Complete A-Level Sociology Notes for Paper 1: Education
Unlock your full potential and ace your A-Level Sociology Paper 1 with my comprehensive study notes! My meticulously crafted notes cover every essential topic in education , providing you with in-depth insights, clear explanations, and ...
Educational Policies
EDUCATIONAL POLICIES BEFORE 1900 Key Terms
• Only provided by church, private tutors and schools • EDUCATIONAL POLICY – plans and
• Compulsory State Run Education 1880 strategies for education introduced
• Type of education dependent on social class by the government, together with
• Schooling did little to change ascribed status instructions and recommendations
• Middle class given academic curriculum from schools and local authorities
• Working class given basic education as needed for routine factory work (LEA).
Statistics
TRIPARTITE SYSTEM 1944 • Only 5% of schools were technical
• Based on improving equality of opportunity colleges
• m/c and w/c given same opportunities
• Education should be meritocratic Sociologists
• The Butler Act 1944 • Hargreaves (1967) and Ball (1981) –
• Introduced free secondary education till 15 for all comprehensive schools create
• Sorted into 3 types of schools according to ability on 11+ inequality through setting as w/c
• Embodied concept of equality as all sat same test at age 11 were mainly in lower sets and m/c
• Grammar Schools in higher sets so they were still
• Academic curriculum for those who passed the 11+ taught separately even though they
• Access to professional jobs and higher education were in the same schools
• Mainly middle class
• Secondary Modern Schools
• Non-academic curriculum for those who failed 11+
• Access to manual work
• Mainly working class who were deemed as failures
• Technical College
• Vocational education
• Eventually faded out
• Only 5% of schools
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS
• Failed to promote meritocracy and tackle inequality
• Reproduced social class inequalities and prevented social mobility
• m/c more likely to pass as they had access to private tutors, books, economic advantages, language and parents
value
• Legitimised inequality through ideology ability is set at birth
• Produced gender inequality as girls had to gain higher marks to pass
COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SYSTEM
• Aimed to create equality between social classes
• Abolished the 11+
• All pupils attended the same local comprehensive school
• Pupils of all classes and ability accommodated
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS
• Some areas didn’t go comprehensive so grammar / secondary modern divide still existed
• Parents had little choice as many schools exercised catchment zones
• Not the same standard of education in all schools
• People tend to live along side others of similar class so inadequate social mix (m/c in suburbs and w/c in inner city)
• Private schools still existed
• Hargreaves (1967)
• Ball (1981)
, Educational Policies
Functionalists believe comprehensive schools are meritocratic because Sociologists
they give pupils longer to develop by not testing at age 11. They also • Gewirtz – Parentocracy is a myth
promote integration by bringing all social classes together in one school because parental power is not
equally distributed (3 C’s)
Marxists see comprehensive schools as reproducing inequality through
streaming. They legitimise inequality through the myth of meritocracy
making it look like everyone is equal, but they aren’t.
NEW VOCATIONALISM 1979
• Youth unemployment caused by the education system not producing pupils with the right skills needed for
employment
• Many jobs require practical and technical skills
• Alternative to academic education
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS
• Brought back a two-tier system
• Facilitate working class occupations
• Taken mostly by the working class
• Not valued as highly as academic qualifications
• Level 3 BTECs had examined units added to increase the level of challenge but were implemented to be non-
academic options.
MARKETISATION
• League tables – parents want to send their children to the best schools, which leads to the introduction of
selection procedures
• OFSTED Inspections – parents want to send children to the best schools
• Business Sponsorships – increase efficiency of schools
• Open Enrolment – students can go to schools outside of catchment zones
• National Curriculum – equal opportunity as all pupils sit the same exams
• Formula Funding – schools get money per pupil so schools with more pupils get more money and can afford better
facilities
• Opting out of LEA control – schools are self-governing by becoming an academy
The more competition a school faces, the more incentive they have to improve and will lead to expansion of
successful schools measured by greater enrolment and ability to recruit the best teachers. Unsuccessful schools
would have to improve or face funding cuts and eventually closure.
