The Schools Key

Datasheets are currently being updated - latest counts and details can be seen at -

http://www.oscar-research.co.uk/schools.html

30,182 names & addresses of Head Teachers of all types of School throughout the UK

Schools - an overview

Schools in the UK are funded, managed and structured in a wide variety of ways. There are two broad categories - Maintained (funded by the taxpayer) and Independent (funded privately). The Head Teacher is usually the financial decision maker for the school.

How the data is organised

The Schools Key encompasses schools in the UK , the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands . All Local Authority schools plus most independent schools are included, representing between them over 99% of all schools. The named contact is usually the Head Teacher. Addresses may be styled to another title such as “The Chair of the Governors” or “The Head of the Arts Department” on request.

Types of School:

Community Schools - Local Authority owned and run, but since the introduction of Local Management of Schools the governing bodies and head teachers enjoy a large degree of autonomy over how their limited budgets should be spent.

Voluntary Aided and Voluntary Controlled Schools - funded primarily by the Local Authority but the church will have a major influence in the management of the school and will also contribute funds.

Foundation Schools are the former Grant Maintained Schools which were directly funded by the Department for Education & Employment but now find themselves back in local authority control.

Independent Schools tend to fall into two groups - Public and Preparatory Schools , and Other Independent Schools , which can be very small. They are either privately owned or owned by a Charity and completely autonomous.

Special Schools - serve the specific needs of children with physical disabilities or learning difficulties and therefore tend to be small. They may be either Maintained Special Schools , run by the Local Authority, or Independent Special Schools - privately owned and run but the pupils may be funded by their Local Authority.

Primary and Comprehensive schools - the most common form, a two tier non-selective system.

First, Middle and Upper schools (the latter normally covering the 13 to 18 age range) - a three tier system run by a number of Local Authorities.

Sixth Form Colleges and Colleges of Further Education - another variation providing all post-16 education . (These are listed in The Universities & Colleges Key. )

Many comprehensive and some other schools specialise in certain areas, such as Technology, Languages, Sports or the Arts, whilst still maintaining a full standard curriculum. The Schools Key identifies such schools.

The vast majority of schools are Primary schools, rarely with more than 500 pupils. In rural areas some schools have less than 50 pupils. Comprehensive schools are much larger, typically with 700-1500 pupils or more drawn from a wider area.

Numbers given overleaf are for the whole UK , but addresses may also be selected by postcode area or local authority at no extra cost.

The Universities & Colleges Key

Higher and Further Education in the UK is provided by a wide range of complementary and sometimes competing organisations, from Sixth Form colleges (which used to be part of the schools system) through to a much expanded Universities sector. In between there is a range of Higher and Further Education Colleges, some of which specialise in the Arts or Agriculture. The Higher Education sector is distinguished from the Further Education sector by its ability to award Degrees, although some FE Colleges run HE courses which lead to an external degree, awarded by an HE College or University.

The Universities & Colleges Key covers the administrative and managerial staff of almost all these establishments throughout the UK . University Vice Chancellors, College Principals and many heads of Faculties and Departments are included but other Academic Staff are not. Instead the emphasis is on those people responsible for the running of the establishment.

Job Function - job titles vary widely so we categorise individuals by job function to identify responsibilities.

‘Number of Organisations' categories - refer to the number of colleges, rather than the number of individuals who work there.

Number of Students - The number of students refers to Full-time Equivalent (FTE) students at the establishment - this measure of size is used as many colleges cater almost entirely for part-time students.

Numbers given below are for the whole UK , but addresses may also be selected by postcode or by the administrative county within which the address is situated.