Page 7 - Education In Redditch
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The HISTORY of REDDITCH New Town
The Labour Government of the mid 1960’s required education authorities to draw up plans to
reorganise secondary education from Grammar/Secondary Modern Schools to Comprehensive
Schools. The County Education Authority was now faced with the problem that the recently built
Secondary Modern Schools were on sites which did not allow expansion into Comprehensive
Schools of 900 – 1000 places intended to cater for the 11-18 age groups. This requirement
coincided with the town being designated a New Town with all the implications of an influx of
families into Redditch from Birmingham and elsewhere in the coming years. There would need
to be an additional school building programme to accommodate the new arrivals.
After a period of consultation the County Council made the decision to reorganise on
comprehensive lines but on the less traditional pattern of First Schools (ages 5-9), Middle Schools
(ages 9-13) and High Schools (ages 13 – 18). This new system came into operation between 1970
and 1972. This was to affect many children arriving from Birmingham where the Two Tier System
operated and meant that they often faced more changes of school during their school life than
might be considered desirable. This was further complicated by the fact that some schools were
not completed until after the population had arrived leading to ad hoc arrangements and a
further need for pupils changing schools.
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