EDUCATION SYSTEM IN UK

THE SCOOL YEAR

The school year runs from September to July and is divided into three terms (semesters).

a)     The autumn term (Fall) runs from September to Christmas.

b)     The Spring term runs from January to Easter.

c)      The Summer term runs from April to July.

The PHASES of education

Establishments	Age Range
Pre-School Nurseries	Under 5
Primary Schools	5-11
Secondary Schools	11-16 or 11-18 (19)
Sixth Form Colleges	16-18 (19)
Further Education Colleges	Over 16
Special Schools	3-18

All children and young people between the age of 5 and 16 must get full-time education.    

Over 90 per cent of all school children attend state or public schools, and some others attend private or independent schools.

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

Ø  State/ public school -> by government, free-paying.

Ø  Independent/ private school -> by private and church, fee paying.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Children with special educational needs are educated in ordinary schools, wherever possible. Other children attend day and boarding special schools. Schools and colleges provide careers education and guidance through careers coordinators.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

The National Curriculum defines four key stages, and ten statutory subjects:

1)     key stage 1 age 5-7 (infants)

2)     key stage 2 age 7-11 (juniors)

3)     key stage 3 age 11-14 (PRE-GCSE)

4)     key stage 4 age 14-16 (preparation for GCSE)

The three "core" subjects are English, mathematics and science and there are seven other "foundation" subjects - information technology, history, geography, music, art, physical education and modern foreign languages (in Wales Welsh is also a core or foundation subject).

Qualification

Ø  The main qualification taken by secondary pupils at around the age of 16 is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).

Ø  The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced (A) level is normally taken after other two years of study in two or three subjects.

Ø  The new type of vocational qualification, General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ), in which provide pupils an alternative to the more traditional GCEs and A levels.

Higher education

Higher education institutions include universities, teacher training colleges and other colleges of technology, art, and profession allied to medicine.

British universities can be divided into three groups:

1)     Oxford (1167) and Cambridge (1229).

2)     Redbrick universities.

3)     Universities opened in 20th century.

Students, who start to study at university, are called "undergraduates", and those who do not want to study at universities can be trained in some training courses (in nursing, secretaries, banking, accountancy, manufacturing or service industry).