Middle class can use 3C’s to ensure their children go to the best schools:
• Economic Capital - m/c parents with more money have more choice of schools as they can afford to move house
into catchment zones, afford private schools, educational books and private tutors
• Cultural Capital - values the parents have e.g. wanting children to go to the best schools
• Social Capital – the people they know
NEW LABOUR POLICIES 1997
• City Academies – former comprehensive schools with poor results given a fresh start and a funding boost to
improve. State funded rather than LEA and can set own admissions policy and curriculum
• Sure Start Centres – set up to compensate for home backgrounds and to tackle disadvantages w/c children face
before they start school Offered variety of services to support learning and free childcare and early tears
education to all but was often taken advantage of by those who don’t need it
, Educational Policies
• Educational Maintenance Allowance – help students from low income Statistics
backgrounds attend further education by giving £30 a week for • Half of all schools had academy
attendance. It was an incentive to go to school as well as cover travel status by 2012
cost however it was contradictory as tuition fees were introduced • 331 free schools were opened /
• Aim Higher – aimed to widen participation in higher education approved by 2014
(university) by raising awareness, aspirations and promoting
opportunities. Targeted underrepresented groups in higher education Sociologists
such as w/c and ethnic minorities • Ball (2013) – under New Labour
• Gifted and Talented – identified the top 5% of students aged 11-18 in there was an increase in the number
inner city secondary schools and provided extra study support of pupils getting 5 or more GCSEs at
grade C
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS • Allen (2010) – research shows they
• Policies contradictory (EMAs and tuition fees) only benefit children from highly
• Left private education untouched educated families and they are
• Maintained marketisation leaving the w/c at a disadvantage socially disruptive and lower
• More education spending and focus on a ‘learning society’ standards as Sweden’s ranking has
• Evidence that academies increase standards is mixed fallen since they were introduced.
• Ball (2013)
COALITION POLICIES 2010
• Academies – all existing faith and state schools with ‘outstanding’ OFSTED reports can become an academy. They
don’t have to follow the national curriculum and can set own term times but are still inspected by OFSTED and
have to follow the same rules on admissions, special educational needs, exclusions and sit the same exams as state
schools. They get money from the government not LEA, is run by an academy trust and some have sponsors.
• Free Schools – newly created schools set up by groups of parents, teachers, charities and trusts, religious and
voluntary groups. Gove was influenced by education policies in Sweden. Supporters claim they improve standards
by giving power from the state to parents. They are set up as academies and funded in the same way. They are all
ability schools but mainly appeal to the m/c. Can set own pay, conditions for staff, term dates, school day and own
curriculum.
• Free School Meals – free for all reception to year 2 pupils. Fed pupils concentrate better and it is an incentive for
parents to send their child to school knowing they will get fed.
• Pupil Premium – schools receive more money for each pupil from a disadvantaged background so they can have
the same opportunities e.g. school trip however in many cases it is not used as it should be and is cancelled out by
funding cuts.
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS
• Labours City Academies target disadvantaged areas but Coalition allows any school to become an academy which
removes focus on reducing inequality and focuses on marketisation
• Free schools take less disadvantaged pupils than other schools.
• Allen (2010)
PRIVATISATION
• Private companies involved in increasing activities in education e.g. building schools, catering, providing supply
teachers, work experience and career advice
• Many are very profitable
• Companies are more efficient than the government
• Offer a higher standard of service
EXAMPLES
• Educational conferences
• Exam tuition by private tutors • Teachers or head teachers creating private companies e.g. Lilac Sky
• Supply teachers provided by agencies • Vending machines in schools with branded food and drink
• Academies run by private businesses • Fast food outlets on college and university campuses
, Educational Policies
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS Key Terms
• High standards meet variety of educational needs • GLOBALISATION – the world we live
• Critics say education may no longer be a human right available to all and in feels smaller and more accessible
will become a commodity to be bought and sold because of developments in
• Focus is on profit not increasing standards of education technology and the growth of
• Marxists are against as they claim it is the spread of capitalism people, ideas and businesses
Sociologists
GLOBALISATION • Ball (2012) – students are seen as
EXAMPLES commodities to be bought and sold
• British schools and universities market to a global audience for profit
• Effects the flow of ideas including a more multicultural curriculum and • Holborn (2016) - globalisation may
practices such as free schools that come from other societies have a positive effect on British
• Many British students study for international baccalaureate (IB) global education as increased migration
diploma rather than domestic A-Levels has led to a more multicultural
• British exam boards offer international GCSEs and A-Levels in over 160 curriculum, improving
countries. understanding of other cultures and
racial and ethnic tolerance.
EVALUATION / CRITICISMS
• Ball (2012)
• Holborn (2016)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller gembackhouse. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
