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In 1900 there were 34,300 elementary schools/departments inspected by the relevant bodies in England, Wales and Scotland. On average they had 154 pupils each and aggregate attendance was 5.3 million pupils. There was an average of 42 pupils per teacher (of varying qualification levels).
- What Was School Like in The 1950s Compared to Today?
- At What Age Did You Start School in The 1950s?
- What Was The School Leaving Age?
- Types of School
- What Was The Timetable like?
- School Dinners
- School Uniform
- Punishments
- Examinations
- Films About Schools in The 1950s
You could leave school at age fifteenSelection was the norm for state and independent schools in the 1950sGCSEs were called GCEs and far fewer young people took themSome children stayed at the same school from age seven to age fifteenSchool started at age five in the 1950s. Children started school at the beginning of the term in which they had their fifth birthday. So they were usually aged four when they first entered the school gates.
The school leaving age in the 1950s was fifteen. It was raised from fourteen in 1947. Children could leave school in the term following their fifteenth birthday. The last year of school was the fourth rather than the fifth year for most children. Leavers at fifteen often left school with no qualifications.
Schools were divided into the state and independent sector as today. State schools offered primary education up to age eleven and secondary education from eleven to eighteen. 1. Infant school - ages five to seven 2. Junior school - ages seven to eleven 3. Secondary schools - ages eleven-plus
Primary school
A 1950s primary school timetable might have included subjects such as: 1. Arithmetic 2. Times tables 3. English 4. Spelling 5. History 6. Geography 7. Art 8. Needlework, for girls only 9. Music 10. Singing 11. Physical training (PT)
Secondary modern schools
In secondary modern schools the emphasis was on the basics of maths and English. History and geography were often combined as one subject called 'social studies'. Languages were usually only taught to the top streams in a secondary modern. There was also a strong emphasis on preparation for work. Practical subjects, such as woodwork, metal work and technical drawing, were an important part of the curriculum for boys. For girls the emphasis was on cookery (domestic science) and sewing. Girls a...
The 1944 Education Act made it compulsory for state schools to give pupils meals. The meal had to give each child one third of their daily nutritional intake. So had to be of a highstandard but may not have been to the pupils' taste. Although the meals were served at lunchtime, they were usually known as school dinners. The schools provided the mea...
Uniform was compulsory as most state grammar schools. It was also common, but not universal, in secondary modern. The uniform comprised: 1. Boys: blazer, long or short trousers depending on age, cap, tie. 2. Girls: gymslip or skirt, blouse, tie, sometimes blazers as well, hat or beret. Eston Grammar School, Teesville, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire...
Corporal punishment was common in schools in the 1950s. Detention and lines were the other common punishments.
The Eleven-plus
The exam that was most important for children in the 1950s was the eleven-plus. The results of that exam decided whether a child went to a grammar school, a technical school or a secondary modern school. The type of examination varied from area to area. It could include questions about English, arithmetic or general questions designed to test intelligence. How successfully it differentiated pupils was a matter for debate. Although the eleven-plus had a huge impact on a child's future, the res...
School Certificate
In 1950 children still took the old School Certificate and Higher School Certificate examinations. Pupils entering for School Certificate were awarded a pass, a credit or a distinction. They needed to pass five subjects or more to get the certificate.
General Certificate of Education
The GCE replaced the school certificate in 1951. There were two levels Ordinary level (O-level) and Advanced level (A-level). Unlike the School Certificate, it was possible to take GCE O-level in single subjects. GCE required pupils to be aged 16 or over. This meant leavers at 15 would not be able to take the examination. The GCE raised the level of attainment needed over the School Certificate. A GCE O-level pass was equivalent to a credit at school certificate. GCE O-levels were just awarde...
The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954)Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957)Class sizes in the 1950s and early 1960s were large, often over 30 children to a class, as these were the ‘baby boomers’, children born after the Second World War. There were no classroom assistants, just the class teacher and so discipline was strict.
Nov 1, 2015 · 1948 - A five-year plan is launched to train 96,000 teachers, 60,000 of them women, to reduce secondary classes to 30 and primary to 40 by 1951. 1949 - The Conservative Teachers’ Association asks the government to act on teachers alleged to be spreading communist propaganda.
19. Teacher Training in England and Wales: Past, Present and Future Perspectives. Wendy Robinson. University if Exeter. Abstract. Policy, theory and practice in initial teacher education in England has a long history if turbulence.
Feb 23, 2016 · It presents a case study of one teacher who was active in the early ‘experimental’ years of secondary modern education, suggesting that this period was important in the making of ‘modern’ education.
May 30, 2023 · In the 1950s, classroom punishments were far more severe than today, reflecting a society that valued order and conformity above all else. Teacher authority was rarely questioned, and educators were given considerable latitude in punishing students who stepped out of line.
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