Policy (NewV) Flashcards
What are the three key areas explored in education policy reforms?
• Privatisation in education
• Privatisation of education
• Quality control policies
What is Privatisation in Education?
Changing the internal processes of education to mirror a business model, aiming to make the system more efficient and effective.
Example: Introduction of Ofsted — external inspection agency assessing school performance.
What is Privatisation of Education?
Bringing private businesses into schools to support daily operations (e.g. catering, finance, teacher training, curriculum delivery).
What are Quality Control Policies?
Policies that ensure all schools provide the best possible education, usually overseen by the Department for Education (DfE).
What did the Education Reform Act (1988) introduce?
• Ofsted — to inspect and assess schools
• National Curriculum — sets required subjects and topics
• National Testing (SATs) — end-of-key-stage tests for Year 6 and Year 9
What are criticisms of the Education Reform Act (1988)?
• Ofsted causes schools to teach to satisfy inspectors rather than students’ best interests.
• SATs no longer seen as necessary; Year 9 tests scrapped.
What policies did New Labour introduce to raise standards?
• Maximum Class Sizes (reduced 5–7 year old classes)
• Building Schools for the Future (improved school facilities)
• Education Action Zones (extra funding in deprived areas)
• Business Sponsored Academies (external companies funding state schools)
What are criticisms of New Labour policies?
• Policies were expensive and unsustainable long-term.
• Some policies (like maximum class sizes) have been scrapped by later governments.
What is Pupil Premium?
Additional funding for schools to support students from deprived backgrounds (e.g. FSM, military families, foster care).
What is the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)?
GCSE requirement to study core academic subjects: English, maths, science, a humanities subject, a language, and three other subjects.
Criticism: Narrowed the curriculum by excluding arts and technology.
What were the Examination Structure Reforms?
• Replaced modular exams with linear exams (final exams at end of Year 11 for GCSEs and Year 13 for A-Levels).
• Aimed to stop gaming the system and make exams more rigorous.
What was the National Curriculum Reform?
• Made curriculum less prescriptive but still included basic requirements.
• Allowed more freedom for schools to shape teaching around students’ needs.
What is the Independent Schools Sponsored Academies policy?
• Private schools provide funding, resources, training, and facilities to academies.
• Seen as privatisation but provides better opportunities for students.
What is the Expansion of the Grammar School Programme?
• More grammar schools opened for academically able students.
• Entry by 11 Plus test (not mandatory but necessary for grammar school entry).
Criticism: Creates a two-tier education system.
What were the Reforms to Ofsted?
• Focus shifted from data to curriculum through the Three I’s:
• Intent: What is taught and why.
• Implementation: How it’s taught.
• Impact: Effectiveness on student outcomes.
What is the conclusion on Recent Conservative Education Policies?
• Aim to improve education standards and access to academic education.
• Criticised for potentially increasing inequality and limiting opportunities.
• Long-term effectiveness still remains to be seen.
What is meant by marketization policies in education?
Marketization policies aim to create a marketplace for education by fostering competition within and between schools, giving schools greater independence and choice, and encouraging them to raise standards to attract students.
Which government introduced the first marketization policies and when?
The Conservative government (1979–1997) introduced major marketization policies through the 1988 Education Reform Act.
What were the key marketization policies introduced by the Conservatives (1979–1997)?
• League tables (ranking schools by performance)
• Funding formula (funding based on number of students)
• Open enrolment (parents could apply to schools outside catchment areas)
How did league tables create marketization?
League tables compared schools based on GCSEs, A-Levels, Ofsted rankings, or PISA scores, creating competition as schools aimed to rank higher and attract more students.
How did the funding formula promote marketization?
Schools were funded per student, meaning they had to attract more pupils to receive more money, incentivising them to improve standards.
What was the impact of open enrolment introduced by Conservatives?
Parents could choose any school regardless of catchment area, creating competition between schools to attract students and offering greater parental choice.
What criticisms were made of Conservative marketization policies?
Critics argued they widened inequalities, as affluent families could move closer to better schools, and encouraged a ‘teaching to the test’ culture instead of a holistic education.
What marketization policies did New Labour (1997–2010) introduce?
• Maintained league tables, funding formula, open enrolment, and Ofsted
• Introduced specialist schools
• Introduced business-sponsored academies
What were specialist schools introduced by New Labour?
Schools could specialise in a subject (e.g., PE, Music, Art, Science) to enhance choice and encourage competition, lasting 3–4 years and giving parents more targeted options.
