Chinese UK Study Company Limited

UK Education System

England

Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 16. Students may then continue their secondary studies for a further two years (sixth form), leading most typically to an A level qualification, although other qualifications and courses exist, including Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications and the International Baccalaureate.

Students take the GCSE examinations at around 15-16 years old. After that, they will receive two years "sixth-form" education at 16-18 years old.

For Tier 4 (Child) students visa reasons, all International students between 4 and 15 years old may only be educated at independent fee paying schools. Tier 4 (Child) students cannot study at publicly funded schools. The only publicly funded education providers that can teach Tier 4 (Child) students are publicly funded further education college which are able to charge for international students.

Northern Ireland

Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though it is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it is to Scotland. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education unlike England and Wales where it is the 1 September. Northern Ireland's results at GCSE and A-Level are consistently top in the UK. At A-Level, one third of students in Northern Ireland achieved A grades in 2007, compared with England and Wales.

Scotland

Scottish education system is distinctly different from other parts of the United Kingdom.

Traditionally, the Scottish system at secondary school level has emphasized breadth across a range of subjects, while the English, Welsh and Northern Irish systems have emphasised greater depth of education over a smaller range of subjects.

Following this, Scottish universities generally have courses a year longer (typically 4 years) than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK, though it is often possible for students to take more advanced specialised exams and join the courses at the second year. One unique aspect is that the ancient universities of Scotland issue a Master of Arts as the first degree in humanities.

Progression in Qualifications

S3 and S4 S5 S6

Standard Grade (Foundation level) or Access 3 Intermediate 1 Intermediate 2

Standard Grade (General level) or Intermediate 1 Intermediate 2 Higher

Standard Grade (Credit level) or Intermediate 2 Higher Advanced Higher

The vast majority of Scottish pupils take Scottish Qualifications Certificate qualifications provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Generally, most pupils take Standard Grades (but some schools offer Intermediates instead) in S3-S4, and Highers in S5. For those who wish to remain at school for the final year (S6), more Highers and Advanced Highers (formerly CSYS) in S6 can be taken. Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 qualifications - were intended to be roughly equivalent to General and Credit Level Standard Grades respectively, but in practice, Intermediate 1 is easier than General, and Intermediate 2 harder than Credit - can also be taken in lieu of any of the aforementioned qualifications.

Pupils can go to university at the end of S5, as Highers provide the entry requirements for Scottish universities where degrees are normally four years long; however, recently it is more common for students to remain until S6, taking further Highers and/or taking Advanced Highers.

All educational qualifications in Scotland are part of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications

A small number of students at certain private, independent schools may follow the English system and study towards GCSE instead of Standard Grades, and towards A and AS-Levels instead of Higher Grade and Advanced Higher exams. The International Baccalaureate has also been introduced in some independent schools.

Wales

Education in Wales differs in certain respects from education elsewhere in the United Kingdom. For example, a significant number of students all over Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh: in 2008/09, 22 per cent of classes in maintained primary schools used Welsh as the sole or main medium of instruction. Welsh medium education is available to all age groups through nurseries, schools, colleges and universities and in adult education; lessons in the language itself are compulsory for all pupils until the age of 16.

Comparison

The table below lists rough equivalences with the year system in the rest of the United Kingdom. Please note that the years are approximate as a school year is defined differently in the separate systems:

Age
England & Wales

as at 31 Aug

Northern Ireland

as at 30 June

Scotland

as at 28 February

3 Nursery (FS)

4 Reception (FS) Primary 1 (FS) Primary 1

5 Year 1 (KS1) Primary 2 (FS) Primary 2

6 Year 2 (KS1) Primary 3 (KS1) Primary 3

7 Year 3 (KS2) Primary 4 (KS1) Primary 4

8 Year 4 (KS2) Primary 5 (KS2) Primary 5

9 Year 5 (KS2) Primary 6 (KS2) Primary 6

10 Year 6 (KS2) Primary 7 (KS2) Primary 7

11 Year 7 (KS3) Year 8 (KS3) S1 (1st Year)

12 Year 8 (KS3) Year 9 (KS3) S2 (2nd Year)

13 Year 9 (KS3) Year 10 (KS3) S3 (3rd Year)

14 Year 10 (KS4 GCSE) Year 11 (KS4 GCSE) S4 (4th Year)

15 Year 11 (KS4 GCSE) Year 12 (KS4 GCSE) S5 (5th Year)

16 Year 12 (L6 AS Level) Year 13 (L6 AS Level) S6 (6th Year)

17 Year 13 (U6 / A Level) Year 14 (U6 A Level)