Sociologist/ Theory Key findings
1870/1880 Education acts Commitment to providing education nationally from 5 to 13. 1918- Compulsory education rates to age 14.
1944 Butler Act- Tripartite Compulsory education till the age of 15. Tripartite system via 11+ exam. Grammar (20%) - highly academic, secondary
modern (75%) – practical skills or secondary technical school (5%)- mechanical and scientific based. = equality of
opportunity BUT grammar schools were still associated with m/c, which reproduced and legitimised class inequality
and promoted ideology that ability is inborn.
1965 Comprehensive Abolished tripartite system and the 11+. Introduction of comprehensive schools - pupils of all abilities taught based on
Education Acts a ‘catchment area’. Most state schools were comprehensive, which didn't take pupils based on exam results. Pupils put
into sets and streams within school. Grammar schools continued to exist. Functionalists- promotes social integration,
time to develop and show abilities, more meritocratic, Davies and Moore – helps social mobility
BUT lack of parental choice, poor standards on some schools, Marxists- banding and streaming along class lines,
material capital needed to live in a good area, equality of opportunity = myth and legitimises class inequality by making
unequal achievements seem fair.
1988 Education Act- Schools encouraged to compete against each other and act more like private businesses rather than institutions. Four
Marketization (competition aims: (1) increase competition between schools, (2) greater parental choice (parentocracy), (3) privatise parts of the
and choice) education system and (4) raise standards in schooIs.
1. League tables - publishing exam results = competition for best results. BUT misleading due to tutors, grammar
schools have selection techniques and doesn’t include social, cultural and moral development. Schools decisions are
based on drive to achieve as many A-C passes as possible, schools ignore individuals needs and students desires.
2. National curriculum - compulsory Maths, English and Science till 16 and increased use of standardised assessments.
Easy to compare achievement against national targets.
3. Ofsted - organisation that observes and ranked schools, improved standard plus increases competition.
4. Ability to opt out of local authority control - schools able to control their own finances, spend money to meet the
needs of pupils.
5. Introduction of tuition fees – tuition fees to go to university but these were paid for through a means tested grant,
universities had to compete with each other and improve their standards to get the tuition fees.
6. Open enrolment - parents could apply for any school they wanted, more successful schools to recruit more pupils.
BUT some parents may not have cultural capital, need to know how to interpret league tables and Ofsted reports-
elaborated code. Need economic capital to live in a good catchment area.
7. Funding formula - schools were given per pupil funding. Better school = better funding. Schools can better
themselves and then better schools get even better etc. BUT creates a cycle where bad schools don’t receive
sufficient funding to better themselves.
1997-2010 New Labour Aim: reduce inequality caused by marketization policies and give everyone equal chances to succeed.
Increase funding for education
Reduced class sizes
1870/1880 Education acts Commitment to providing education nationally from 5 to 13. 1918- Compulsory education rates to age 14.
1944 Butler Act- Tripartite Compulsory education till the age of 15. Tripartite system via 11+ exam. Grammar (20%) - highly academic, secondary
modern (75%) – practical skills or secondary technical school (5%)- mechanical and scientific based. = equality of
opportunity BUT grammar schools were still associated with m/c, which reproduced and legitimised class inequality
and promoted ideology that ability is inborn.
1965 Comprehensive Abolished tripartite system and the 11+. Introduction of comprehensive schools - pupils of all abilities taught based on
Education Acts a ‘catchment area’. Most state schools were comprehensive, which didn't take pupils based on exam results. Pupils put
into sets and streams within school. Grammar schools continued to exist. Functionalists- promotes social integration,
time to develop and show abilities, more meritocratic, Davies and Moore – helps social mobility
BUT lack of parental choice, poor standards on some schools, Marxists- banding and streaming along class lines,
material capital needed to live in a good area, equality of opportunity = myth and legitimises class inequality by making
unequal achievements seem fair.
1988 Education Act- Schools encouraged to compete against each other and act more like private businesses rather than institutions. Four
Marketization (competition aims: (1) increase competition between schools, (2) greater parental choice (parentocracy), (3) privatise parts of the
and choice) education system and (4) raise standards in schooIs.
1. League tables - publishing exam results = competition for best results. BUT misleading due to tutors, grammar
schools have selection techniques and doesn’t include social, cultural and moral development. Schools decisions are
based on drive to achieve as many A-C passes as possible, schools ignore individuals needs and students desires.
2. National curriculum - compulsory Maths, English and Science till 16 and increased use of standardised assessments.
Easy to compare achievement against national targets.
3. Ofsted - organisation that observes and ranked schools, improved standard plus increases competition.
4. Ability to opt out of local authority control - schools able to control their own finances, spend money to meet the
needs of pupils.
5. Introduction of tuition fees – tuition fees to go to university but these were paid for through a means tested grant,
universities had to compete with each other and improve their standards to get the tuition fees.
6. Open enrolment - parents could apply for any school they wanted, more successful schools to recruit more pupils.
BUT some parents may not have cultural capital, need to know how to interpret league tables and Ofsted reports-
elaborated code. Need economic capital to live in a good catchment area.
7. Funding formula - schools were given per pupil funding. Better school = better funding. Schools can better
themselves and then better schools get even better etc. BUT creates a cycle where bad schools don’t receive
sufficient funding to better themselves.
1997-2010 New Labour Aim: reduce inequality caused by marketization policies and give everyone equal chances to succeed.
Increase funding for education
Reduced class sizes
