A comprehensive school, or simply a comprehensive, typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis of selection criteria, usually academic performance. In England and Wales comprehensive schools were introduced as state schools on an experimental basis in the 1940s and became more widespread from 1965. They may be part of a local education authority or be a self governing academy or part of a multi-academy trust.
About 90% of English secondary school pupils attend a comprehensive school (academy schools, community schools, faith schools, foundation schools, free schools, studio schools, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, university technical colleges, state boarding schools, City Technology Colleges, etc). Specialist schools may also select up to 10% of their intake for aptitude in their specialism. A school may have a few specialisms, like arts (media, performing arts, visual arts), business and enterprise, engineering, humanities, languages, mathematics, computing, music, science, sports, and technology. They are not permitted to select on academic ability generally.
There were over 24,323 schools in England in 2018. There were 391 nurseries, 16,769 primary schools, 3,448 secondary schools, 2,319 independent (private) schools, 1,044 special schools and 352 pupil referral units (PRUs). In Wales there were 1,569 schools. There were 9 nursery schools, 1,238 primary schools, 19 middle schools, 187 secondary schools, 75 independent schools and 41 special schools. Comprehensive schools correspond broadly to the public school in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Definition The term "comprehensive" emerged in the early 1940s describing a "multi-lateral" or "multi-bias" ie non-selective school which served pupils of secondary school age. The term developed over the next 35 years as the concept of comprehensive schooling itself changed after a series of initiatives were held by local education authorities through this period.
In the early 1950s, comprehensive schools could be defined as schools which served all the secondary school pupils of a certain area, regardless of their ability or aptitude, with the curricular provision of a grammar school, secondary modern school and secondary technical school combined. By the early 1960s, they were defined as not just admitting pupils without selecting them, but also catering to all of their aptitudes and abilities unless they had special needs, facilitating new interests and offering combined courses on an individual basis. Therefore, a school could only justifiably call itself comprehensive if it had enough pupils from all ability levels to cater to. By the early 1970s, comprehensive schools were also defined as having the goal of giving poor children the same educational opportunities as rich children.
In the present day, a comprehensive school can be defined as a state-funded secondary school which does not select its pupils on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. Any pupil can attend, irrespective of their social class or ability, and they are all taught together. They usually serve pupils from the age of 11 to the ages of 16 or 18, though there have been comprehensive middle schools and upper schools for other age ranges in some areas. As the term is usually used in a secondary education context, a non-selective primary school cannot be considered comprehensive, though the term has been used for all-through schools that provide primary education with secondary education.
Comprehensive schools traditionally were managed by their local education authority, but now also includes academies and free schools in England, which are funded directly by the government. In England, some comprehensive schools may select pupils who live outside of their catchment area. This happens when there are not enough places in the school to accommodate pupils from outside the area who want to apply, so these pupils are examined on ability to determine who is granted a place. These schools are called partially selective schools.
Context Comprehensive schools provide an entitlement curriculum to all children, without selection whether due to financial considerations or attainment. A consequence of that is a wider ranging curriculum, including practical subjects such as design and technology and vocational learning, which were less common or non-existent in grammar schools. Providing post-16 education cost-effectively becomes more challenging for smaller comprehensive schools, because of the number of courses needed to cover a broader curriculum with comparatively fewer students. This is why schools have tended to get larger and also why many local authorities have organised secondary education into 11–16 schools, with the post-16 provision provided by sixth form colleges and further education colleges. Comprehensive schools do not select their intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. In addition, government initiatives such as the City Technology Colleges and specialist schools programmes have expanded the comprehensive model. City Technology Colleges are independent schools in urban areas that are free to go to. They're funded by central government with company contributions and emphasise teaching science and technology.
