The Cabinet Papers banner

You are here: Cabinet Papers home > Browse by theme > Education > Post-war schools

Post-war schools

The number of pupils in maintained schools doubled between 1945 and the early 1970s. The number of pupils in secondary schools increased sevenfold - from half a million to four million.

Related documents

Influx of pupils

Cabinet Memorandum. The Economic Situation. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 19 January 1952 (PDF, 2.326MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Public Expenditure: Education. 28 July 1953 (PDF, 2.021MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Supply Expenditure. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 30 January 1953 (PDF, 1.033MB)

Re-organisation under David Eccles

Cabinet Memorandum. Education Policy. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 12 November 1954 (PDF, 1.056MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Education Policy. 29 November 1954 (PDF, 1.577MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Economic Situation Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 21 January 1956 (PDF, 2.744MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The School Building Programme. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 4 June 1956 (PDF, 0.306MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 11. Education: Capital Investment. 7 June 1956 (PDF, 1.923MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. A Further Advance in Education Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 10 December 1956 (PDF, 0.379MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 7. Education. 7 February 1957 (PDF, 1.180MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. A Further Advance in Education Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 5 February 1957 (PDF, 0.190MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Education Capital Expenditure Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 11 October 1957 (PDF, 0.300MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Education. 15 October 1957 (PDF, 1.586MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. A Drive in Education. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 14 July 1958 (PDF, 1.357MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Teachers: Supply in the 1960s. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 14 July 1958 (PDF, 0.330MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. A Drive in Education Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Scotland. 15 July 1958 (PDF, 0.653MB)

'Secondary Education for All'

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Investment Programme 1957-62. 24 July 1958 (PDF, 1.940MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Social Investment: Education Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 26 September 1958 (PDF, 0.323MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Social Investment. 29 September 1958 (PDF, 1.799MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Social Investment Education. 25 November 1958 (PDF, 1.079MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Social Investment: Education. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 21 November 1958 (PDF, 1.749MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Social Investment: Education. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Scotland. 22 November 1958 (PDF, 1.454MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Crowther Report. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Scotland. 15 March 1960 (PDF, 0.565MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Crowther Report. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 15 Mar 1960 (PDF, 0.635MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Expenditure. Memorandum by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster-General. 8 December 1961 (PDF, 1.112MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Expenditure. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 11 December 1961 (PDF, 0.727MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Education Policy. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 4 January 1962 (PDF, 0.705MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The School Leaving Age. Memorandum by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster-General and the Minister of Education. 22 January 1964 (PDF, 0.519MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 6. School Leaving Age. 23 January 1964 (PDF, 0.584MB)

Voluntary schools

Cabinet Memorandum. The Churches and the Education Act, 1944. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 27 April 1950 (PDF, 0.689MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Education Act. 27 April 1950 (PDF, 1.985MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Education Act. 1 May 1950 (PDF, 1.247MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Education Act. 4 May 1950 (PDF, 2.051MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Denomination Schools: Financial Assistance Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 18 July 1951 (PDF, 1.001MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Education Act: Denominational Schools. 23 July 1951 (PDF, 1.940MB)

Major reform

Cabinet Memorandum. Voluntary Schools: Increased Aid Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 6 February 1959 (PDF, 0.398MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Education. 12 February 1959 (PDF, 0.724MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 8. Education. 17 Mar 1959 (PDF, 1.651MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Education. 12 May 1959 (PDF, 0.789MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Education. 28 May 1959 (PDF, 0.956MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Voluntary Schools: Increased Aid. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 13 March 1959 (PDF, 0.252MB)

The move to comprehensive schools

Cabinet Memorandum. Secondary Education Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 20 April 1955 (PDF, 0.474MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. A Drive in Education. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 14 July 1958 (PDF, 1.357MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Social Investment. 24 July 1958 (PDF, 1.940MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Social Investment: Education Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 21 November 1958 (PDF, 1.749MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Social Investment. 25 November 1958 (PDF, 1.079MB)

Elimination of the 11-plus

Cabinet Memorandum. Comprehensive Secondary Education. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Education and Science. 14 January 1965 (PDF, 1.939MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Comprehensive Secondary Education. 19 January 1965 (PDF, 1.044MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Education. 13 July 1965 (PDF, 2.207MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Public Schools. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Education and Science. 19 November 1965 (PDF, 1.415MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Education. 25 November 1965 (PDF, 1.969MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Comprehensive Reorganisation and Raising of the School Leaving Age. 25 February 1966 (PDF, 0.388MB)

In favour of comprehensives

Cabinet Memorandum. Education: A Framework for Advance. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Education and Science. 28 November 1972 (PDF, 10.991MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. White Paper on Educational Policy in Scotland. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Scotland. 28 November 1972 (PDF, 4.507MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Policy on Education. 30 November 1972 (PDF, 3.024MB)

Search using Secondary schools Comprehensive schools Grammar schools

Further reading

Kerckhoff, A.C., Going Comprehensive in England and Wales: A Study of Uneven Change (London: Routledge Falmer, 1996)
Gosden, P.H.J.H., The Education System Since 1944 (Oxford: Martin Robertson, 1983)
Maclure, S., A History of Education in London 1870-1990 (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1990)
McKenzie, J., Changing Education: A Sociology of Education Since 1944 (Harlow: Pentice Hall, 2001)
Pedley, R., 2nd ed., The Comprehensive School (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972)
Rubinstein, D. & Simon, B., The Evolution of the Comprehensive School 1926-72 (London: Routledge, 1973)
Simon, B., Education and the Social Order, 1940-90 (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1990)

Content

Related Links

Print this page content

The National Archives

Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444