Education and Schooling in the United Kingdom

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Education and Schooling in the United Kingdom

Education in the UK is compulsory for children aged five to sixteen. Children are legally required to start attending school at the start of the term after their fifth birthday, either on 31 August, 31 December or 31 March. However they can start earlier than this.

Pupils are required to stay in school until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they reach 16 years of age. Under the Education and Skills Act 2008, from 2013 compulsory education or training must continue until the pupil is 17 and, from 2015, until the pupil is 18. However, as of 2010 the government is reviewing this policy which may be revised again.

State education is free and can be secular or religion-based, as well as mixed gender or single gender. Education is also available in private, fee-paying schools, attended by approximately ten percent of children. In addition, there are a number of international schools in the United Kingdom, mainly in and around London.

State School System

Nine out of ten children in the UK are educated in the state system, which is funded by the government. According to the British Council, some 8.5 million children attend one of the 30,000 schools in England and Wales; in Scotland 830,000 children attend about 5,000 schools; and Northern Ireland sends 350,000 children to 1,300 state schools. Primary schools usually include both girls and boys as pupils. Secondary schools may be either single-sex or co-educational.

Education departments in England, Scotland and Wales fund schools through a Local Education Authority (or in Scotland, the Education Authority). In Northern Ireland, schools are largely financed from public funds through five Education and Library Boards.

The education system is generally split into four sections:

1. Primary schools: for children aged between five and eleven. They are usually mixed gender and can be either secular or religion-based.
2. Secondary schools: most pupils transfer from primary to secondary school at the age of 11. However, a system of middle schools also exists; here pupils are transferred from primary school at either age 8 or 9 years, then onto secondary education at the age 12 or 13 years. Most secondary schools in England are comprehensive and do not operate a selective entrance system. However, in some parts of England, a grammar school system also operates and pupils are usually required to pass an entrance examination based on their ability.
3. Further education: for children aged between 16 and 19 who want to stay on at school or college to gain more qualifications.
4. Higher education: for teenagers and young adults wanting to go to university or college to study for a degree or diploma.

Private School System

There are about 2,600 private, independent schools (often referred to as public schools) in the UK, of which 700 are boarding schools. They are divided into several categories:

• Pre-Prep schools: for 4-7 year olds
• Prep schools: for 7-13 years old
• Senior schools: for 13-18 year olds
• Sixth-form colleges: for 16-18 year olds
• For a list of private schools in the United Kingdom: Click here

As most private schools in the UK are expensive, it is essential that parents research the schools they are considering for their children. There are various league tables and online school guides, including Best.schools.co.uk, UKPrivateSchools.com, the Independent Schools Council and the Guide to Independent Schools.

Each school has different admissions criteria, and many - such as Eton, Malborough and Harrow - have long waiting lists. There are also scholarships and bursaries awarded to promising students that can help families with lower incomes to send their children to a private school. Information can be sought from individual school websites or by telephoning the school admissions office.

Teachers at private schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum, although many do, and the majority of students take GCSEs and A-Levels. However there are a growing number of sixth-form students that are now taking the International Baccalaureate instead of A Levels.

National Curriculum

The National Curriculum defines the different stages and core subjects that all children in the state system must be taught during their time at school.

For primary school children, the subjects they must learn are english, maths, science, design and technology, information and Communication Technology (ICT), history, geography, art and design, music and physical education.

They are tested at the end of each school year, although only some of these tests will be formally assessed.

• For further information from DirectGov on the National Curriculum at primary level: Click here

At secondary school level, the subjects are the same, apart from students must also take modern foreign languages, art and design, and citizenship. Schools also have to provide sex and relationship education (SRE), religious education and in Year 9, they must take careers education and guidance.

Parents may choose to withdraw their children from part of the SRE curriculum and from all or part of the religious education curriculum.

• For information from DirectGov on secondary level education: Click here

When a child reaches Year 9 at secondary school, they will choose subjects for their GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education; a national examination, the results for which are posted in schools at the end of August every year). For information on the choices in Year 9, see the Directgov website.

Normally children take up to nine GCSEs. Pupils are then able to decide whether they would like to carry on with their education and study for A Level (Advanced Level) exams. Around 320,000 teenagers take the exams every year. They normally opt for three or four subjects.

