Education Legislation in England since 1800

In the 21st century education is paid for through taxes and is compulsory for all children from five to 16, but it was not always like this.

1833 The Factory Act

The Factory Act passed by the Government in 1833 was intended to improve conditions for children working in factories. It introduced a compulsory two hours schooling each day for children. This was the first time that children of all backgrounds in the UK had access to education.

1870 Elementary Education Act

Thirty seven years after the Factory Act of 1833, the Elementary Education Act of 1870 provided education on an unprecedented scale. School boards were introduced and were given the power to create new schools and pay the fees of the poorest children. Board schools could insist on the attendance of children between the ages of five and 13.

1880 Education Act

By 1880 many new schools had been set up by the boards. This made it possible for the 1880 Education Act to make school attendance compulsory for all children up to the age of ten.

1902 Education Act

The school boards were abolished under the 1902 Education Act. In their place Local Educational Authorities (LEAs) were created to organise funding, employ teachers and allocate school places.

1918 Education Act

Under the 1918 Education Act school became obligatory for all children up to the age of 14. The Act was conceived by the liberal MP Herbert Fisher (1865-1940). Other features of the Act included the provision of additional services in schools, such as medical inspections, nurseries and provision for pupils with special needs.

1926 The Hadow Report

During the 1920s and 1930s Sir Henry Hadow (1859-1937) chaired a consultative committee that was responsible for several important reports on education in England. In 1926, a report entitled The Education of the Adolescent looked at primary education in detail for the first time. It prioritised activity and experience, rather than rote learning and discussed, for the first time, the specific needs of children with learning difficulties. The report also made the important recommendation of limiting class sizes to a maximum of thirty children. In 1931, another report was published: The Primary School was influenced by the educational ideas of Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget and advocated a style of teaching based on children's interests.

1944 Education Act

The 1944 Education Act saw the introduction of the tripartite system. Devised by Conservative MP Rab Butler (1902-1982), the Act introduced three different types of school: Grammar schools for the more academic pupil, Secondary Modern schools for a more practical, non-academic style of education and Technical schools for specialist practical education. Pupils were allocated to a perticular type of school by taking an examination called the 11- Plus, which was also introduced under the Act. Secondary education now became free for all and the school-leaving age rose to 15.

1951 Introduction of the General Certificate of Education (GCE)

The General Certificate of Education (GCE) as well as O-levels and A-levels were introduced, mainly to grammar schools, in 1951, and replaced the School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate.

1965 Circular 10/65 - Comprehensive schooling

Comprehensive schooling was recommended in a document issued by the Labour Government in 1965 called the Circular 10/65. The system was developed in contrast to the tripartite system and was instead intended to suit pupils of all abilities.

1967 The Plowden Report

The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council For Education (England) into Primary Education. The report was called Children and their Primary Schools and was named after the chair of the Council, Lady Bridget Plowden (1910-2000). It observed that new skills were needed in society, stating that, 'the qualities needed in a modern economy extend far beyond skills such as accurate spelling and arithmetic'. They include greater curiosity and adaptability, a high level of aspiration, and others which are difficult to measure'. (The Plowden Report: Children and their Primary Schools, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1967.)

1973 Education Act

The school leaving age was raised to 16.

1988 Education Act

The National Curriculum was introduced in the 1988 Education Act. It made all education the same for state-funded schools, ensuring that all pupils had access to a basic level of education. A selection of subjects were made compulsory including maths, English, science and some form of religious education. It also introduced sex education for the first time. Pupils were divided into Key Stages, depending on their age, Key Stage 1 for pupils aged 5-7, Key Stage 2 for pupils aged 7-11, Key Stage 3 for pupils aged 11-14 and Key Stage 4 for pupils aged 14-16. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) was introduced to replace O-levels and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE).

1997 The National Literacy Strategy

The National Literacy Strategy was introduced by the Labour government in 1997. It recognised that literacy standards in the UK had not improved since the 1940s and only 63% of 11 year olds were reaching the standard of English expected of them. It set a literacy target - that 80% of 11 year olds would reach a suitable standard in English by 2002.

2002 Introduction of City Academies

The Labour government revealed plans to introduce City Academies in 2002 as part of a five-year plan to improve education. City Academies are designed to improve inner city education by building new schools, introducing new technology and changing the ethos of schools. The scheme is controversial since schools will only get academy status if they raise £2 million from private funds.