New Labour Reforms

Question 1

What can new labour reforms be seen as?

Answer 1

A continuation of the marketisation agenda.

Question 2

New labour introduced academies. What are they?

Answer 2

Schools funded directly by government.

Question 3

New labour introduced academies. What benefits did academies receive?

Answer 3

Set their own admissions policies.

Don’t have to follow national curriculum.

Question 4

New labour introduced academies. Give evidence of their increasing popularity.

Answer 4

Most secondary schools are now academies.

Question 5

New labour introduced academies. Why?

Answer 5

To reform failing schools to help them improve.

Question 6

What was Sure Start was established as a form of?

Answer 6

Compensatory education

Question 7

Sure Start established ______ to provide ________ and _____ advice as well as _______ up until the _____ years of _________.

Answer 7

a) centres
b) parenting
c) heath
d) childcare
e) early
f) education

Question 8

What has since happened to Sure Start?

Answer 8

A number were closed after 2007.

Question 9

New labour introduced the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). What did this do?

Answer 9

School/college students 16-19 could be paid up to £30 a week for attending.

Question 10

New labour introduced the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). What was the intent behind this?

Answer 10

To compensate for material education.

Question 11

New labour introduced the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). Why was it criticised? (2)

Answer 11

Students didn’t always spend the money appropriately & assumed students with better-off parents received financial support from them.

Question 12

New labour introduced academies. How many secondary schools in the UK are currently academies?

Answer 12

2,075 out of 3,381

Question 13

New labour introduced academies. How did this change under the coalition government (2010-2015)?

Answer 13

Made academy status available for all schools, prioritising those that achieved ‘outstanding’ in Ofsted inspections.

Question 14

New labour introduced academies. Why have they proved controversial?

Answer 14

Teachers associate it with attacks to pay & conditions.

Question 15

New labour introduced academies. Why have they been criticised?

Answer 15

Used as a way of privatising the school system.

Private providers run large chains of schools & some grew too fast, taking more schools than they could cope with.

Question 16

How did Tomlinson (2005) criticise New Labour’s policies?
(2)

middle-class, focus

Answer 16

Middle-class gained most as they could attend the best schools so they continued to do well.

Focus on exams & league tables meant education was about exam techniques, rote learning & revision.

Question 17

How did Chitty (2014) criticised New Labour’s policies and private providers like ETS?
(2)

cost, marking

Answer 17

Long-term costs created financial difficulties for education system.

Efficiency of providers was questionable - ETS failed to deliver accurate marking on time on time, terminating their contract.

Question 18

Reducing inequalities - what did data undertaken by Ball (2013) suggest?

Answer 18

New Labour succeeded in increasing how many students gained 5+ GCSEs at C+, as well as improvements in achievement for some ethnic minorities.

Question 19

Reducing inequalities - how might New Labour have failed to reduce inequality?

Answer 19

Gender gap remained large with boys behind girls & class differences being maintained.

Question 20

New labour introduced the ___________________ to help ________ by providing _______ ______. If they _______ all options, they’d _____ their _______.

Answer 20

a) the New Deal for Young People
b) 18-24 year olds
c) personal advisors
d) refused
e) lose
f) benefits