The education system in the UK is also split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows: Primary school education begins in the UK at age 5 and continues until age 11, comprising key stages one and two under the UK educational system. In the second year, students can abandon 1-2 disciplines and focus on the three main ones that are needed for later university admission. Britons enter the education system at the age of three and up to 16 are obliged to attend school (compulsory education), while afterward is upon their choice. When moving to Year 12, students choose 3-5 subjects for in-depth study. The chosen subjects and the GCSE results are very important for their Further Studies (A-Level or IB) and for their University admission. All are subject to assessment and inspection by Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills). Day schools that allow kids to stay in them from 7 am to 7 pm (similar to kindergarten) do exist. They can be: To pass the tests, as a rule, you need to come to the school. Secondary 2 Secondary 1 ; 13-14 " " . They offer students more disciplines, including non-standard ones, aimed at practice and personal development. This cookie is native to PHP applications. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The student is properly accepted only after they pass an exam or confirm their academic performance in the year of admission. This can involve continued schooling, known as "sixth form" or "college", leading (typically after two years of further study) to A-level qualifications, or a number of alternative Level 3 qualifications such as Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC), the International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Pre-U, WJEC or Eduqas. More than 250 educational institutions accept UKiset instead of pretesting, some take it as their primary test. Some private tutorial colleges offer a one year diploma programme which is equivalent to year 1 of university. Applications open in September and close on 15 January. From the age of 11, students continue to study some basic subjects from primary school. Education in the UK is compulsory for all citizens from 5 to 16 years old. [52][53] Education Otherwise has supported parents who wished to educate their children outside school since the 1970s. [40] The Independent Schools Inspectorate regularly publishes reports on the quality of education in all independent schools. There are many types of FE colleges including, sixth form colleges, specialist colleges and adult education institutes. Exercise books, novels, pens and stationery are provided by the school. Courses at FE colleges, referred to as further education courses, can also be studied by adults over 18. In areas children can enter a prestigious grammar school if they pass the eleven plus exam; there are also a number of isolated fully selective grammar schools and a few dozen partially selective schools. Some schools offer a 1 Year GCSE programme in Year 11 for international students seeking a school education in the UK. Private elementary schools are most commonly referred to as Prep Schools. In addition to the tests, teachers are required to provide teacher assessments in the core subject areas of Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science. The division into classes of 10-15 people in high school is rather formal. Some schools just include infants (aged 4 to 7) and some just juniors (aged 7 to 11). Parents of children under 12 years old can receive a Parent of a Child Student Visa. How many school days & weeks in a year UK. After this, students can attain further education (the "sixth form"); this can either be in the sixth form of a school or a specialized sixth form or further education college. There are no compulsory disciplines at this stage, but there are recommended ones: mathematics, English, and one of the traditional school subjects physics, chemistry, biology, history, or geography. It depends on what's available in individual schools. Schools Details: WebScore: 4.9/5 ( 14 votes ) Secondary Education.Secondary education (including what they call high school in the UK, sixth form, and "college") lasts for five to seven years. We base our work on their interests, academic performance, personality, and your budget. When reaching 14, students usually enter into their first year of a 2-year process known as your GCSE (or SCE for those who are in Scotland). If you need to improve your English language or study skills before attending a UK university, pathway providers offer unique foundation courses which often lead to direct degree-level entry upon completion. There are 3 examination sessions, in November, January and May/June. There are numerous bursaries (awarded to low income applicants) to offset undergraduate fees and, for postgraduates, full scholarships are available for most subjects, and are usually awarded competitively. All grant-aided secondary schools had to admit free place scholars (not less than 25% of the previous year's total intake) who had spent at least two years at public elementary school. more about the Scottish Education System. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. For accurate information, refer to the official website of the school. You can enter the A-levels program after 10 years of study in a foreign secondary school, but this does not mean that after Year 11 you will immediately go to the second year of study. