Educational Policy: New Labour to Present

Following the marketisation revolution of the 1988 Education Reform Act, education policy continued to evolve under successive governments. The AQA specification requires you to understand and evaluate the policies of New Labour (1997-2010), the Coalition government (2010-2015), and Conservative governments (2015 onwards). You must also consider the growing role of privatisation and the influence of globalisation on education policy. A recurring theme is the tension between policies designed to raise standards and those designed to reduce inequality — and whether these goals are compatible.

Key Definition: Privatisation in education refers to the transfer of educational services, management, or funding from the public sector to private companies. This can range from full private ownership to contracting out specific services (e.g., school meals, building maintenance, curriculum design).

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New Labour (1997-2010)

Tony Blair famously declared that his three priorities were "education, education, education." New Labour's approach has been described as a "Third Way" — combining market-oriented policies inherited from the Conservatives with interventionist strategies aimed at reducing inequality. New Labour significantly increased education spending and introduced numerous policies designed to raise standards and promote social inclusion.

Key Policies

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), introduced in 2004, provided means-tested weekly payments (up to £30 per week) to 16-18 year olds from low-income families who stayed in full-time education or training. The aim was to reduce the financial barrier that prevented working-class students from continuing their education beyond the compulsory school-leaving age.

Evaluation:

• Research showed that EMA increased participation in post-16 education, particularly among the most disadvantaged students.
• It was abolished in England in 2011 by the Coalition government (but retained in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), with the government arguing it was not cost-effective and that many recipients would have stayed in education anyway.

Academies Programme

New Labour introduced the Academies Programme in 2000, initially targeting underperforming schools in disadvantaged areas. Academies were state-funded but independently managed schools, freed from LEA control and the National Curriculum. They were sponsored by businesses, charities, or individuals who provided some of the capital funding.

The aim was to break the "cycle of failure" in underperforming schools by bringing in new leadership, management styles, and investment. By 2010, there were approximately 200 academies in England.

Evaluation:

• Some academies showed significant improvements in results.
• Critics argued that academies diverted public money to private sponsors, undermined local democratic accountability, and "cherry-picked" more able pupils while excluding the most disadvantaged.
• The Academies programme was massively expanded by the Coalition government after 2010 (see below).

Sure Start

Sure Start Children's Centres, launched in 1999, provided integrated early years services — childcare, health visiting, parenting support, and employment advice — for families with children under five in disadvantaged areas. By 2010, there were over 3,500 Sure Start centres.

Evaluation:

• The National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS) found positive effects on children's development and parenting quality, particularly in later evaluations.
• Funding for Sure Start was significantly reduced from 2010 onwards, and many centres closed or reduced services.
• Critics from both left and right questioned its effectiveness: Marxists argued it was compensatory education that treated working-class culture as deficient; the New Right argued it represented unnecessary state intervention in family life.

Specialist Schools

New Labour encouraged schools to develop specialisms in areas such as technology, languages, sports, or performing arts, with additional funding for their chosen specialism. By 2010, most secondary schools had specialist status.

Tuition Fees

In 1998, New Labour introduced tuition fees for university students (£1,000 per year), and in 2004 increased them to £3,000 through the introduction of top-up fees. A system of income-contingent loans was introduced so that students would not have to pay upfront.

Evaluation:

• Supporters argued that fees were necessary to fund the expansion of higher education and that the loan system protected access for disadvantaged students.
• Critics argued that fees deterred working-class students, who were more debt averse (Callender & Jackson, 2005).
• Reay et al. (2005) found that working-class students were more likely to choose local, less prestigious universities to reduce costs, while middle-class students chose prestigious institutions regardless of cost.

Evaluation of New Labour's Overall Approach

Strengths:

• Significantly increased education spending — spending per pupil more than doubled.
• Introduced targeted policies (EMA, Sure Start) that benefited disadvantaged groups.
• The attainment gap between FSM and non-FSM pupils narrowed during this period.

Limitations:

• Continued and extended marketisation (league tables, Ofsted, academies), which critics argued reproduced inequality.
• Ball (2008) described New Labour's approach as "privatisation by stealth" — increasingly involving private companies in the delivery of educational services.
• Class differences in achievement remained substantial despite massive investment.

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Coalition Government (2010-2015)

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition government, led by David Cameron, pursued an education agenda shaped by austerity and a further extension of market principles. Education Secretary Michael Gove introduced sweeping reforms.

Key Policies

Expansion of Academies and Free Schools

The Academies Act 2010 dramatically expanded the academies programme, allowing all schools (not just underperforming ones) to convert to academy status. By 2015, over half of all secondary schools were academies.

Free schools were a new type of school that could be set up by parents, teachers, charities, or businesses, funded by the state but independent of LEA control. They were modelled on the Swedish free school system and the American charter school movement.

Evaluation:

• Supporters argued that free schools promoted innovation, choice, and parental involvement.
• Critics argued that free schools diverted funding from existing schools, were disproportionately established in areas that did not need additional school places, and lacked accountability.
• Allen (2015) found that free schools had a more affluent intake than nearby schools, suggesting they benefited the middle class.

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