1979-1990 Thatcherism: the marketisation of education

1979 LEA Arrangements for the School Curriculum: required LEAs to publish curriculum policies

1980 Education Act instituted the assisted places scheme (public money for children to go to private schools), gave parents greater powers on governing bodies and over admissions

1982 Technical and Vocational Education Initiative launched: aimed at 14-18 year olds

1983 Youth Training Scheme (YTS): one year scheme introduced

on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, The trainees on the schemes could be classified as either trainee status or employed status. The difference was distinguished by whether the trainee was recruited by an employer and provided with training for the company needs or if the trainee was being trained by a training organisation using employers as training placements.

1986 General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE): common 16+ exam system replaced GCE O Level and CSE

1990-1997 John Major: more of the same

1991 Parents' Charter: gave parents the right to information about schools and their performance (updated in 1994).

1991 Polytechnics: granted university status

1992 Education (Schools) Act: new arrangements for the inspection of schools led to the creation of Office for Standards in Education

1992 the Department of Education and Science was renamed the Department for Education.

1995 the DFE was renamed the Department for Education and Employment

1997-2007 The Blair decade: selection, privatisation and faith

1998 School Standards and Framework Act encouraged selection by specialisation, changed the names of types of schools, limited infant class sizes, established Education Action Zones etc

Action zones will cover clusters of around 20 schools, usually 2 or 3 secondary schools and the rest primary and nursery schools. Each zone will be run by an action forum, made up of the local partners in the scheme, including the local education authority, local and national businesses, school governors, parents and other local and community groups for special assistance in increasing the quality or availability of educational opportunities

1998 National Literacy Strategy: launched in September

1999 Fresh Start scheme: aimed to revitalise 'failing' inner-city schools

1999 National Numeracy Strategy: launched in September

2002 Languages for all: languages for life: the government's strategy for the teaching of foreign languages

2004 Building Schools for the Future: massive schools rebuilding programme launched

2006 Equality Act 2006 established the Commission for Equality and Human Rights with implications for schools

2006 Primary National Strategy: Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics

2007 School leaving age: government announced its intention to raise the SLA to 18, possibly in 2013

2007 Teaching 2020: paper setting out the government's vision for schooling in the future

2007-2010 Brown: mixed messages

2008 Education and Skills Act 2008 raised the education leaving age to 18

2008 National Challenge: targeted 638 'failing' state secondary schools

2009 Eleven plus abolished in Northern Ireland, but grammar schools (mostly Roman Catholic) vow to set their own tests

What future for education in England?

2010 Budget cuts: government proposed cuts of up to £3.5bn in the schools budget

2010 Act provided for massive and rapid expansion of academies

Academy schools are state funded schools in England which are directly funded by central government (specifically, the Department for Education) and independent of direct control by local government in England. Most are secondary schools, for pupils aged 11 to 16, but some cater for children from nursery age upwards, or for children aged 4 and upwards. Academies are self-governing and most are constituted as registered charities or operated by other educational charities, and may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind. They must meet the same National Curriculum core subject requirements as other state schools

2010 Higher education: fewer places and vastly increased tuition fees, the latter despite Liberal Democrat pre-election promises

2011 Education Act: increased schools' powers relating to pupil behaviour and exclusions, further diminished the role of local authorities, further expansion of academies etc

2011 Training our next generation of outstanding teachers discussion document

2011 The Importance of Music: A National Plan for Music Education

2012 Equality Act 2010: Advice for school leaders, staff, governors and local authorities

2012 Moving English Forward Report: action to raise standards in English

2012/2013 Profile Handbook published by the Standards and Testing Agency

2013 The framework for school inspection