Schooling is an important time in any child's life, as it ultimately determines the path they will take throughout their adult careers and will also effect their general outlook and even their level of financial success.  Perhaps the overwhelming importance of finding the right school for your child is the reason why parents will consider tutoring or even moving home if it means getting a place at one of the country's better grammar schools.

The education system in the UK has a long and chequered history.  In the middle ages, 'grammar' schools were introduced to help with the growing numbers of students seeking to learn the official languages, particularly Latin.  By the nineteenth century, more and more families were sending their children to school – perhaps as a result of the growing middle class that had been instigated by the Industrial Revolution.  1869 saw the Endowed Schools Act passed in parliament, making it easier for schools to be opened.  By the turn of the century, a large percentage of children were attending school (at least until their teen years).

The real changes in education happened in the twentieth century, mostly because of the Butler Education Act that was passed in 1944, which saw the state take control of the education system.  What eventuated from this Act was the Tripartite System, later abolished in the 1960s.  By the 1976 Education Act, most schools had been merged to form comprehensive schools.  Many of these comprehensives are still in place today.