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Secondary School. Some universities award additional points for AS and EPQ. Some primary schools are split up into Infant and Junior levels. Secondary education is for students aged 11 to 16. After assessing the level of knowledge, British schools may recommend the student to start studying in an earlier year. In secondary school, school children have their own tutor group, but are split up into different classes and have their own timetable (sometimes divided between week A and week B). KS3. None, though individual schools may set end of year tests, or mock GCSE exams. Like the A-level, it prepares students for university admission. In the UK, a British bachelors degree normally takes three years to complete and most are awarded at honours level. Universities use Advanced Levels as entry qualifications. However, this is a stereotype. Sixth Form colleges are special private institutions that prepare students for Advanced Levels graduation testing over 2 years of study. In Scotland, where school years are named differently, pupils move to secondary education at the age of 12 (S1). Please note that Scotland has a separate education system and does not conform to the above structure. National Curriculum assessments (known as standard attainment tests or Sats) in Reading; Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling; and Mathematics are taken place at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. A levels are state examinations and are recognised by all UK universities and by institutions worldwide. Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old. Besides these subjects, each school has a list with optional subjects (Art, Music, Drama, Latin, Sport Science, Design Technology, Computer Science), and students may choose a few subjects that interest them. Under the UK school system, all students study English, Maths, Sciences, a Humanity and a Modern Language. These fees are repayable after graduation, contingent on attaining a certain level of income, with the state paying all fees for students from the poorest backgrounds. The high school application period closes in September-October a year or two before the start of school. independent schools, which are usually a lot more results driven, it is not uncommon for students to take as many The compulsory stages of education are broken into a Foundation Stage (covering the last part of optional and first part of compulsory education), 4 Key Stages, and post-16 education, sometimes unofficially termed Key Stage Five, which takes a variety of forms, including 6th Form, which covers the last 2 years of Secondary Education in schools. The state-funded education system is divided into Key Stages, based upon the student's age by August 31. The school received 5 per head for each scholar. UK students are generally entitled to student loans for maintenance. Non compulsory subjects such as journalism, digital technology, home economics are offered and studied by some schools. Many pupils stay on at school after that age to prepare themselves for university or other careers. From the age of 11-14, students will study a broad range of subjects such as Music, Math, Science, English, etc. The program involves not just studying the language, but also mastering the specialty-specific vocabulary, academic writing, reading scientific texts, and training verbal skills all this allows you to improve your English and acquire the skills necessary for studies. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [55] Students will be able to take a T Level in the following subject areas:[56], Higher education in England is provided by Higher Education (HE) colleges, university colleges, universities and private colleges. Our specialists have been working since 2013 and know from experience how to find a school that suits your child best. What is the best way to find a good host family. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. We hope you find this UK School Years Chart useful! In the case of foreigners, parents of children under 12 years can obtain a special accompanying visa or appoint a guardian. Secondary Education. Schools may choose to permit trousers for girls or religious dress. In Early Years, the curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning; In foundation, the curriculum is organised into six areas of learning; In primary school, school children remain in one class throughout the year, but may change classrooms for English and Mathematics. You wont be the first Im sure! The long-term program is essentially a standard school year, during which, in parallel with the A-Levels, the student prepares for the Oxbridge entrance exams and studies the application process. The last two years of studies are devoted to the standard school program GCSE. What is high school UK? There are also significant divergences between practice in England and Wales, on the one hand, and in Scotland. International students can either choose a state sixth form college or a college of further education as an alternative to private education. More freedom is given to free schools, including most religious schools, and other academies in terms of curriculum. You will need to check with your own country's education authorities, and your country's universities to find out if they recognise and give credit for UK qualifications. That is why those who are aiming for top-ranking universities or simply do not want to fail the entrance competition very often go through preparatory programs in their specialty. For schoolchildren from other countries, there is an alternative option take the UKiset test either in a certified center in their country or online, by agreement with the school. [70], From 1997 to 2010, the Labour government introduced a new type of school known as academies for poorly performing schools in areas of social deprivation. The state does not control university syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures through the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), which approves and monitors access agreements to safeguard and promote fair access to higher education. ), some are chosen by each student according to their abilities and preferences. The IGCSE programme (InternationalGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education) prepare international students for A-Level and/or IB. Above school-leaving age, the independent and state sectors