The table illustrates the percentage of students attending four distinct types of secondary schools from 2000 to 2009.
It is immediately clear that the proportion of pupils in specialist schools saw a significant increase over the period, while the percentage in voluntary-controlled schools fell markedly. The figures for community and foundation schools, on the other hand, fluctuated slightly.
In 2000, a majority of students, 58%, were enrolled in community schools, which dropped to 52% in 2009. Meanwhile, the percentage of pupils in foundation schools was 20% in 2000, which increased to 22% in 2005, then fell back to 20% in 2009.
In contrast, the proportion of students in specialist schools was only 12% in 2000, but this figure climbed steadily to reach 28% in 2009. Conversely, the percentage of pupils attending voluntary-controlled schools declined significantly from 10% in 2000 to a mere 2% in 2009.
