Three-tier education

[5] References to middle schools in publications of the UK Government date back to 1856, and the educational reports of William Henry Hadow mention the concept.[7][6] The first middle school in England was introduced in 1968, in the Hemsworth division of the West Riding of Yorkshire.[11] In 2006, it was reported that Central Bedfordshire, Northumberland and the Isle of Wight were the only LEAs still exclusively using the three-tier system.[12] Multiple reasons have been suggested by sources for this reversion to a two-tier system, including: a lack of clear identity, with the Department for Education and Science labelling them as either primary or secondary;[7] a lack of teachers trained to teach in middle schools;[13] and increased autonomy being given to schools, with upper and lower schools choosing to expand their age ranges.[2] The introduction of the National Curriculum has also been cited, as the middle school system led to children changing schools partway through one of its Key Stages; the National Curriculum was cited by David Ward, then the councillor in Bradford responsible for education, as a reason for abolishing the system there,[14] and local authority officials in Wiltshire, when closing the remaining middle schools in 2002, argued specifically that the mid-Key-Stage school change caused children to be disadvantaged.
A modern two-storey school building at the end of a drive
Gosforth East Middle School, a middle school in Gosforth , Newcastle
A diagram showing which school types correspond to which year groups, and which follow on from which.
Diagram of paths through the school system in England. The three-tier systems are in blue and mauve.
Tripartite System of education in England, Wales and Northern IrelandGosforthNewcastlelocal education authoritycompulsory educationsixth formUK GovernmentWilliam Henry HadowWest Riding of YorkshireLocal education authoritiesEducation Act 1964Plowden Reportmiddle schoolsinfantjunior schoolssecondary schoolingHemsworthStoke-on-TrentSouthamptoncomprehensive educationEleven-plusNational Middle Schools' ForumNorthumberlandIsle of WightDepartment for Education and ScienceNational CurriculumDavid WardBradfordNigel HuddlestonParliamentNick Gibbmiddle schools were operatedGrangemouthprivate sectorprep schoolsCommon Entrancepublic schoolsGibraltar's education systemEducation in EnglandList of middle schools in EnglandCambridgeshire County CouncilTaylor & FrancisOxford University PressThe GuardianBBC NewsTimes Educational SupplementParliamentary Debates (Hansard)The Good Schools GuideTatlerHM Government of Gibraltar