English secondary schools are mostly comprehensive (i.e. no entry exam), although the intake of comprehensive schools can vary widely, especially in urban areas with several local schools. Nearly 90% of state-funded secondary schools are specialist schools, receiving extra funding to develop one or more subjects (performing arts, business, humanities, art and design, languages, science, mathematics, technology, engineering, sports, etc) in which the school specialises, which can select up to 10% of their intake for aptitude in the specialism. In these schools children could be selected on the basis of curriculum aptitude related to the school's specialism even though the schools do take quotas from each quartile of the attainment range to ensure they were not selective by attainment. In the selective school system, which survives in several parts of the United Kingdom, admission is dependent on selection criteria, most commonly a cognitive test or tests. Most comprehensives are secondary schools for children between the ages of 11 and 16, but in a few areas there are comprehensive middle schools, and in some places the secondary level is divided into two, for students aged 11 to 14 and those aged 14 to 18, roughly corresponding to the US middle school (or junior high school) and high school, respectively. With the advent of Key Stages in the National Curriculum some local authorities reverted from the Middle School system to 11–16 and 11–18 schools so that the transition between schools corresponds to the end of one Key Stage and the start of another. In principle, comprehensive schools were conceived as "neighbourhood" schools for all students in a specified catchment area.
Voluntary aided schools are linked to a variety of organisations. They can be faith schools (about two thirds are Church of England-affiliated; Roman Catholic Church, which are just under one third; or another faith), or non-denominational schools, such as those linked to London livery companies. The charitable foundation contributes towards the capital costs of the school, and appoints a majority of the school governors. The governing body employs the staff and has primary responsibility for admissions. Voluntary controlled schools, which are almost always faith schools, with the lands and buildings often owned by a charitable foundation. The local authority employs the schools' staff and has primary responsibility for admissions.
Maths free schools like Exeter Mathematics School are for 16 to 19 year pupils who have a great aptitude for maths. As set out in the government's Industrial Strategy, maths schools help to encourage highly skilled graduates in sectors that depend on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills. The aim of maths schools is to prepare the most mathematically able pupils to succeed in mathematics-related disciplines at highly selective maths universities and pursue mathematically intensive careers. Maths schools can also be centres of excellence in raising attainment, supporting and influencing the teaching of mathematics in their surrounding area, and are central to their associated universities’ widening participation commitments.
University technical colleges (UTCs), established in 2010 by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, are a type of secondary school in England that are led by a sponsor university and have close ties to local business and industry. They are funded by the taxpayer, and are non-selective, free to attend and not controlled by a local authority. The university and industry partners support the curriculum development of the UTC, provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and guide suitably qualified students to industrial apprenticeships, foundation degrees or full degrees. The sponsor university appoints the majority of the UTC's governors and key members of staff. Pupils transfer to a UTC at the age of 14, part-way through their secondary education. The distinctive element of UTCs is that they offer technically oriented courses of study, combining National Curriculum requirements with technical and vocational elements. Pupils study academic subjects as well as practical subjects leading to technical qualifications. UTCs must specialise in subjects that require technical and modern equipment, but they also all teach business skills and the use of information and communications technology. UTCs are also supposed to offer clear routes into higher education or further learning in work.
All state-funded schools are monitored and inspected by the Office for Standards in Education. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training and childcare services in England do so to a high standard for children and students. They are responsible for inspection and regulation of educational institutions including independent schools, state schools, academies and childcare facilities. Ofsted publish reports on the quality of education and management at a particular school on a regular basis. His Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) rank schools based on information gathered in inspections which they undertake. Inspection reports for schools are published and are an important measure of their performance.
Every school must publish specific information on its website, including values and ethos, admission arrangements, details of the curriculum, links to Ofsted reports, behaviour policy, performance data, attainment and progress measures, policies for children with special educational needs and disabilities. careers programme, and pupil premium. School governing bodies and local authorities cannot charge for education provided during school hours (including the supply of any materials, books, instruments or other equipment). These are provided by schools. Academies (including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges) are required through their funding agreements to comply with the law on charging for school activities.