Band 9: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table shows the Proportions of Pupils Attending Four Secondary School Types Between 2000 and 2009. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The table shows the percentage of pupils attending four types of secondary schools between 2000 and 2009.

In the beginning, we discussed attendance in 2000. Specialist schools had 12%, which was the lowest percentage, the same as community schools at 12%. Grammar schools were in second place with 24%, which is double the two previous schools. The highest percentage was for voluntary-controlled schools at 52%.

In 2005, there were some noticeable changes. The percentage of voluntary-controlled schools dropped significantly to 38%, but it still remained the highest. Community schools increased sharply to 32%, becoming the second most popular type. Grammar schools decreased to 19%, while specialist schools slightly went down to 11%.

By 2009, the trend changed more clearly. Community schools saw a dramatic rise to 58%, becoming the most popular type of school. In contrast, voluntary-controlled schools fell sharply to 20%. Grammar schools continued to decline slightly to 12%, and specialist schools decreased to 10%, which was the lowest figure.

Overall, community schools increased significantly over the period, while voluntary-controlled schools experienced a major decline. The other two types showed gradual decreases.