Education system in the UK

Prof.Asoc.Dr. Iris Klosi

The education system in the UK is divided into four main parts, primary education, secondary
education, further education and higher education.
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.
The education system in the UK is also split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows:
Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old
Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old
Generally key stages 1 and 2 will be undertaken at primary school and at 11 years old a student
will move onto secondary school and finish key stages 3 and 4.
Students are assessed at the end of each stage. The most important assessment occurs at age 16
when students pursue their GCSE's or General Certificate of Secondary Education. Once students
complete their GCSE's they have the choice to go onto further education and then potential
higher education, or finish school and go into the working world.
The education system in the UK is divided into four main sections:
Primary Education
Primary education begins in the UK at age 5 and continues until age 11, comprising key stages one and two under the UK educational
system.
Secondary Education
From age 11 to 16, students will enter secondary school for key stages three and four and to start their move towards taking the
GCSE's. Primary and secondary education is mandatory in the UK; after age 16, education is optional.
Further Education
Once a student finishes secondary education they have the option to extend into further education to take their A-Levels (academic
qualifications-5 to 6 modules; years), GNVQ's (general national vocational qualifications) , BTEC's (Business and Technology Education
Council)or other such qualifications. UK students planning to go to college or university must complete further education.
Higher Education
Probably the most important subject area on this site, this explains more about the higher education system in the UK and how it
works for international students. Most international students will enter directly into the UK higher education system, after
completing their home country’s equivalent to the UK’s “further education.”
UK Degree Online
With online programs growing in popularity, this means the availability of top-notch online programs is also on the rise. If you want
to obtain a UK accredited degree without having to relocate to the United Kingdom, choosing to study online is a good option.
Getting a UK accredited degree online allows students to fit their studies into their schedule and save money on travel costs while
having access to a variety of top programs.

