1 Introduction
1. This report marks the conclusion of a two-year
inquiry into secondary education conducted by the Education and
Skills Committee. During this time, we have investigated what
we consider to be the most vital aspects of secondary education,
publishing reports on Diversity of Provision, Pupil Achievement,
School Admissions and Teacher Retention and Recruitment.[1]
Other aspects, including curriculum, have been explored elsewhere,
for example in our parallel inquiry into 14-19
education. This report brings together what we have learnt from
the four inquiries. It is not intended simply to reiterate the
conclusions and recommendations of the separate reports. Rather,
we wish to highlight areas of ongoing concern, where the Government's
response to our report has been insufficient or where policy is
still unsound. We also attempt to draw attention to those cases
where we believe that the Government has changed its mind following
our recommendations and to welcome them.
2. Since our inquiry into Secondary Education began,
more than two years ago, there have been a number of developments
in education policy. Most recently, in February 2005, the Government
published its White Paper 14-19 Education.[2]
This followed its Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners,[3]
a document published in July 2004, which has much to say about
the future of education. It proposes some important changes to
the system of secondary education, including:
- encouraging all secondary schools
to become 'independent specialist schools' and allowing them to
adopt foundation status by simple vote of their governing body;
- changing the school funding system to allocate
money directly to schools, taking control of budget allocation
away from Local Authorities;
- encouraging more schools to establish their own
sixth forms;
- encouraging popular schools to expand;
- creating partnerships of schools, which will
share expertise as well as disruptive or hard-to-teach pupils.
If implemented, these proposals would have a significant
effect on secondary education in England. For this reason, we
discuss them in detail in the final section of this report and
examine the likely consequences and issues that may arise.
3. The present Government has repeatedly emphasised
its commitment to 'evidence-based policy', particularly in education.
In all our inquiries, we consider it our task to test this claim.
The Government insists that its plans for secondary education,
outlined in the Five Year Strategy, are part of a long-term
policy of choice for parents that will lead to a rise in school
standards. In this report we scrutinise the basis for this policy
in research evidence and consider whether it is likely to produce
an improvement in results.
4. This report also looks at the implementation in
schools of other Government education policy. To be effective
nationally, proposed changes in education policy must be adopted
by thousands of schools throughout the country. The evidence we
have taken and our visits reveal the extent to which policy on
secondary education is or is not likely to be implemented 'on
the ground'. This is particularly important as the present Government
has tended to rely on guidance, rather than regulation, to drive
change in the secondary sector. We examine the effectiveness of
this strategy and the problems that can arise locally.
5. This report is informed by oral and written evidence
taken over the course of our inquiries into secondary education,
as well as formal and informal evidence taken during visits to
New Zealand and around the UK in Birmingham, Slough and Wakefield.
In addition, we heard from the Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP, the then
Secretary of State for Education, on this subject in a dedicated
oral evidence session held in December 2004. We have received
a small number of written submissions associated specifically
with this report. These are printed as appendices.
6. We are grateful to our specialist advisers, Professor
Alan Smithers, Sir Peter Newsam and Valerie Bragg, for their help
with this report and throughout our inquiry into secondary education.
1 Education and Skills Committee, Fourth Report of
Session 2002-03, Secondary Education: Diversity of Provision,
HC 94; Seventh Report of Session 2002-03, Secondary Education:
Pupil Achievement, HC 513; Fourth Report of Session 2003-04,
Secondary Education: School Admissions, HC 58; Fifth Report
of Session 2003-04, Secondary Education: Teacher Retention
and Recruitment, HC 1057. We also published a brief report
on our visits to New Zealand and to Birmingham as the Second Report
of Session 2002-03, Secondary Education: Visits to Birmingham
and Auckland, HC 486. Back
2
Department for Education and Skills, 14-19 Education
and Skills, Cm 6476, February 2005. Back
3
Department for Education and Skills, Five Year Strategy for
Children and Learners, Cm 6272, July 2004. Back
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