Parental Choice & Competition Between Schools (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

The tripartite system (1944 Education Act)

• The 1944 Education Act was introduced to provide free state education for all children based on ability, not wealth

• It aimed to create a meritocratic system where children were educated according to their ability

• Pupils took the 11-plus exam, which determined which of three schools they attended:

  • Grammar schools: academic education for the most able (around 20%)

  • Technical schools: practical and vocational training (around 5%)

  • Secondary modern schools: general education for the majority (around 75%)

The comprehensive system

• In 1965 the Labour government asked local authorities to reorganise secondary schools along comprehensive lines (Circular 10/65), to replace selection with a more inclusive system

• In 1970 the Conservative government withdrew Circular 10/65, leaving the decision to local authorities

• Comprehensive schools accept children of all abilities and social backgrounds

• Some local authorities, however, retained grammar schools, creating a two-tier system that still exists today

Advantages of the comprehensive system

• Promotes social mixing and breaks down class divisions

• Removes the label of ‘failure’ linked to the 11-plus exam

• Provides a fairer system with no entrance exams

• Offers a wider curriculum and more subject choices

Disadvantages of the comprehensive system

• Parental choice can be limited by local catchment areas

• More able students may be held back in mixed-ability classes

• Comprehensives often reflect local inequalities — inner-city schools remain mostly working-class

• Setting and streaming reintroduce selection by ability, reproducing class differences

Marketisation and parental choice (1988 Education Reform Act)

• The Conservative government introduced marketisation into education

• Schools began to compete for pupils, with funding linked to student numbers

• The goal was to raise standards through competition and give parents more power — known as 'parentocracy' (rule by parents)

• However, Ball et al. (1994) argue that marketisation has reinforced the advantages of middle-class parents and has led to social class inequality in education

Features of marketisation

League tables

• The government publishes exam results and Ofsted ratings so parents can compare schools

  • Since November 2025, Ofsted has replaced one-word grades (e.g. 'outstanding') with report cards that grade different areas of a school

• ‘Successful’ schools attract more pupils and funding

• ‘Failing’ schools risk losing students and closure

School promotion

• Schools market themselves to attract students through:

  • open days and prospectuses

  • websites with exam performance and inspection results

  • social media, advertisements and newsletters

Funding and business links

• Schools are funded by the number of pupils they enrol

• Popular schools gain more money and better resources, creating a cycle of success

• Businesses can sponsor schools, offering funding, expertise and work experience

Types of schools

• Parents can now choose between a wider range of schools, including:

  • Free schools (from 2010) – set up and run by teachers, parents or businesses, independent of local authorities

  • Faith schools – linked to a particular religion

  • Academies (from 2000, expanded by the Academies Act 2010) – state-funded but independent of local councils, with freedom over their curriculum and pay

Academies

• Introduced to improve ‘failing’ schools and raise standards

• Academies can set their own term dates, pay scales and curriculum and may be sponsored by businesses

  • However, under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, academies will have to follow the National Curriculum from 2028, and the Act brings in new rules on academy teachers’ pay and conditions

• In January 2026, 83.9% of secondary schools and 48.8% of primary schools in England were academies or free schools

Advantages of marketisation and parental choice

• Introduced more choice and accountability into the education system

• Competition between schools has led to higher standards and improved GCSE results

• Parents have more power to influence schools and demand improvement

Disadvantages of marketisation and parental choice

• Stephen Ball argues that parental choice is not truly free

  • Middle-class parents are better equipped to navigate the system and use their cultural and social capital to secure good schools

  • Working-class parents may lack information, confidence or transport to send children outside their local area, leading to greater social inequality rather than equality of opportunity

• Catchment areas and transport costs limit choice for poorer families

• Schools under pressure to climb league tables may exclude lower-achieving students or focus only on exam results

• Teaching to the test narrows learning and increases stress for pupils

• Education is treated too much like a business, with schools competing rather than cooperating