PREPARATIONS are underway to celebrate the 30th anniversary of comprehensive secondary education coming to York.

The first project for York Education Heritage – a not for profit company organised by two school governors and supported by the majority of York secondary school head teachers – will be to document the progression from a grammar school to a secondary modern system to comprehensive in 1985.

Tim Moat, a director of the new company and a governor at Millthorpe School, said: "With the impending 30th anniversary of the change to a comprehensive system, we felt the time was right to analyse the start of a journey undertaken three decades ago.

"We feel there is a need to document the decision making process, and its consequences, in an easily accessible way for the public archive. The year 1985 is both within living memory for many people and yet an unknown historical past on a par with the Victorian era for today’s school children.”

The first meeting of York Education Heritage’s advisory group – made up of representatives from the city’s state secondary schools, City of York Council, York Explore and York Museums Trust – took place at Acomb Explore.

Patrick Kelly, co-director of York Education Heritage and a governor at York High School, said: “York schools’ enviable track record of success is recognised by Ofsted and other education authorities. This success was built on a painstaking transformation which began in 1985 during a major re-organisation of schools in the city."

Currently there is no coordinated education heritage group in York. Individual schools maintain their own records and Mr Moat said York Explore report a lack of post-1974 material up until 1996, from 1996 there is material but it is not catalogued.

He said: “We feel this should be addressed and, if communicated correctly, will mean people will enjoy learning about heritage.

“We believe that by involving a wide range of people, current school pupils, past pupils, parents and grandparents, governors and other decision-makers, we can stimulate a new interest in, and passion for, our recent past.

“A proportion of parents of current school age children will have been at school themselves in 1985, adding an additional level of interest and unique parent/child participation to the classroom sessions envisaged for primary and secondary schools.

"This will stimulate interest in heritage and also result in a considered and accurate archive for the long term benefit of the community.”

Plans include a book, exhibition and interactive website. Funding for the project will be sought from sources such as the Heritage Lottery Fund.