Structure and Governance
Introduction
Much of the information which is available through online statistics is only applicable to England. However, yearly UK data are in the Statistical Volume Education and Training Statistics for the United Kingdom 2009 gives an overview of the expenditure, number of pupils, size of schools, number of schools, post compulsory education, qualifications and some international comparisons for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Education and Training Statistics for the United Kingdom: 2009
In the UK there were:
- 9.7 million full-time and part-time pupils in 33,396 schools in 2008/09, compared with 9.3 million pupils in 34,600 schools in 1990/91.
- 258,200 full-time and part-time pupils with statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN), or nearest equivalent, in 2008/09, representing 2.7 per cent of all pupils, with 61 per cent of SEN pupils or nearest equivalent with statements being educated in mainstream schools.
- 520,600 full-time qualified teachers in the United Kingdom in 2007/08, of which 69 per cent were female. 84 per cent of full-time teachers were employed in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools.
- on average 44 pupils per maintained mainstream nursery school in 2008/09, 226 pupils per primary school and 939 pupils per state-funded secondary school.
In Wales and Scotland all secondary schools are comprehensive; England and Northern Ireland have 164 and 166 grammar schools respectively. The recent introduction of the other categories, specialist and beacon schools which may be grammar, secondary modern or comprehensive has added to the diversity of schools in England in particular.
England in more detail
Numbers and types of schools and pupils
A statistical first release in May 2009 showed that, in England in January 2009, the full time equivalent (FTE) number of pupils in state funded primary, secondary and special schools stood at around 7.3 million, slightly lower than in 2008.
In January 2009 provisional data shows that there were 17,041 primary schools, 3,211 secondary schools and 133 academies. There were around 1,056 special schools, 456 pupil referral units and 2,346 independent schools.
The Statistical First Release (collected in the school census January 2009) is a rich source of data. It has a series of tables which give many figures such as the numbers of types of schools, pupils in them, number of independent schools, Academies and CTCs.
Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2009
Trends in numbers in types of schools can be found at:
Trends: Overview and School Inspections
An analysis, The Composition of Schools in England, was published in June 2008. This also includes time series data from 1997. It looks at:
- How pupils are segmented by school type.
- The migration of pupils between Local Authorities in the transition between primary and secondary education.
- How representative schools are of their Local Authority and local areas.
- The distance pupils travel to get to school.
A specific part of the DCSF website is devoted to school organisation. It covers such issues as opening and closing schools and changing school status.
DCSF School Organisation Website
Trust schools
This is a school status announced in 2005. Trust schools are similar to voluntary aided schools. The role of the local authorities in these schools is reduced. These are essentially foundation schools which have a foundation which can provide the majority of the governing body. These were named as trust schools by the Education and Inspections Act.
White Paper: Higher Standards, Better Schools for All
The Statistical First Release referred to above does not include trust schools – the latest category.
Press Notice: Education and Inspections Act
A Parliamentary Answer in March 2008 indicated that over 400 schools were either trust schools or were in the process of becoming trust schools:
Parliamentary Answer: Trust Schools
In April 2008, 115 schools were announced to be on the programme:
DCSF Press Notice: Trust Schools
and in September 2008 there were a further 65 schools added to the programme:
DCSF Press Notice: Trust Schools
Specialist schools
The first specialist schools were set in up 1994. Specialist schools have a focus on their chosen subject area but must meet National Curriculum requirements and deliver a broad and balanced education to all pupils. There are now 10 categories of specialist school: Technology; Language; Arts; Sports; Business and Enterprise; Engineering; Mathematics & Computing; Science; Humanities and Music. Schools can also combine any two specialisms. A press release in June this year announced that 92% of secondary schools are now specialist schools
DCSF Press Notice: New Specialist Schools
Academies
Academies are all-ability, state-funded schools established and managed by sponsors from a wide range of backgrounds, including high-performing schools and colleges, universities, individual philanthropists, businesses, the voluntary sector and the faith communities.
