Summary of key points

Although most children in the UK attend local primary schools between the
ages of 5 and 11, there are a variety of different types of secondary schools for
children aged between 11 and 16. The reasons for this are to do with changes
in government policy over time. Governments have changed their views on
how schools should be organised for practical, ideological and economic
reasons.

In the 1950s, most areas of England and Wales had a very similar system of
education for children between the ages of 5 and 15. This had been set up as a
result of the 1945 Education Act. Children all sat an examination known as the
11 + and they were allocated a school based on how they had achieved. Those
seen as more academic attended Grammar Schools which taught a very
academic curriculum and those seen as less able went to Secondary Modern
Schools which taught practical subjects such as metal work and carpentry for
boys and needlework and cookery for girls.

In 1965, a weak and unpopular Labour government sent out a circular to all
Education Authorities known as 10/65. This told local education authorities,
which were run by local councils that they should prepare for comprehensive
schools. These would be single schools taking children of all abilities regardless.
In some areas, local education authorities changed to this new system of
educating all children with some speed. In others, local education authorities
failed to submit workable plans, and in these areas, there are still grammar
schools.

1979 was a turning point in British society because a very ideological

Conservative government, led by Margaret Thatcher took power. This
government is identified with a set of beliefs known as New Right. The New
Right believes that no rules are needed for society because economic factors
(market forces) can be relied upon. This impacted on schools, because the New
Right believed that schools could only improve if they were encouraged to be
competitive with each other for students. New types of school were developed
and this policy continued under the Labour governments since 1997. Parents

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are now offered a choice of types of

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