What were business-sponsored academies introduced by New Labour?
Schools were partly funded and supported by businesses, gaining greater independence from local authority control and adapting infrastructure and teaching methods.
What marketization policies were introduced by the Coalition Government (2010–2015)?
• Free schools
• New style academies and multi-academy trusts (MATs)
What were free schools introduced by the Coalition government?
Schools free from local authority control, set up by charities, businesses, or parents, with freedom over curriculum and operations, creating more competition.
What were new style academies introduced under the Coalition government?
Academies grouped under multi-academy trusts (MATs), allowing leadership to be shared across schools, more independence from local authorities, and competition between groups.
How did Coalition reforms continue marketization?
By encouraging school independence, competition for pupils, and giving parents more educational choices, with academies and free schools shaping their own structures.
What marketization trends were seen under the Conservative government from 2015 onwards?
• Continuation of marketization through remote learning autonomy
• Decentralisation of remote teaching platforms (e.g., Zoom, Google Classroom, Teams)
How did remote teaching during the Conservative government (2015–present) reflect marketization?
• Schools had freedom to tailor remote teaching approaches to their students’ needs (e.g., live lessons, blended learning, non-screen activities)
• Different platforms were chosen based on school preference, showing competition and independence.
What was the general impact of marketization across all governments?
• Increased competition between schools
• Greater parental choice
• School independence from local authorities
• Widening inequalities for disadvantaged students
• Focus on performance and results over broader educational development.
What are the positives of the privatisation of education?
• Education becomes more efficient.
• Provides more choice for parents.
• Profit-making may encourage companies to support failing schools.
What are the negatives of the privatisation of education?
• Takes money away from the education system.
• Risk that businesses supporting schools might go out of business, leaving schools stranded.
• Leads to less equality in the education system.
How can privatisation encourage competition in education?
It motivates schools to improve standards and attract students by offering better quality education and facilities, driven by the need to succeed in a competitive environment.
Why might privatisation reduce equality in education?
Private companies may favour profitable or high-performing schools, while disadvantaged schools may receive less support, worsening inequalities.
How could privatisation harm schools long-term?
If companies go bankrupt or withdraw support, schools relying on private funding may be left without essential resources or infrastructure.
What did Ball (1994) argue about the impact of marketisation policies like league tables?
Ball (1994) argued that marketisation, through policies like league tables, increased competition between schools, encouraging them to focus heavily on improving exam results to attract more students.
What concept did Ball (1994) introduce to describe schools selecting students under marketisation?
Ball introduced the concepts of “cream-skimming” and “silt-shifting” — cream-skimming is when good schools select the best students to boost their results; silt-shifting is avoiding less academic students who might lower league table performance.
How did Ball (1994) say league tables influenced school behaviour beyond teaching?
Ball argued that schools “taught to the test” to maximise their league table performance, narrowing the curriculum and prioritising subjects that are tested over broader education.
What did Gewirtz (1995) find about parental choice under marketisation?
Gewirtz (1995) found that open enrolment policies created different groups of parents in terms of school choice: privileged-skilled choosers (middle-class), disconnected local choosers (working-class), and semi-skilled choosers (in between).
How did Gewirtz (1995) link open enrolment to competition between schools?
Gewirtz found that open enrolment intensified competition because schools marketed themselves to parents by improving academic results, holding open evenings, and producing glossy brochures to attract applications.
According to Gewirtz (1995), how did marketisation policies affect educational achievement?
Gewirtz argued that marketisation policies like open enrolment and competition led to better-performing schools improving further, raising achievement for some students, but also widened inequalities between schools.
What are the four types of educational equality?
Access: All students should have access to good quality state schools, regardless of socio-economic background.
Quality of Circumstance: All students should start school with similar levels of skills (e.g., reading, writing, social skills, fine motor skills).
Equality of Participation: All students should fully participate in education, not be excluded due to background or lack of resources.
Equality of Outcome: All students should have equal chances to achieve their best academic results, with support tailored to individual needs (equity vs equality).
What were key policies of the Conservative Government (1979–1997)?
1988 Education Reform Act introduced under Conservatives.
Open Enrollment: Parents could choose schools outside catchment areas — promoted equality of access.
Criticism: Covert selection, postcode lottery, wealthier parents could still access better schools.
National Curriculum: Created a standardised curriculum — aimed for equality of participation and outcome.
Criticism: Curriculum was too academic, disadvantaging non-academic students, and interpretations varied between schools.
What were the education policies of the Labour Government (1997–2010)?
