Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The ICOSS (Impact of Competition on Secondary Schools) study, based in the Open University's Centre for Educational Policy and Management, is investigating the impact of competitive pressures on secondary schools in England. The Survey on School Competition, 1992-1997 is part of the study. Secondary school headteachers from six local education authority (LEA) areas were surveyed on their perceptions of the degree of competition facing their school and its impact on pupil recruitment and school budgets since 1992, when national league tables of examination results were first published. The schools contacted comprised all grant-maintained (GM) and LEA maintained secondary schools (excepting special schools) in the six LEA areas. LEAs were selected in order to include in the database a wide range of school types so as to provide an adequate basis for generalisation of results. The LEAs include county and metropolitan authorities to give urban and rural schools and a diversity of socio-economic backgrounds and school systems (i.e. a selective system and a concentration of GM schools in some of the LEA areas). The survey was intended to give headteachers the opportunity to comment on the effects of educational policies which have had the aim of creating a more competitive climate and to contribute to the broader aims of the ICOSS study. Further information about the ICOSS study may be found on the website: <a href=http://soe.open.ac.uk/CEPAM/research/ICOSS/index.htm> http://soe.open.ac.uk/CEPAM/research/ICOSS/index.htm</a> .Main Topics:The topics covered included: perceptions of competitive pressures, basic information about school, staffing and organisation, setting practices and curriculum options. Closed-ended questions also covered changes in the emphasis given to examinations, setting/banding and GCSE option choices. A section for free comment was also included.