Entry Requirements
Each level of education in the UK has varying requirements which must be satisfied in order to gain entry at that level.
 Compulsory Education in the UK
Key Stage 1
This stage includes pupils at the primary school aged 5 to 7 years old. Basically, during the key stage 1, kids are
introduced to some of the most basic knowledge on subjects like the English language, Mathematics, History,
Physical Education, Geography, History and Music.
During the first year of this stage, the structure of the curriculum contains the Phonic screening, a short assessment
of kids’ ability to decode and understand phonics properly.
Typically, the student will speak loudly to his teacher a list of 40 words. At the end of this stage (same as in each of
them), these pupils will sit for an examination aiming to measure their development in English, Maths and Science.
Key Stage 2
Between 7 to 11 years pupils will be in the second Key Stage of the compulsory education. Now the curriculum
aims to move them further in gaining a bit more knowledge on core subjects. At the end of this stage, they will be
tested in the following subjects
English reading
English grammar, punctuation and spelling
Mathematics
Science
In English and Mathematics, the testing will be done through national assessment tests, while the teacher will
independently assess the level of improvement of each student in Science.
 Key Stage 3
Pupils aged 11 to 14 are in the third stage of compulsory education. To a certain degree, this period of their education is very important because
only a few years later they will sit for the GCSE national qualification. The curriculum during this stage of education will also contain new subjects
at which students are supposed to get some basic knowledge before moving any further in the upcoming stages of education. The subjects
learned in Key Stage 3 are English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Art and Design, Music, Physical Education, Modern Foreign
Languages, Design and Technology and Computing. At the end of the Key Stage 3, some students may take their GCSE or other national
qualifications.
Key Stage 4
The final stage of the compulsory education, the Key Stage 4 lasts from the age of 14 to 16. This is the most common period of time for students
to undertake the national assessment tests that will lead them to take a GCSE or other national qualifications.
The compulsory national curriculum at this stage contains the “core” and “foundation” subjects.
These are the “core” subjects taught at the Key Stage 4:
English
Mathematics
Science
And these are the “foundation” subjects taught at the Key Stage 4:
Computing
Physical Education
Citizenship
Additionally, schools in UK are obliged to offer one of the following subjects during this stage of education
Arts
Design and Technology
Humanities
Modern Foreign Languages
 The Higher Education System in the United Kingdom
In particular, the UK higher education is valued all over the world for its renowned standards and
quality. Its higher education’s prestige also emanates from its graduates’ work afterward. Many
eminent people in many different areas whose work reached global recognition came out of
British universities. Some of these universities and other higher education providers are ranked
at the top among universities in the world. The UK capital city, London, not by accident, is
considered to be the world’s capital city of higher education. With its four universities being
ranked in the world’s top ten, London has the highest number of top worldwide ranked
universities per city.
By definition, the UK higher education is the level of education that follows the secondary school
at the hierarchy of educational system in the UK. When the high school is over, Britons have to sit
in a standard examination, which makes them eligible or not to continue their education in the
higher level of education.
In the UK education system in contrast to the US higher education, there is a difference between
college and university. While in the US there is no distinction between college and university with
most of the people referring to a higher education provider as a college, in the UK this is not the
case. Here, a college is a Further Education institution which prepares its students to earn
degrees, while a university is licensed HE institution so, at the end of it, students will gain a
degree.
 Studying in the UK as an International Student
If you’re an international student, you must point out that not all higher education providers in the UK
are referred to as a university. This issue is regulated by law. As this official regulation states, a higher
education institution can be labeled as a university under these circumstances:
- If it gets an approval by the Privy Council under Further and Higher Education Act 1992
- If it gets an approval under the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.
As an international student coming from countries other than the European Economic Area (EEA) or
Switzerland, you must know that you’ll need a student visa to study in the UK. If you’re aged 16 and
you’re a resident of one of these countries you can apply for a Tier 4 visa (General student), the official
student visa in the UK. Prior to this, you want to make sure you’ll have money to finance your stay there
during your studies. When applying for a visa you’ll need to show you have enough money to cover your
course tuitions and other expenses.
Most undergraduate education in the UK education system (other than the University of Buckingham
and BPP University College, both private institutions) is state-financed with some top-up fees to cover
costs. Those who study in the UK know of the hierarchy within the universities. In the British school
system, there is The Russell Group, which is a network of 24 British public research universities, contains
some of the most prestigious universities in the country. This prestigious group includes universities
such as the University of Birmingham, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and the
University of York. All of these are well-known universities and many people, both citizens of the UK and
international students, aspire to attend university at one of these schools.
 The UK Education System Level of Courses
Based on the actual education regulations in the UK education system, the Higher Education
comprises these levels of courses:
Postgraduate courses that lead to a Doctorate, a Master’s degree (Taught or Research),
Postgraduate diplomas, postgraduate certificates of education (PGCE) and professional degrees.
To enter this level, it is usually required to have a first degree (Bachelor).
Undergraduate courses which include a wide range of first degrees (Bachelor’s): honours and
ordinary degrees, qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, intercalated degrees (first-
degree students in specific study fields may interrupt their ongoing studies and spend a year
studying a field related to their major study subject).
Other undergraduate courses: Foundation degrees, SVQ, NVQ, Higher National Diploma HND (or
equivalent), NHC (or equivalent) etc.
An undergraduate course usually takes 3 years to finish, while Scotland makes an exemption
because it takes 4 years to finish an undergraduate course. The higher education in the UK
education system is having an extended number of universities that are offering 4-year
undergraduate courses, also known as “sandwich courses”. This program includes one year in a
workplace, usually in your third year.
Some British universities offer fast-track programs where you can obtain a Master’s degree at the
undergraduate level. By contrast to traditional undergraduate levels, students in these programs can attend
an additional year of studying instead of taking a Bachelor degree and then admit to a Master program.
Besides, it costs much less than usual 3-year undergraduate courses, it’s normally much intense because
there are shorten holiday breaks and the schedule is heavy.
Some of the more prestigious universities in UK offer postgraduate degrees. If schools offer postgraduate
degrees, they offer Master’s Degrees (typically one year, sometimes two years if your degree is research-
based) and/or Doctorate degrees (three-year degrees). These are only available if you have obtained a
bachelor’s degree at an accredited university (not necessarily one in England).
In the United Kingdom education system, most syllabi are set by the universities which are offering them and
are not controlled by the government or certain British educational institution. The only exception to this is
teacher education programs, which the government has a lot of say over. The British government has
established the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) to maintain those
standards. Most countries have specific regulations for their teachers, so this isn’t any different than studying
teaching in your home country. Because of their strict regulations and high standards for teacher education
programs, the UK is considered to have some of the best teacher education programs in the world.
Even though the syllabi are set by universities, the Office for Fair Access (OfFA) in the British school system,
has a lot of say on the admission procedures of each university. This office was created so that everyone who
wishes to attend university in UK has the ability to do so. They also promote fair access to higher education,
even for those who are attending university as international students. Fair access also includes those of
different cultures, different races, different nationalities, and those who have disabilities.
 UK Tuition Fees and Costs
The reputation of the British higher education goes hand to hand with its costs. Tuition fees may
vary from university to university and in which zone of administration you’re looking at (England,
Scotland, and Wales), so it’s always advisable to check the university’s website before making any
further plan for your studies. For sure, to attend a British university you need a lot of money
packed in, whether you’re a native or not, but since there are many scholarship schemes you can
seek one.
International students are a substantial part of the student population in British universities. The
UK is the second most popular study destination for international students following the US at
the top. If you decide to be one of more than a million foreign students in the US, you’re
definitely one step far from a guaranteed brighter future.
In the end, it must be emphasized that despite being hardly affordable, if you decide to study in
the UK will surely worth the cost. The UK education system and its higher education degrees are
valued by academics and employers all over the world.
Thank you for your
attention!