Summary of the Act
1936 Education Act
Other Acts
1920 Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act
1923 Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act
Reports
1921 Newbolt Report
The Hadow Reports
1938 Spens Report
Primary education
World War II
More reports
1943 Norwood Report
1944 McNair and Fleming
Special educational needs
Provision for
- mentally defective children
- the blind
- the deaf
- maladjustment
References
Chapter 5 1944-1951 Post-war reconstruction
Introduction
1944 Education Act
Summary of the Act
I Central Administration
II Statutory System
III Independent Schools
IV General
V Supplemental
Schedules
Commentary on the Act
The government of education
Disappointments
Progressive
After the war
Ellen Wilkinson
Selection: comprehensive failure
The tripartite system
General Certificate of Education
Primary education
Special educational needs
Other matters
The curriculum
Teacher training
Miscellaneous
References
Chapter 6 1951-1970 The wind of change
Political background
1951-1964 Conservatives
Wind of change
1964-1970 Labour
Mixed picture
Selection: missed opportunity
Growing concerns
1963 Newsom Report
Labour U-turn
Circular 10/65
Disappointment
CSE
Scotland
Independent schools
Primary education
Progressivism
1967 Plowden Report
Middle schools
Background
Sir Alec Clegg
1964 Education Act
Educational justification
Rapid development
Special educational needs
Post-war progress
Further developments
1954 NACTST Report
1955 Underwood Report
1956 Jameson Report
1959 Mental Health Act
1968 Summerfield Report
1970 Education (Handicapped Children) Act
Other developments
London's local government
Immigration
Section 11
Miscellaneous
Optimism
References
Chapter 7 1970-1979 Recession and disenchantment
Political background
End of the post-war consensus
Disenchantment
Selection: broken promises
Circular 10/70
1976 Education Act
Lurch to the right
The Great Debate
Recession
The Black Papers
Teaching Styles & Pupil Progress
The William Tyndale Affair
Ruskin College Speech
Education in Schools
Special educational needs
Child guidance
Assessment
Integration
Legislation
1970 Education (Handicapped Children) Act
1971 Teaching Council (Scotland) Act
1972 Children Act
1973 Education Act
1973 Education (Work Experience) Act
1973 Employment of Children Act
1973 NHS Reorganisation Act
1973 Employment and Training Act
1976 Education (School-leaving Dates) Act
Reports
1972 James Report
1975 Bullock Report
1977 Taylor Report
1978 Warnock Report
1978 Waddell Report
1977-82 Matters for Discussion
1978-85 HMI surveys
References
Chapter 8 1979-1990 Thatcherism: the marketisation of education
Neo-liberalism
Public services
Selection
Preparing the ground
The curriculum
The teachers
The local authorities
Vocational education
Legislation
1979 Education Act
1980 Education Act
1981 Education Act
1983 Education (Fees and Awards) Act
1984 Education (Grants and Awards) Act
1986 Education (Amendment) Act
1986 Education Act
1986 Education (No. 2) Act
1988 Local Government Act
1988 Education Reform Act
Summary of the Act
Commentary on the Act
1990 Education (Student Loans) Act
Reports
1977-82 Matters for Discussion
1978-85 HMI surveys
1981 Rampton - West Indians
1982 Cockcroft - maths
1985 Swann - ethnic minorities
1988 Kingman - English
1988 Higginson - A Levels
1989 Cox - English
1989 Elton - descipline
1990 Rumbold - early years
Conclusion
References
Chapter 9 1990-1997 John Major: more of the same
A miserable inheritance
New faces, same policies
School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991
Further and Higher Education Act 1992
Education (Schools) Act 1992
The 'Three Wise Men' Report
Choice and diversity
'Selection' becomes 'specialisation'
Dearing review of the National Curriculum
Education Act 1993
Other legislation
Education Act 1994
Education (Student Loans) Act 1996
Education Act 1996
Nursery Education and Grant-Maintained Schools Act 1996
School Inspections Act 1996
Education Act 1997
Other developments
Vocational qualifications
Middle school closures
The Labour Party and selection
Downfall
References
Chapter 10 1997-2007 The Blair decade
Introduction
A new golden age?
The Adonis Problem
1997-2001 Destroying the comprehensive ideal
1997 White Paper Excellence in Schools
1998 School Standards and Framework Act
Specialist schools
Privatisation
Education Action Zones
Contracting out
City academies
Curriculum and testing
National Curriculum
National Literacy Strategy
Special needs
Other developments
1998 Education (Student Loans) Act
1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act
Chris Woodhead
2001 Green Paper Schools - building on success
2001-05 Diversity and faith
2001 White Paper Schools - achieving success
2002 Education Act
Faith schools
End of the comprehensive?
Five Year Strategy
The academies programme
Curriculum and testing
National Literacy Strategy
Foreign languages
Tests, targets and league tables
14-19 curriculum
2004 Children Act
Other developments
Behaviour
Teachers' pay and conditions
2004 Higher Education Act
Building Schools for the Future
2005 Education Act
2005-07 Third term extremism
2006 Education and Inspections Act
The academies programme
Faith schools
Selection
Curriculum and testing
Curriculum
Tests and exams
Cambridge Primary Review
Behaviour
2005 Steer Report
Truancy
Bullying
Other developments
Building Schools for the Future
Middle schools
Ofsted
Higher education
Head teachers
School leaving age
Tim Brighouse
Miscellaneous
The Blair legacy
References
Chapter 11 2007-2010 Brown and Balls: mixed messages
The new administration
Brown and Balls
Cameron and Gove
The Children's Plan
Legislation
2008 Education and Skills Act
2009 Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act
2009 White Paper
2009 Children, Schools and Families Bill
2010 Children, Schools and Families Act
Other Acts relating to children and young people
2007 Further Education and Training Act
2008 Children and Young Persons Act
2010 Child Poverty Act
Curriculum reviews
IRPC
IRPC interim report
CPR curriculum report
CSFC National Curriculum report
IRPC final report
CPR final report
Nuffield 14-19 Review
Testing and assessment
CSFC Report
SATs fiasco
SATs boycott
Exams and qualifications
GCSE
A Levels
Ofqual
Diplomas
Election battleground
Schools
Building Schools for the Future
Academies and trust schools
Faith schools
Covert selection by faith schools
Selection
Private schools
The National Challenge
Other developments
Curriculum
Ofsted
Summerhill
The inspection regime
Teachers
2008 NUT Conference
One-day strike
Head teachers
Behaviour
Steer Report
Bullying
Homophobia
Social mobility
School meals
Budget cuts
School uniform
Steiner course
Higher education
The election campaign
Gove's view of education
Free schools
Primary education
Coalition
Summary of the period
References
Chapter 12 2010 What future for education in England?
The new administration
Education policies
Expansion of academies
Hostility
Free schools
Sweden
Drastic budget cuts
Pupil premium
Curriculum matters
Primary curriculum
School sports partnerships
Diplomas
QCDA scrapped
Celebrities
Free school meals
Building Schools for the Future
Higher education
Fewer places
Browne Review
Tuition fees
Education maintenance allowance
Education White Paper
Coalition?
In conclusion
References
Timeline
A chronological list of education acts, reports and other key developments.
Glossary
Alphabetical lists of commonly used abbreviations and terms, especially useful for non-UK readers.
Bibliography
A compilation of all the quoted sources listed at the end of each chapter.
Chapter 1
 
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