Education Action Zones (EAZs): Extra funding for deprived areas to improve resources and teacher quality — aimed for equality of participation.
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA): £30/week payments to students in post-16 education, plus bonuses for attendance and achievement — promoted equality of participation and access.
Criticism: EMA was expensive and ended due to high costs and monitoring challenges.
Sure Start Programmes: Free preschool places and parental support for deprived children — promoted equality of circumstance.
Criticism: Many Sure Start centres were later closed due to funding cuts.
What were the education policies of the Coalition Government (2010–2015)?
Pupil Premium: Extra funding given to schools for disadvantaged students (including military families and looked-after children) — promoted equality of participation.
Criticism: Misuse of funds in some schools despite being ring-fenced.
Linear Exam Structures (Michael Gove): Moved to exams at the end of the course, limiting resits — aimed for equality of outcome.
Criticism: Disadvantaged lower-working-class students who could not afford resits; exam anxiety issues.
What are the education policies of the Conservative Government (2015–present)?
T Levels (introduced 2017): Vocational qualifications for students not suited to academic GCSEs/A Levels — promoted equality of outcome and participation.
Criticism: Poor public understanding, slow implementation, and delays due to COVID-19.
100% Funding for Apprenticeships (16–18-year-olds): Free vocational training alternative to traditional education — promoted equality of access.
Criticism: Some argue it manipulates youth unemployment figures.
What is the difference between equity and equality in education?
Equality: Giving everyone the same resources and opportunities.
Equity: Giving individuals the specific support they need to succeed (e.g., SEN resources, extra funding for deprived backgrounds).
What are the criticisms of Coalition and Conservative Policies?
Pupil Premium: Sometimes misused despite being ring-fenced.
Linear Exams: Unfair to students with financial or learning disadvantages.
T Levels: Lack of employer understanding; unclear value compared to A-levels.
Apprenticeships: Viewed by some as a method to artificially lower unemployment rates.
What was the impact of New Labour Policies?
Short-Term Impact: Improved participation and access for students from deprived areas.
Long-Term Problems: EMA scrapped, Sure Start funding cut, leading to closures of early-years support.
What are the overall aims of all government educational policies (1979–present)?
Create a level playing field for all students (access, participation, outcome, circumstance).
Improve economic efficiency by raising overall educational achievement and reducing dependency on welfare.
What is meant by ‘economic efficiency’ in education policy?
Economic efficiency in education is about creating a flexible and trained workforce that can meet the needs of society by teaching essential skills, not about making schools profitable.
What is the ultimate goal of education policy regarding the workforce?
The ultimate goal is to prepare students for the workforce by developing the skills they need to succeed, showing the correspondence principle in action.
What does the correspondence principle refer to in education?
The correspondence principle suggests that education mirrors the workplace, preparing students with the skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed for working life, supporting capitalism.
Which government introduced the National Work Experience Program, and when?
The Conservative government introduced the National Work Experience Program in the 1990s.
What were the three main elements of the National Work Experience Program?
The three elements were:
• Careers guidance
• Work experience
• Community service
What did Year 10 students have to do under the National Work Experience Program?
All Year 10 (Key Stage 4) students were required to complete two weeks of work experience.
How did schools organise student participation in the National Work Experience Program?
Schools used a collapsed curriculum day to simulate a job centre experience, where students selected work experience opportunities posted around the room and then interviewed with staff to discuss their choices.
Why was the National Work Experience Program discontinued?
The New Labour government discontinued it due to concerns about safety and child protection.
What initiative did New Labour introduce after ending the National Work Experience Program?
They introduced the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PELTS) program.
What was the aim of the PELTS program?
The PELTS program aimed to identify and develop essential workplace skills like critical thinking, negotiation, teamwork, compromise, discussion, and debate throughout students’ education.
How did teachers support the PELTS program in schools?
Teachers were asked to map essential skills to their schemes of work, showing where skill development opportunities occurred during lessons.
Is the PELTS program still required today?
No, the PELTS program is no longer compulsory, but the idea of building workplace skills into teaching remains influential.
Which government introduced STEM and STEAM subjects, and why?
The Coalition government introduced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths) to promote skills needed for the global workforce.
What programs were introduced to encourage girls into STEM careers?
The Coalition government introduced Girls in Science and Technology (GIST) and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) to encourage more girls and women to pursue STEM careers.
What is the overall role of economic efficiency in education policy?
Economic efficiency remains an important consideration in education policy, with initiatives focused on helping students develop essential skills for success in a rapidly changing global workforce.
