Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CourseTwo children of the same age can have very different school lives. One walks to a free local school with 1,500 pupils. Another travels to a small school that charges fees. A third studies in a school only for girls, or one run by a religious group. Sociologists ask a simple question about each type: how effective is it? That means, does it do its job well, and for whom?
There is no single measure of effectiveness. Schools can be judged on exam results, on how well they prepare pupils for work, on the social skills and values they teach, and on whether every pupil gets a fair chance. A school can do well on one measure and badly on another.
Key terms:
A busy state school is free for every family, while private schools charge fees and often have smaller classes
Strengths: they are free, so every family can use them, and they take pupils from many backgrounds. They follow a national curriculum and are inspected by the government.
Limitations: classes can be large and resources may be stretched. Quality can vary between areas, and a poor local school leaves families with little choice.
Strengths: small classes, plenty of equipment, and a wide range of activities and sport. Pupils often get more individual attention.
Limitations: the fees are high, so only wealthier families can choose them. Pupils may mix with very few people from other backgrounds.
Watch the words here. In many countries, "public school" means a state school. In England, "public school" usually means an old and well-known private school. The spec uses "state/public" for the free, government-funded type.
Strengths: pupils of high ability learn together, teaching can move faster, and results are often strong. Able pupils can get a place because they do well in the test.
Limitations: pupils who are not chosen may feel they have failed. Choosing at a young age can also be wrong, because some children develop later.
Strengths: every child can attend whatever their ability, and pupils of all abilities and backgrounds mix. Late developers are not written off at a young age.
Limitations: teachers must teach a very wide range of ability in one class, which is hard. Very able pupils may not always be stretched.
How selection and fees affect achievement between social classes is covered in the lesson on social class and achievement. Here we only judge the types of school themselves.
Strengths: pupils may feel less pressure to act in gendered ways. Girls may feel freer to take subjects such as physics, and boys may feel freer to take subjects such as drama or languages.
Limitations: pupils have less chance to learn how to work and socialise with the other sex. Some people argue that this is not a realistic preparation for adult life.
Strengths: they reflect the real world, where men and women live and work together. Pupils learn to respect and cooperate with each other.
Limitations: some pupils may be distracted, and stereotypes about boys' and girls' subjects can still shape choices. Some families prefer single-sex schools for cultural or religious reasons.
Faith schools teach the usual subjects but also teach the beliefs and values of a religion, and often include prayer and religious events in the school day.
They give a strong sense of shared values and community. Families who want their children to learn their faith can trust the school to support what they teach at home. Many have a calm, orderly atmosphere.
Children may mix mostly with others of the same faith, which can reduce contact with different beliefs. Some critics say a school should not put one religion first, and that places may be hard to get for families outside the faith.
Classmates from many countries: international schools often teach in English and follow curricula like Cambridge
International schools often follow a curriculum used in many countries, such as Cambridge qualifications, and teach in a widely used language such as English. They are found in cities around the world, and many are fee-paying.
Pupils meet classmates from many countries and learn about different cultures. A common curriculum means a child can move from one country to another without having to start again. Qualifications are recognised by universities worldwide.
Fees are often high, so they are open mostly to wealthier families or families living abroad. Pupils may learn less about the local culture and language, and be cut off from local children.
Be careful when you compare. A selective or private school may show better exam results, but its pupils may already have been high achievers before they arrived. So better results do not prove that the school itself is better. This is a useful evaluation point in any answer.
Also think about who a school is effective for. A faith school may be very effective for families of that faith, but less so for those who want a mixed community. Always weigh the strengths and limitations and then give a reasoned judgement.
Writing that private schools are "better" without a reason. Say what they offer (small classes, resources) and what the limitation is (cost, narrow social mix). Another mistake is mixing up selective and private: a selective school chooses pupils by ability, while a private school charges fees. Some schools are both, and some selective schools are free.
(a) Define the term faith school. [2 marks]
(b) Explain three strengths of co-educational schools. [6 marks]
(a) A faith school is a school linked to a particular religion (1) which teaches the beliefs and values of that religion as well as the usual subjects (1).
(b) First, they reflect the real world, where men and women live and work together (1), so pupils learn how to cooperate with the other sex (1). Second, boys and girls learn to respect each other by sharing lessons and activities every day (1), which can reduce unfair attitudes between the sexes (1). Third, pupils get used to working in mixed teams (1), which prepares them for mixed workplaces and adult life (1).
In an "explain three" question, give each strength its own short paragraph and add a reason with "so" or "because". A bare list of three points only earns one mark each.