Secondary modern schools are a type of school in British educational systems, part of the Tripartite System. They are rare now, the great majority having been replaced by comprehensive and other schools. Japanese secondary school students in uniform A school is most commonly a place designated for learning. ... The Tripartite System of education in the United Kingdom was a system of education introduced in the Butler Education Act of 1944, covering Primary and Secondary education. ... A comprehensive school is a secondary school that accepts students of all abilities, as opposed to a grammar school. ...

The secondary modern school was introduced by the 1944 Education Act following the recommendations of the 1943 Norwood Report. It was, in the words of the Act, "intended to suit pupils who deal more easily with concrete things than with ideas". The Act also established two other forms of school -- the secondary technical school and the secondary grammar school. 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... A grammar school is a type of school found in some English-speaking countries. ...

In an era when the economy was dominated by mass manufacturing and labour-intensive work, the secondary modern schools sought to teach practical rather than academic skills - for instance, woodwork rather than algebra. There was no national curriculum so what was taught varied from place to place, although some subjects were fairly consistent across the secondary modern school system. Woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing were seen as particularly important subjects for the boys, while the girls did needlework or cookery and, in many cases, typing. Few formal exams were taken in secondary modern schools (although O-levels and O-grades were theoretically available) and millions of pupils left with no qualifications at all. In the England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a nationwide education curriculum was introduced in the 1980s to ensure that certain basic material was covered by all pupils. ... The General Certificate of Education or GCE was introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1951, replacing the older SC and HSC. It was intended to cater for the increased range of subjects available to pupils since the raising of the school leaving age from 14 to 15 in... The Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) was the Scottish equivalent of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and was introduced at the same time as the GCE. The SCE was split into two levels, Ordinary Grades (O Grades) for 16 year olds and...

Secondary moderns took pupils who failed their 11-plus examination or otherwise did not wish to go to grammar schools. They were rather looked down on by many people, but often provided a good education. They did, however, have the effect of reinforcing the class system; grammar schools were dominated by the middle class, who were able to coach their children for the 11-plus, while the secondary moderns were dominated by the working class. (The upper class largely relied on public schools that were funded by fees.) The division between secondary moderns and grammar schools was reinforced by the different level of funding given to each; secondary moderns were distinctly second-class, with less funding, less-well qualified and less well-paid teachers. The entire course of a person's life could thus be — and often was — set by how well they did in the 11-plus. The Eleven Plus is an examination given to students aged 11 since about 1944 in some parts of the United Kingdom to select whether they go to a grammar school or to a secondary modern. ... A grammar school is a type of school found in some English-speaking countries. ... A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar status. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... The term upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... A public school, in common English and Welsh usage, is a (usually) prestigious school, for children usually between the ages of 11 or 13 and 18, which charges fees and is not financed by the state. ...

The issue of fairness and the schools' poor academic record became an issue of concern to the Labour Party. It was of particular personal importance to Anthony Crosland and Shirley Williams, who served as Secretary of State for Education and Science in the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s respectively. In July 1965, Crosland instructed local authorities to abolish the 11-plus exam and start creating a system of comprehensive secondary schools, uniting most of the secondary modern, grammar and technical schools and abolishing the selection system. This process of consolidation took place throughout the late 1960s and under Williams in the 1970s. The Labour Party is a a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... Charles Anthony Raven Crosland (1918-1977) was a British politician and Labour member of Parliament. ... The Baroness Williams of Crosby Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, PC (born July 27, 1930), is a British politician. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1960s. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Very few secondary modern schools remain today. By 1997, 86.8% of all pupils attended comprehensive schools, with just 2.6% attending secondary moderns [1]. In recent years, some have criticised the comprehensive system and have called for a return to selection, while in other quarters there has been increasing interest in providing a degree of secondary modern-style vocational education within the existing comprehensive system. 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vocational education prepares learners for certain careers or professions, which are traditionally non-academic and directly related to a trade, occupation or vocation in which the learner participates. ...

External links

• "That'll Teach 'Em 2", Channel 4
• "Take the 11-plus test", Channel 4
• "School learns the language of success", The Independent Online — records the success of Walderslade Girls' School, in Medway, which was still a secondary modern school as of 2003
• Testimonial of Mike Ion, DfES Regional Director of the Key Stage 3 Strategy