are similarly structured. Pupils receive interim grades for midterm tests / written papers, and at the end of each trimester, they take assessment tests. The average secondary school budget in 2019/20 is 4,914,000, a 1.9% increase on the previous year. Local government authorities are responsible for implementing policy for public education and state-funded schools at a local level. at secondary school), rather than when applying for university, and so the money raised from tuition fees should be spent there instead. Unlike A-level or IB, the Foundation Year diploma is usually recognized only by UK universities. Usually students begin Primary 1 at age 5 or 6 and complete Form 6 at age 17 or 18. . In the independent schools, most pupils stay at school until the age of 18 and nearly all pupils go on to university after they leave school. Teens go to senior school which starts from the September after they turn 11 until at least the June/July of the year they turn 16 (the year runs from September the year before until the end of August). help with paperwork and application process. These cookies are set via embedded youtube-videos. At the end of the 2 year GCSE programme, following the examinations on each studied subject, students receive their GCSE Certificates. [46], Schools may provide childcare outside of school hours, including breakfast clubs in the early mornings and after school curriculum activities (languages, food preparation, arts, crafts, geography and history, gardening, sports, reading, science, mathematics, etc.).[47]. They are usually offered by BTEC or OCR examination boards. International Baccalaureate is an international high school program developed in Switzerland half a century ago. As a rule, all stages of selection require a personal presence at a British school. Students from outside the UK and the EU attending English universities are charged differing amounts, often in the region of 5,000 to 20,000 per annum[64] for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Secondary schools are traditionally divided into the following stages: Private schools do not actually draw a clear line between the two levels. These are state-funded all-ability secondary schools which charge no fees but which are independent of local authority control. Some schools may offer examinations at AS level to pupils in those subjects they are studying for A level at the end of the first year of the two-year course. Skip to main content Rooster Marketing Menu Work Services Strategy Branding Creative Web Content SEO PPC Social Video and Photography About Gallery Insights Contact 020 3621 6644 london@roostermarketing.com 01962 841200 The boarding school is an educational institution that, together with the educational services, offers accommodation in a school residence, three meals a day, and supervision of the students. For expert advice on UK and US university entry, Bright World has teamed up with Education Advisers Ltd, whose experienced consultants offer a full range of Higher Education services forinternationalstudents. It is believed that when considering applications, British universities tend to look at the rating of the school that the applicant graduated from and that only graduates of elite independent schools with a high degree of selectivity can enter the top universities. Colleges of further education also offer foundation and diploma courses. A key requirement for applicants is proficiency in academic English. Lessons are held from about 8.30 to 16.00 with a lunch break, after which students are engaged in hobby clubs and sports sections. Children in the UK have to legally attend primary and secondary education which runs from about 5 years old until the student is 16 years old. At the end of the school year, students take exams to advance to the next year. Specialist schools are for those who have already decided to connect their lives with such areas as academic music, dancing, arts, and sports. The IB programme also includes a compulsory Core programme consisting of Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE) and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). Strike action days vary depending on where in the UK your child goes to school. High School students age is also appropriate for the Student visa, but the latter is specifically designed for university applicants and language schools students. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject. [54], T Levels are a technical qualification introduced between 2020 and 2023 in England. Secondary education (including what they call high school in the UK, sixth form, and "college") lasts for five to seven years. A foreign student of an English school has two main options for living: As a rule, to study in a private school, you need a Child Student visa. These aims set out to support the statutory duties of schools to offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, while preparing pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life, as set out in the Education Act 2002.[41]. Registered in England and Wales number 101760. For example, a science exam is canceled and/or a simplified version of the English language exam is used English as an Additional Language (EAL). This provides a framework for education between the ages of 5 - 18. Then students attend additional courses: from Animation, Robotics, and Astronomy to Debates, Carpentry, and Fencing. This helps to individually approach the education of future university applicants. Several times a year, parents receive reports from the school about their child's progress. Typically, private schools strive to make learning more applied. At the end of Year 11 (at age 15 or 16, depending on their birthdays) students typically take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams or other Level 1 or Level 2 qualifications. Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. 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