<P> In 1964, preparations began to raise the school leaving age to 16 . These were delayed in 1968, and eventually the decision was taken in 1971 that the new upper age limit be enforced from 1 September 1972 onwards . As well as raising the school leaving age in 1972, the year also saw the introduction of the Education (Work Experience) Act, allowing LEAs to organise work experience for the additional final year school students . In some counties around the country, these changes also led to the introduction of middle schools in 1968, where students were kept at primary or junior school for an additional year, meaning that the number of students in secondary schools within these areas remained virtually constant through the change . In others, more radical changes led to middle schools for pupils aged up to 13 opening in smaller secondary school buildings, with other schools accommodating students over 13 . As of 2010, there are fewer than 300 middle schools across England, situated in just 22 local education authorities; the number of remaining middle schools has gradually fallen since the mid-1980s . </P> <P> For many secondary schools around England and Wales in areas without a Middle School, accommodating for the new 5th year students would be a struggle . A popular solution was to provide those schools with a pre-fabricated building (often referred to as ROSLA Buildings or ROSLA Blocks) that were in need of additional capacity, providing them with the resources to cope with the new generation of 5th year students . This solution proved popular with many schools across the country, not least due to the low cost involved for materials and construction, but also the speed which these buildings could be erected . Many were supplied by F. Pratten and Co Ltd . </P> <P> The ROSLA Buildings were delivered to schools in self assembly packs, being assembled by a team often within days, regardless of weather conditions . Consequently, they were not intended to stand long - term, though some have proven to have stood much longer than was initially planned . Many ROSLA Buildings shared similar exterior attributes such as their design, with the only difference being the separation of rooms within the building . The room separation within the building was decided upon by senior school management, hence many walls are false from being added in after construction . </P> <P> Although the majority of schools around England and Wales have since replaced the ROSLA Building at their site, there are still numerous schools around the country which are still actively using these buildings . </P>

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