All Academies have a specialism in one or more subject areas. The first waves of Academies were not required to teach the National Curriculum – their curriculum had to be broad and balanced and they were required to teach the core subjects and carry out KS3 assessments in English, Maths and Science.
Academies are all-ability schools. In line with other schools with a specialism they can admit up to 10 per cent of pupils each year on the basis of their aptitude for the specialism concerned. The specialisms are physical education (PE) or sports, the performing arts, the visual arts, modern foreign languages, design and technology, and information technology.
The Academies programme was introduced as part of the then Secretary of State, David Blunkett's March 2000 speech on transforming secondary education, it can be found here:
BBC Coverage of David Blunkett Speech
The first Academy projects were announced in September 2000.
An evaluation of the academies programme by Price Waterhouse can be found on the DCSF academies site along with a great deal of other information including academies, open and proposed, and funding agreements:
Academies: Publications and Documents
Since the summer of 2007, all newly-signed Academy funding agreements require Academies to follow the National Curriculum programmes of study in the core subjects of English, Maths, Science and ICT. They will retain flexibility beyond this, for example, to address the needs of particularly low-achieving pupils. As Academies drive up performance, the expectation is that they will offer the full National Curriculum to the large majority of pupils.
The year after each Academy opens, Ofsted inspects and reports on progress. In the third year after opening, there is a full section 5 Ofsted inspection. Ofsted inspections of Academies are carried out on the same basis as for all other state funded schools. If the Department and Ofsted are satisfied with the Academy’s progress, the monitoring regime will be reduced.
Governors and senior managers of the Academies have the opportunity to develop a curriculum to meet the needs of the individual pupils in their school. They can use this to inform designs for staffing structures. The outcomes expected are not simply good examination results but also young people superbly equipped for active citizenship, committed to lifelong learning and ready for progression into further and higher education and work.
Local Authorities and Government
There are 152 Local Education Authorities in England; 10 Government office regions have been set up throughout England and a map is available with a list of the LEAs included in each region.
DCSF: Government Office Regions and LEAs
A Parliamentary Answer illustrated that each local authority may combine several parliamentary constituencies:
Parliamentary Answer: LEA/Constituency Configuration
The Children Act 2004 had huge implications for local authorities in that it required them to appoint Directors of Children’s Services:
Directors of Children's Services and Lead Members
Children’s Trusts are established by local authorities. In November this year the DCSF announced legislation to ensure they are to operate in every local authority:
DCSF Press Notice: New Law on Trust Boards
New guidance on Children’s’ Trusts is available from:
Revised Guidance on Children's Trusts
A major report, the Children’s Plan was launched in December 2007:
DCSF Press Notice: Children's Plan Launch
Implementation of the Children’s’ Plan has a big impact on government education policy setting wide ranging goals for 2020:
The Teachernet site has more information:
Teachernet: The Children's Plan
Admissions
This Statistical First Release published in May 2008 gives information about appeals lodged by parents against non-admission of their children to their preferred school in 2006/07. Figures on new admissions are included and for both primary and secondary they show a drop from 2002/3 to 2006/07.
Admission Appeals for Maintained Primary and Secondary Schools in England, 2006/7
This SFR details the number of appeals lodged, heard and the outcome. These figures are provided by Local Authorities as part of the Department's Survey of Admission Appeals for all their Community and Voluntary Controlled schools. The data for Voluntary Aided, Special Agreement and Foundation Schools are derived from School Census returns made by schools to the Department each year. Figures for Academies are not included in this publication.
As parents may lodge more than one appeal the DCSF considers that the number of appeals heard by an appeals panel is more reliable indicator than the total number of appeals lodged. Figures for 2006/7 showed a very small increase in appeals but the number heard by panels was the same as the previous year.
An Admissions Code was published early in 2007:
DCSF Press Notice: New Admissions Code
A key report related to admissions is produced each year by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator, who deals with complaints about admissions:
Office of the Schools Adjudicator Annual Report to August 2007 (PDF file)
This office also considers school reorganisation and closure issues.
Legislation
A Ministry of Justice website gives easy access to legislation:
November 2009