Secondary moderns offered a mix of practical, vocational and academic study. All children studied English and maths and other subjects including religious education (RE). PE was also an important part of the curriculum for both boys and girls.

Although this era is often seen as the birthplace of sexual equality, boys and girls were often split into single sex groups for lessons: boys took woodwork and bricklaying in preparation for being 'men' and the girls took cookery, needlework and parentcraft, learning how to be a good wife and mother. Often, both boys and girls would also have studied rural science, learning how to grow vegetables and tend animals. Few schools taught any modern languages.

Around 1,500 schools were created in this era but the quality of facilities was variable. While some might have a brand new gym and smart classrooms, others would set up a vaulting horse in the corridor and squeeze pupils behind small desks in dingy rooms. Class sizes averaged 25-30 pupils.

The school leaving age was 15 and many left school with no qualifications and went straight to jobs in factories. About 20% stayed on to take CSE exams, which were slanted very much towards the acquisition of practical skills. Schools tailored their curriculum to meet the needs of the local community, as most children would stay in the area when they left school and work in industries such as dockyards, glassworks or coal mines.

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Children now stay in full-time education until they are 16 and the majority stay on after that. Most of the three million secondary school pupils in England attend non-selective comprehensives, in classes of around 30.

Increasingly, comprehensives specialise and may offer advanced teaching in languages, technology, business, the environment, science, engineering, sports or arts.

Literacy and numeracy strategies used in primary schools have been extended to 11-14 year olds. All children study English, maths and science and usually take a modern foreign language as well. RE and PE also feature on the timetable, along with a range of other subjects. Pupils are assessed on both exam marks and coursework. New, Applied GCSE double awards were introduced in 2003 to replace GNVQs and are more vocationally slanted.