SCHOOL EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN

Children in Britain must attend school from the age of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) until they are 16.
Before the start of formal schooling, many children attend nursery schools or nursery classes
attached to primary schools. In addition, some parents elect to send their children to private (fee-
paying) nursery schools or kindergartens.

What are the different types of secondary school?

Secondary education lasts for another four to six years. Students who are between 12 and 15 years
old are legally required to attend a secondary school in the UK. This stage of compulsory education
is called “lower secondary”.
Upon completing lower secondary, students should be ready to start a job and take up vocational
training, in or outside of the workplace. Or they go on to “upper secondary” or “sixth form”, where
16-year-old to 18-year-old teens prepare for university.
Over 85% of secondary school pupils attend comprehensive schools. These take children of all
abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children in a district
from the age of 11 to 16 or 18.
The curriculum for any secondary school includes all subjects taught in primary education.
Students also have to learn at least one foreign language, take citizenship classes, and attend
personal, social and health education.
Grammar schools offer a mainly academic education for the 11 to 18-year age group. Children
enter grammar schools on the basis of their abilities, first sitting the '11' plus or entrance
examination.
The historical name of many “grammar schools” implies that their idea of secondary education used
to feature a heavy emphasis on Latin and Ancient Greek, with all the grammar lessons these
languages entailed. Today, secondary schools that are still called grammar schools don’t necessarily
teach Latin anymore. However, they often have more rigorous admission standards and selection
criteria than many comprehensive schools.
A small minority of children attend secondary modern schools which provide a more general and
technical education for children aged 11-16.
City Technology Colleges (CTCs) aim to give boys and girls a broad secondary education with a
strong technological and business slant. They are non-fee-paying independent schools, set up by
the Government with the help of business sponsors. There are now 15 such colleges in operation in
England and Wales.
Specialist schools, which only operate in England, give pupils a broad secondary education with a
strong emphasis on technology, languages, arts or sports. There are over 250 specialist schools.
They charge no fees and any secondary school can apply for specialist school status. So, if your
kids are gifted in math and science, or if they have a special talent for music, it makes sense to
choose their secondary school accordingly.
One note, though: Specialist schools are not to be confused with “special schools”. The latter
provide special needs education for children with learning difficulties and other disabilities.

GCSEs and Diplomas

After three years in secondary school, kids are officially assessed by their teachers. Students then
need to choose their subjects for the nationwide GCSE exams. The GCSE is a mandatory
examination at the end of year 11, i.e. the students’ fifth year in secondary school.
Students usually have to take exams in English, Maths, and Science, and they have to choose
classes from the fields of arts, humanities, modern languages, technology, and vocational
studies as well. After passing their GCSEs, students can leave school, attend another two years of
upper secondary, or obtain a Diploma, a new kind of qualification in the UK.
The new British Diploma focuses on practical training, work experience, and a vocational
approach rather than academic studies. It can be taken in 17 different subjects, such as engineering,
IT, or media.
The Diploma is available on four levels with increasing qualifications (foundation / higher /
progression / advanced). Each of these levels is equivalent to a certain number of GCSE or A-level
credit points. However, the qualification was mainly introduced for those teenagers who struggle
with the academic outlook of the “from GCSE to A-levels to university” path. They should benefit
from a more hands-on approach to foster their vocational skills and help them with applying for a
job in the UK.

A-Level Exams

The majority of British students will probably opt for the A-level degree rather than the Diploma.
A-level exams are the main admission requirement for an undergraduate degree at universities in
the UK.
Students prepare for their A-levels during year 12 and 13 in school, the upper secondary stage. For
historical reasons, these last two years of education are still called “sixth form”, or “lower sixth”
and “upper sixth”, in many places.
In year 12, most students study four subjects of their choice: One of them is completed at the end of
that year as an AS level and dropped afterwards. The other three subjects lead up to three full A-
levels after year 13. However, some students may choose to complete four A-levels, despite the
extra workload.
Assessment for grading a student’s A-levels is based on coursework, written exams, and – in some
cases, e.g. art – their practical skills. The selection and number of A-level courses may already
influence a student’s success in applying for university.
Nationwide A-level results are normally published in August. Then students know if they can
indeed attend their university of choice. If they don’t get the necessary grades, they may be forced
to give up their place at university and select a different course.

Why are 'public' schools so called?

The independent school sector is separate from the state educational system, and caters for
some 7% of all schoolchildren in England and 4% in Scotland. Parents of pupils attending
independent schools pay for their education, and in some cases fees can amount to several thousand
pounds a year. Some pupils gain scholarships and their expenses are covered by the schools.
About 250 of the larger independent schools are known for historical reasons as public schools.
Eton, which was founded in 1440, is said to have been the first grammar school to be called a
'public school' because scholars could come to it from any part of England and not, as was generally
the case, just from the immediate neighbourhood. Originally, many public schools stressed a
classical education, character training and sports, but the curriculum is now closely allied to state
education.
Schools in Scotland supported by public funds are also called 'public schools' but they are not
fee-paying, independent schools.