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... Education
systems in UK
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Education systems in the
UK have evolved over
hundreds of years, and
are subject to rigorous
quality standards.
Here's how it works.
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Education in the UK is
compulsory for everyone
between the ages of five
and sixteen, and is
provided by two kinds of
schools: state-funded
schools and independent
(fee-charging) schools.
The UK has two distinct
systems of courses and
qualifications: one for
England, Wales and
Northern Ireland, and
one for Scotland, each
compatible with the
other.
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UK
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Pre-school or pre-preparatory education
Pre-school education is
available in both the
independent and the
state systems. Many
children start their
education at the age of
three or four at a
nursery school or in the
nursery class at a
primary school.
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Preparatory education
In the independent
system, preparatory (or
primary) education is
available for children
aged five to thirteen.
Many international
students enter at the
age of seven, often as
boarders, and then
transfer to a secondary
school in the
independent system when
they are either eleven
or thirteen.
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Primary education
Most UK children enter
the state education
system when they go to
primary school at the
age of five and
generally move to
secondary school or
college at the age of
eleven.
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Secondary education (including GCSEs and equivalents)
All UK secondary
schools, both state and
independent, teach
pupils at least until
the age of sixteen and
prepare them for GCSEs
or equivalent
qualifications.
Significant numbers of
international students
enter the UK secondary
education system when
they are either eleven
or thirteen. Many attend
independent boarding
schools.
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Post-sixteen education (including A-levels and
equivalents)
After completing
compulsory education at
the age of sixteen,
students may legally
leave school and start
work. Most, however,
study A-levels or
equivalent
qualifications as
sixth-form students in a
school, sixth-form
college or college of
further education.
International students
often enter the
education system at this
point, e.g. taking an
A-level course in
preparation for further
or higher education in
the UK.
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Post-eighteen education
Sixth-formers usually
finish their secondary
education at the age of
eighteen with A-levels
or equivalent
qualifications, then go
on to study at either
further or higher
education level.
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Further
education (FE)
(including
career based
courses and some
degree courses)
This is the term
used to describe
education and
training that
takes place
after the
school-leaving
age of sixteen.
Over six hundred
FE colleges,
both
state-funded and
independent,
offer a very
wide range of
programmes,
including
English language
courses, some
GCSEs, A-levels
and other
equivalents,
career based
courses, access
courses and some
degree courses.
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Higher education
(HE) (including
degree courses,
postgraduate
programmes and
MBAs) This is
the term used to
describe the
education and
training that
takes place at
universities,
colleges and
institutes
offering studies
at degree level
and higher. The
UK has over
ninety
universities and
more than fifty
HE colleges
offering a wide
range of
courses, most of
which lead to
degrees or
equivalent
qualifications,
postgraduate
qualifications
or MBAs.
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Further reading: http://www.educationuk.org
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