State Education

About 94 % of British school children attend publicly financed state schools, 6 % private schools. 53 % of three and four-year-olds in Britain attend nursery school. 9/10 of all pupils attend comprehensive schools, whilst 1/10 attend the old still existing grammar and secondary modern schools, which involve a selection process at the age of eleven. Compulsory schooling (5-16) is divided up into primary (5-11) and secondary education (11-16/18).
Primary education consists of a two-year Infant School (5-7) and a four-year Junior School (7-11). All primary schools are co-educational.
Secondary education comprises the years 11 to 16, but may also lead up to the age of 18, if the Sixth Form is included. Basically there is only one type of secondary state school left: about 95 % of all British children attending state schools go to:

Comprehensive Schools This school type was initiated by the Labour government in 1966 and was carried on by the Conservatives. Comprehensive Schools are attended by children of all abilities and provide all types of secondary education. Ideally they are non-selective and are attended by all children in a district; classes are mixed-ability. In practice pupils are put into different classes according to ability (e.g. top set and bottom set). Opposition to comprehensive education remains, however, and since the return of a Conservative government in 1979 LEAs are no longer required to abolish selective schools. About 5 % of schoolchildren attending state schoöls are selected at the age of eleven, according to their total school performance, and move on into three types of selective secondary schools: 1. Grammar Schools 'Iheir curriculum is strictly academic, i.e. they prepare children for a university education or for entry into a profession. Some of them are single-sex schools. 2. Secondary Modem Schools They provide general education on a somewhat lower level, including vocational courses. 3. Technical Schools They put greater emphasis on practical and technical preparatory work and stress the more career-oriented subjects. find out more about Aylesbury High (our partner school)

Examinations
Because of the complexity of the British school system and due to recent educational developments a variety of school exams which a child may have to take in his school career can be distinguished.

The National Curriculum
The National Curriculum which was introduced in 1989 in England and Wales, laid down a guide line for a unified educational system from Primary school onwards. Core subjects are English, mathematics, science with religious education, history, geography, technology, music, art, and physical education. At secondary sch.ool a foreign language is included. Attainment targets were laid down stating the knowledge, skills and understanding which were expected at each level. Tests were planned at 7,11, 14 and 16 to assess the level of attainment. Today, tests have been introduced in English, maths and science.
At the age of 16 (after 5 years of secondary education)
- GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is taken by the brighter children. lt is a subject examination with no compulsory subjects, although English, maths and a modern language is normally taken.
- The GNVO (General National Vocational Qualification) has also been introduced, which is a more practical vocational alternative to GCSE. It is run by 5 regional examination groups, but their syllabuses must be validated by the Schools Council. For most subjects, coursework assessment marked by the students` own teachers is an important feature. Grading is from A to G; grade C is generally considered to be a pass. Emphasis is placed on practical work and problem solving rather than on mere factual recall.
At the age of 18 (at the end of the Sixth Form)
- A-level (Advanced level): Normally a student takes 3 A-level subjects; no subject is compulsory, and it is common to take maths plus two sciences or English plus two languages. The grading system is A to E; B is usually required by universities. A-levels take two years of concentrated study with a mock exam in the middle of the final year.
- AS-level (Advanced Supplementary level): This exam, introduced in 1989, provides an opportunity for Sixth- Formers to study a wider range of subjects. It is intended to be of the same academic level as A-level, but includes only 50 % of the content of A-level. It takes half the study time of A-level and counts as half an A-level for university entrance qualifications.
- S-level (Scholarship level): It is an additional paper taken in the same subject as A-level, intended for the, most able students. Questions are very broad, seeking evidence of mature thought rather than mere knowl- edge of facts. lt is taken mainly by Sixth-Formers aim- ing at Oxford or Cambridge, as an alternative to the Colleges' own Entrance Exams.
find more about the National Curriculum

Further Education  
Students who leave school at the age of 16 may continue their education at e.g. a Technical College, a College of Art or an Evening Institute.

Higher Education
Sixth-Formers, after having taken A-levels, may enter a university, a polytechnic or a College of Education at the age of 18. First degree courses usually last 3 or 4 years. The most common titles for the first degree are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc). Postgraduates who are interested in research may, after 1-2 years`study, obtain a Master`s degree or after further years of specialized research a Doctor`s degree.
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Universities
There are approximately 50 universities in Great Britain. Oxford and Cambridge retain their pre-eminence in terms of academic excellence, social standing and international prestige. The main group in terms of student numbers are the so-called "Redbrick" universities, mainly in the major cities (London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham etc.), often founded a century ago by major industrialists. Since the 1950s many new universities have been established, often on a parkland "campus" in or close to historic medium-sized cities like Norwich, Lancaster, Canterbury and York. In the late 60s they tended to be very left-wing, but are now firmly established in the main stream of Higher Education. In addition to the universities, degrees are awarded by polytechnics, whose courses tend to be more oriented toward the needs of industry and commerce. Most polytechnics have nowadays merged with universities in the same town or have become universities in their own right.
Look at a map with all universities in GB
Find out more about London Universities


The Open University
The Open University is a non-residential university which provides study by means of correspondence courses, radio and television programmes. It is "open" to anybody and leads to the BA (Open) and higher degrees.
find more about the Open Universities