Catalogue description Public Schools Commission (Newsom and Donnison Commission): Minutes, Papers and Reports

Following a statement in the House of Commons on 22 December 1965 the Secretary of State for Education and Science set up the Public Schools Commission chaired by Sir John Newsom.

The commission was " to advise on the best way of integrating the public schools with the state system of education. For the immediate purpose of the commission, public schools are defined as those independent schools in membership of the Headmasters' Conference, Governing Bodies Association or Governing Bodies of Girls' Schools Association."

In October 1967, the then Secretary of State remitted for the commission's consideration, an 'addendum' to the above mentioned terms of reference: "To advise on the most effective method or methods by which direct grant grammar schools in England and Wales and the grant-aided schools in Scotland can participate in the movement towards comprehensive re-organisation, and to review the principle of central government grant to these schools."

The first report, dealing with independent boarding schools, was presented to the Secretary of State in April 1968 and published in two volumes.

Immediately after the presentation of the first report, the commission was re-constituted. It was chaired by Professor David Donnison, to consider those independent day schools not dealt with in the first report. The terms of reference, including the addendum, remained unaltered.

The commission's recommendations were presented to the Secretary of State in January 1970 and published in three volumes.