• For further information from DirectGov on secondary education: Click here

The school years in state schools are categorised as follows

Children are assessed at the end of three key stages to measure a child's progress and parents receive a report stating the level at which the child is working.

• For further information on assessments and tests: Click here

Attending School in the UK

School terms and holiday dates are decided by local authority or the school's governing body. Independent schools decide their own term dates.

In general it is not acceptable to take children out of school during term time for family holidays. Permission is required and may be granted for up to ten days in a school year if there are special circumstances.

• For school term dates for local schools: Click here

The Enrolment Process

Children have to go to the school nearest their home (in their catchment area), though there is usually more than one choice. Parents must apply to the school to ensure their child gets a place.

• To find a local school: Click here

In order to apply, send an application form, which can be downloaded from the local authority's website, or obtained by going to the council's offices.

Before submitting an application, parents must be sure that they meet the criteria for the school. For example, if the school is popular the admissions criteria will be more stringent.

• For more information from DirectGov on schools admission criteria: Click here

The deadline for an application depends on the individual authorities, but is generally in the autumn term a year before the child is due to start.

• For information on applying for a place in school: Click here

Vaccinations Required

There are no laws stipulating that children must be vaccinated before they start school in the UK. However, it is highly recommended that they follow the advised course of vaccinations throughout their childhood.

• The NHS website has information on which injections they should have and at what age: Click here

Lunch-time and After-school Provisions

Most children eat at school, and they normally have the choice of eating at the school canteen or taking a packed lunch from home. Children from low-income families are eligible for free school lunches.

• For more information on school lunches: Click here

Most local authorities, but not all, offer a number of possibilities for before and after school services to help parents that work. The provision of service is by no means uniform, and depends on the individual local authority. Services are usually paid for by the parent, and most are set up at schools. However, they can also be provided by private or voluntary after-school clubs, daycare nurseries and child minders. For more information, contact the local council authorities in the area of residence.

Uniforms

All pupils in schools across the UK are required to wear a uniform. The governing body of each school decides on the uniform policy, and it is the headteacher's responsibility to make sure the pupils follow the rules. The uniforms are usually quite standard, for example grey trousers, white shirts and V-neck jumpers for boys, and grey skirts for girls. They can usually be bought at local supermarkets. Separate clothing for sports is also required.

International Schools

There are a number of international schools in the UK which offer the International Baccalaureate programmes that prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. There is also a European School in Oxfordshire, called Culham European School, which was set up for the dependents of European Economic Community employees working in that area, although others are welcome on a fee-paying basis. In addition, there are a number of American schools which offer a curriculum and social environment similar to that found in the United States as well as French, German, Spanish and Swedish schools in London.

For more information, see:

• Culham European School
• The Good Schools Guide
• The Good Schools Guide International

Higher Education

About one third of young people go on to higher education at age 18, and there are approximately 1.8 million students currently enrolled in the UK higher education system. There is also an increasing number of mature students studying either full-time or part-time for university degrees.

Undergraduate degrees take three years to complete in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while at Scottish universities they require four years of study. At the graduate level, a master's degree is normally earned in a single year, a research master's degree takes two years and a doctoral degree is often completed in three years. Professional courses, such as medicine, veterinary medicine, law and teaching, are usually undertaken as five-year undergraduate degrees.

To apply for a university course, students must complete an UCAS application form.

• For more information and to obtain an application form: Click here

University education is not free, with most courses costing approximately £3,000 a year. On top of this, most students have to pay for accommodation and living expenses. However there are grants and aid available to certain students. Foreign students pay considerably more, from between £4,000-18,000, depending on the type of course and the university.

• For a guide to tuition fees, see the Universities UK website

• The Directgov website has information on tuition fees and other expenses: Click here

Schools in Scotland

Scotland has its own education framework, separate from that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Children have seven years of primary education and four years of compulsory secondary education. At age 15 to 16, students may take the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE), the equivalent to GCSEs. Instead of A Levels, they can then take Highers two years after the SCE; this is usually the entry qualification for university.

For more information about Scotland's education system: Click here