Three-tier education: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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References to middle schools in publications of the [[UK Government]] date back to 1856, and the educational reports of [[William Henry Hadow]] mention the concept.<ref name=directory>{{cite book| |
References to middle schools in publications of the [[UK Government]] date back to 1856, and the educational reports of [[William Henry Hadow]] mention the concept.<ref name=directory>{{cite book|editor=[[National Middle Schools' Forum]]|title=NMSF Middle Schools Directory|year=1995|chapter=Introduction|last=Tipple|first=Christopher|url=https://middleschools.org.uk/download/history/Introduction-to-Middle-School-Directory-Chris-Tipple-1995.pdf|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref> It was not until 1963 that a local authority first proposed to introduce a middle-school system, that being the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], with schools spanning ages 5–9, 9–13 and 13–18;<ref name=cometh>{{cite journal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03004270801994806|title='The middle school cometh'…and goeth: Alec Clegg and the rise and fall of the English middle school|journal=Education 3–13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education|volume=36|issue=2|pages=117–125|doi=10.1080/03004270801994806|last=Crook|first=David|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|year=2008}}</ref> one source suggests that the system was "introduced" in that year.<ref name=OxMid>{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Education|at="Middle school"|editor-last=Wallace|editor-first=Susan|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=2nd|isbn=9780191758454|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199679393.001.0001/acref-9780199679393-e-611#|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref> [[Local education authorities]] were permitted to introduce middle schools by the [[Education Act 1964]],<ref name=politics>{{cite web|title=Education leaving age|url=http://www.politics.co.uk/briefings-guides/issue-briefs/education/education-leaving-age-$474737.htm|website=politics.co.uk|accessdate=2 January 2018|language=en}}</ref> subsequently, the notion of three-tier education was mooted by the [[Plowden Report]] of 1967 which proposed the introduction of first schools and [[middle school]]s, which would replace the existing system of [[infant school|infant]] and [[junior school]]s, as well as the first part of [[secondary school]]ing.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Education|at="Plowden Report (1967)"|editor-last=Wallace|editor-first=Susan|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=2nd|isbn=9780191758454|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199679393.001.0001/acref-9780199679393-e-772?rskey=OJaPcd&result=1|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref> The Plowden Report recommended that middle schools span ages 8 to 12.<ref name=cometh/><ref name=directory/> |
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The first middle school in England was introduced in 1968, in the [[Hemsworth]] division of the West Riding of Yorkshire.<ref name=cometh/> The first authority-wide systems of middle schools were introduced in 1970, in [[Stoke-on-Trent]] and [[Southampton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://middleschools.org.uk/the-history-of-middle-school-education-in-england/|website=The National Middle Schools' Forum|title=The History of Middle School Education in England|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref> Numbers rapidly grew, with over a thousand opening in the decade from the first introduction.<ref name=cometh/> Sources suggest reasons for the introduction of the three-tier system in local authority areas included capacity problems, as a result of both the raising of the school leaving age to 16 from 15 (which took place in 1972),<ref name=politics/> and the introduction of [[comprehensive education]], with the schools themselves bypassing the traditional [[Eleven-plus]] exam which determined which secondary school pupils would attend.<ref name=OxMid/> |
The first middle school in England was introduced in 1968, in the [[Hemsworth]] division of the West Riding of Yorkshire.<ref name=cometh/> The first authority-wide systems of middle schools were introduced in 1970, in [[Stoke-on-Trent]] and [[Southampton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://middleschools.org.uk/the-history-of-middle-school-education-in-england/|website=The [[National Middle Schools' Forum]]|title=The History of Middle School Education in England|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref> Numbers rapidly grew, with over a thousand opening in the decade from the first introduction.<ref name=cometh/> Sources suggest reasons for the introduction of the three-tier system in local authority areas included capacity problems, as a result of both the raising of the school leaving age to 16 from 15 (which took place in 1972),<ref name=politics/> and the introduction of [[comprehensive education]], with the schools themselves bypassing the traditional [[Eleven-plus]] exam which determined which secondary school pupils would attend.<ref name=OxMid/> |
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The number of middle schools peaked in 1982, when over 1400 middle schools were open;<ref name=cometh/> by 2017, only 121 remained.<ref>{{cite magazine|work=Schools Week|last=Allen-Kinross|first=Pippa|title=Middle schools defend themselves as councils ditch three-tier model|date=2 May 2018|access-date=6 June 2020|url=https://schoolsweek.co.uk/middle-schools-defend-themselves-as-councils-ditch-three-tier-model/}}</ref> |
The number of middle schools peaked in 1982, when over 1400 middle schools were open;<ref name=cometh/> by 2017, only 121 remained.<ref>{{cite magazine|work=Schools Week|last=Allen-Kinross|first=Pippa|title=Middle schools defend themselves as councils ditch three-tier model|date=2 May 2018|access-date=6 June 2020|url=https://schoolsweek.co.uk/middle-schools-defend-themselves-as-councils-ditch-three-tier-model/}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 09:15, 6 June 2020
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Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar system was trialled in Scotland.
In a three-tier authorities children begin their compulsory education in a first school. Sometimes also called a "lower school" (or more simply, primary school), these schools cater for children aged up to an age between 8 and 10, and cover all of Key Stage 1 and the first years of Key Stage 2. Children then transfer to a Middle school. These schools cater for children during a period of 3 to 4 years between the ages of 8 and 14, depending on the local authority. These years cover parts of both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. Following this, children transfer to a high school, sometimes known as an "upper school" for the remainder of their compulsory education, and sometimes on into the sixth form.
