HMI Education 8-12 (1985)

Notes on the text
Preliminary pages Contents, Preface
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 The content of the curriculum
Chapter 3 Personal and social education
Chapter 4 Provision for children with special needs
Chapter 5 Planning, assessment, continuity and liaison
Chapter 6 The management and organisation of the teaching
Chapter 7 The main characteristics of the schools
Chapter 8 Some issues for discussion
Appendices Inspection procedures, background to the schools, Statistical notes, HMI schedules
Index

A survey by HM Inspectors of Schools (1985)

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1985
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Chapter 1 Introduction
[pages 1 - 3]

1.1 The establishment of middle schools was made possible by the 1964 Education Act which allowed local education authorities to establish schools straddling the primary and secondary phases. The report of the Central Advisory Council for Education (England) (1) under the chairmanship of Lady Plowden was published in 1967 and recommended that, following a three year course in the first school, there should be a four year course in the middle school. The first middle school opened in 1968 and the raising of the school leaving age in 1973, coupled with reorganisation to comprehensive secondary education, further encouraged some local authorities to plan in terms of three-tier systems. Most often the middle school age range covered was either 9 to 13 or 8 to 12 years, with combined 5 to 12 schools developing alongside 8 to 12 schools. After local government reorganisation in 1974 some authorities inherited a variety of two- and three-tier systems. This survey is concerned with 5 to 12 and 8 to 12 schools. Under the 1964 Act such schools were designated as falling within the primary stage of education.

1.2 Many of the new combined and middle schools occupied former primary or secondary school accommodation usually with adaptations to meet the needs of the new age ranges. The majority of the teachers came directly from existing primary or secondary schools. By the late seventies a considerable number of middle schools had been open for four years or more with a full age range. An appraisal of first and middle school education seemed appropriate. The Inspectorate undertook a survey of first schools during 1978-79 (2) and a survey of 9 to 13 middle schools during 1979-1980 (3). These were followed by a survey of 5 to 12 combined and 8 to 12 middle schools during the summer and autumn terms of 1981; the findings form the substance of this document.

1.3 By January 1981 there were 388 combined schools providing education for 112,493 pupils aged 5 to 12 years in twenty-six local authorities (4), though six authorities had only one or two such schools. There were 768 middle schools providing education for 231,833 pupils aged 8 to 12 years in 25 local authorities. (5)

1.4 The purpose of the survey was to describe and assess the work of fifty 5 to 12 or 8 to 12 schools. As with earlier surveys, the intention was to report about how appropriately the schools provided for the particular age ranges, and how well the children responded to the kind of education provided.

1.5 The procedures adopted were similar to those used in the survey of 9 to 13 schools, but some modifications were necessary because of the different age ranges. During the autumn term 1980 a pilot exercise involving two combined and four 8 to 12 schools was undertaken. The survey itself took place during the summer and autumn terms of 1981; the findings result from the inspection of the sixteen 5 to 12 schools and thirty-three 8 to 12 schools. (6)

1.6 The sample was selected from 384 combined schools and 668 8 to 12 schools which had been in existence, with their full age range only, for at least the previous four years. Schools for the sample were selected to include 25 local education authorities which had 5 to 12 and 8 to 12 schools, to cover a range of sizes (7) and catchment areas, to include schools housed in former primary, former secondary and purpose-built premises and to include schools transferring pupils to one or a considerable number of upper schools. The proportion of combined 5 to 12 to 8 to 12 middle schools within the survey was similar to the national picture ie 1:2. The schools selected illustrate the diversity of circumstances in which 5 to 12 and 8 to 12 schools operate, but they were not a statistically representative sample of all such schools. (8) Details of inspection procedures are given in Appendix 1. In this report the descriptions and assessments of general features of the schools (such as accommodation and resources) and of particular areas of the curriculum relate, unless stated otherwise, only to the work undertaken by children aged 8 to 12, whether in 8 to 12 middle schools or 5 to 12 combined schools.

1.7 Like 9 - 13 Middle Schools (HMSO 1983), this survey differed in significant respects from both the primary and secondary surveys, and these differences are reflected in this report. Unlike Primary Education in England (HMSO 1978) which examined aspects of the work of classes, this report discusses the life and work of entire 8 to 12 middle schools and of middle school departments in 5 to 12 schools. In contrast to Aspects of Secondary Education in England (HMSO 1979) which provided a detailed appraisal of language, mathematics, science and personal and social development in the last two years of compulsory schooling, this report assesses the work undertaken by children aged 8 to 12 in a large number of subjects and areas of the curriculum. The report does not consider in detail every significant issue in the education of middle school pupils. For example, links between the home and the school are only briefly referred to.

1.8 This report provides a 'snapshot' of activities in sixteen 5 to 12 and thirty-three 8 to 12 schools during a particular period ie the summer and autumn terms of 1981. The final chapter takes account of developments since that time and their implications for 5 to 12 and 8 to 12 schools generally.

Footnotes

(1) Children and their primary schools HMSO 1967.

(2) Education 5 to 9 HMSO 1982.

(3) 9-13 Middle Schools: an Illustrative Survey HMSO 1983.

(4) There are 97 local education authorities in England.

(5) By January 1984 there were 354 combined schools providing education for 99,454 pupils aged 5 to 12 years in 23 local authorities, though 4 authorities had only one or two such schools. There were 686 middle schools providing education for 186,671 pupils aged 8 to 12 years in 25 local authorities.

(6) One inspection was delayed and its findings are not included in this report.

(7) For the purposes of the survey the schools were divided into three broad size bands based on the number of pupils on roll at the time of the inspections. The 17 schools described in this report as 'small' schools had fewer than 241 children on roll; the 29 'medium-sized' schools had from 241 to 480 pupils, and the 3 'large' schools had over 480 on roll.

(8) Appendix 2 gives details of the schools inspected.