Education in the UK

The school education system in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is divided into three stages:

• Primary education
  • Pre Prep is also known as Infants – Reception class, Year 1 and Year 2 (4 to 7 years old)
  • Prep is also known as Juniors – Year 3 to Year 6 (7 to 11 years old)
• Secondary education
  • Seniors – Year 7 to Year 11 (11 to 16 years old)
• Further education
  • Year 12 and Year 13 also known as Sixth Form or Lower and Upper Sixth (16 years old to 18 years old).

The United Kingdom is renowned for its excellent educational system and its high standard universities. To graduate from a British school or university is a fantastic ticket for a successful career in the UK or anywhere else in the world.

You may wish to study and improve your English or enroll onto a wide variety of courses and qualifications open to overseas students.

Education is important in the UK. Children must attend school from the age of 5 to 16 years old. From 2015, all young people in England will be required to participate in education and/or training up to the age of 18. Then they move to secondary school where at the age of sixteen they sit the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). These important exams test their knowledge in subjects under the national curriculum. After taking GCSEs students may leave secondary schooling, may go on to further education colleges (typically for vocational or technical courses) or may continue on an academic track and prepare for admission into university. Students continuing on an academic track take a higher level of secondary school exams known as A-Levels (short for Advanced level) after a further two years of study at a secondary school, sixth form college or further education college.

After high school or college, many students decide to go to University where they will be studying for three or four years in order to obtain their degree.

Fees

Most school children receive free education whilst others attend independent fee paying schools.

Students need to pay to attend University. The fees vary from one University to another and overseas students are required to pay higher tuition fees. Students may have the option to obtain a scholarship or take out a student loan.

Term

The school year is 39 weeks long and is divided into six terms. It usually starts in September and ends in July.

The University year usually starts in September/October and ends in May/June.

The main holidays are at Christmas, Easter and Summer.