History
References to middle schools in publications of the UK Government date back to 1856, and the educational reports of William Henry Hadow mention the concept.[1] It was not until 1963 that a local authority first proposed to introduce a middle-school system, that being the West Riding of Yorkshire, with schools spanning ages 5–9, 9–13 and 13–18;[2] one source suggests that the system was "introduced" in that year.[3] Local education authorities were permitted to introduce middle schools by the Education Act 1964,[4] subsequently, the notion of three-tier education was mooted by the Plowden Report of 1967 which proposed the introduction of first schools and middle schools, which would replace the existing system of infant and junior schools, as well as the first part of secondary schooling.[5] The Plowden Report recommended that middle schools span ages 8 to 12.[2][1]
The first middle school in England was introduced in 1968, in the Hemsworth division of the West Riding of Yorkshire.[2] The first authority-wide systems of middle schools were introduced in 1970, in Stoke-on-Trent and Southampton.[6] Numbers rapidly grew, with over a thousand opening in the decade from the first introduction.[2] Sources suggest reasons for the introduction of the three-tier system in local authority areas included capacity problems, as a result of both the raising of the school leaving age to 16 from 15 (which took place in 1972),[4] and the introduction of comprehensive education, with the schools themselves bypassing the traditional Eleven-plus exam which determined which secondary school pupils would attend.[3]
The number of middle schools peaked in 1982, when over 1400 middle schools were open;[2] by 2017, only 121 remained.[7]
However, most have since reverted to align their schools to the National Curriculum.
Some LEAs reverted to the traditional age ranges as long ago as the late 1970s. One of the first areas to revert to the traditional age ranges was Halesowen in the West Midlands, which abandoned 5-9 first, 9-13 middle and 13-16/18 secondary schools in 1982 after just 10 years in use.
No local authorities now maintain an exclusively three-tier structure. A number of authorities have a mix of standard two-tier and three-tier provision with middle schools. Central Bedfordshire, Worcestershire and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (Berkshire). Leicestershire operates a three-tier system in some areas, with children moving from primary school into secondary school after year six, and then to upper school after year nine.
In 2006, it was reported that Central Bedfordshire, Northumberland and the Isle of Wight were the only LEAs still exclusively using the three-tier system.[8] The London Borough of Harrow, the city of Oxford and the counties of Dorset, Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcestershire(look up Bromsgrove and Redditch)[9] largely used the system until the 2000s and their middle schools were either closed or converted to primary schools catering to children up to age 11.[10]
A three-tier system also exists in Gibraltar.
Presently, the 13+ intake mostly exists in the independent sector, although some have followed their respective LEAs and adopted the 11+ intake.
The main routes through education are shown in the diagram below, with three-tier routes being shown in blue and mauve:
First schools
A first school or lower school was the first part of the 'three tier' school system, the others being middle school and upper school in rural areas of England and Wales. Virtually all have now either been merged into primary schools or converted to infant schools or junior schools.
History
First schools were officially introduced into the first areas to use them in September 1968.
In practice, this model is used:
- 5-9 first schools, followed by 9-13 middle schools, as implemented by the West Riding of Yorkshire in the mid-1960s. These are sometimes known as lower schools.
Other options were implemented in different authorities, including using the term primary school in place of first school.
Some English local education authorities have introduced first schools since the 1960s.[citation needed]
Halesowen axed them in July 1982 and Aldridge Brownhills in July 1986.
The National Curriculum, introduced after the Education Reform Act 1988, the new curriculum's splits in Key Stages at age 11 encouraged the majority of remaining local education authorities to return to a two-tier system of primary and secondary schools. The majority of first and middle schools have been reorganised to infant and junior schools since. Exceptions include Dudley in September 1990.
In areas where the three-tier model has been replaced, first schools have been converted to infant or primary schools in many cases, or closed in others. No authority has introduced three-tier education in any area since 1995, although some new first schools have opened in areas which already have three-tier systems in place.
Some first schools still exist in various areas, mostly rural areas including parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Dorset.
See also
References
- ^ a b Tipple, Christopher (1995). "Introduction". In National Middle Schools' Forum (ed.). NMSF Middle Schools Directory (PDF). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Crook, David (2008). "'The middle school cometh'…and goeth: Alec Clegg and the rise and fall of the English middle school". Education 3–13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education. 36 (2). Taylor & Francis: 117–125. doi:10.1080/03004270801994806.
- ^ a b Wallace, Susan (ed.). A Dictionary of Education (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. "Middle school". ISBN 9780191758454. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Education leaving age". politics.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Wallace, Susan (ed.). A Dictionary of Education (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. "Plowden Report (1967)". ISBN 9780191758454. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "The History of Middle School Education in England". The National Middle Schools' Forum. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Allen-Kinross, Pippa (2 May 2018). "Middle schools defend themselves as councils ditch three-tier model". Schools Week. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Fighting for the middle ground". The Guardian. 5 September 2006.
- ^ "Purbeck schools' three-tier system scrapped". BBC. 22 July 2010.
- ^ "Parents defend the middle ground". Times Educational Supplement. 11 June 2004.
External links
- Northumberland Education Action Group - campaign to retain three-tier education in Northumberland