Education in 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 (inclusive). 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. The leaving age for compulsory education was raised to 18 by the Education and Skills Act 2008. The change will take effect in 2013 for 17 year olds and 2015 for 18 year olds. State-provided schools are free of charge to students, and there is also a tradition of independent schooling, but parents may choose to educate their children by any suitable means.

The table below describes the most common patterns for schooling in the state sector in England:

Primary education

Primary education in England is normally conducted through Infant and Junior schools or a combined Primary school.In general, the cut-off point for ages is the end of August, so all children must be of a particular age on the 1st of September in order to begin class that month.

• Primary Education
• Infant School or Primary School
  • Reception, age 4 to 5
  • Year 1, age 5 to 6
  • Year 2, age 6 to 7 (KS1 National Curriculum Tests - England only)
• Junior School or Primary School
• Year 3, age 7 to 8
• Year 4, age 8 to 9
• Year 5, age 9 to 10
• Year 6, age 10 to 11 (Eleven plus exams in some areas of England, Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests)

Secondary education

Secondary Education

• Middle School, High School or Secondary School
  • Year 7, old First Form, age 11 to 12
  • Year 8, old Second Form, age 12 to 13
  • Year 9, old Third Form, age 13 to 14 (Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Tests, known as SATs (Standard Assessment Tests))
• Upper School or Secondary School
  • Year 10, old Fourth Form, age 14 to 15
  • Year 11, old Fifth Form, age 15 to 16 (old O Level examinations, modern GCSE examinations)
• Upper School, Secondary School, or Sixth Form College
  • Year 12 or Lower Sixth, age 16 to 17 (AS-level examinations)
  • Year 13 or Upper Sixth, age 17 to 18 (A2-level examinations. Both AS-levels and A2-levels count towards A-levels .)

In some regions of England, pupils attend a Lower (Primary) School before going to, a Middle School between 8 and 12 or, more commonly 9 and 13, and then a High School or Upper School. Other, more vocational qualifications offered including GNVQs and BTECs .

                                    

Further Education

Students at both state schools and independent schools take the GCSE examinations, which mark the end of compulsory education. Above school leaving age, the independent and state sectors are similarly structured. In the 16-18 age group, "sixth-form" education is not compulsory.
Students will typically study in either the Sixth Form of a School, a Sixth form college, or a further education college. These courses can also be studied by adults over 18. This sector is referred to as Further Education. All 16-18 students are encouraged (this is only mandatory in some institutions) to study Key Skills in Communication, Application of Number and Information Technology.


Higher education

Students normally enter University from 18 onwards and study for an Academy degree. All undergraduate education outside the private University of Buckingham is largely state financed, with a small contribution from top-up fees. The state does not control syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures. Unlike most degrees, the state still has control over teaching training courses, and uses Ofsted inspectors to maintain standards.

The typical first degree offered at British universities is the Bachelor's degree (typically three years). Many institutions now offer an undergraduate Master's degree as a first degree, typically lasting four years. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates. The difference in fees between undergraduate and traditional postgraduate Master's degrees (and the possibility of securing LEA funding for the former) makes taking an undergraduate Master's degree as a first degree a more attractive option, although the novelty of undergraduate Master's degrees means that the relative educational merit of the two is currently unclear.

Some universities offer a vocationally-based Foundation degree, typically two years in length for those students who hope to continue to take a first degree but wish to remain in employment.

Postgraduate education

Students who have completed a first degree are eligible to undertake a postgraduate degree, which includes:

• Master's degree (typically taken in one year)
• Doctorate degree (typically taken in three years)

Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the State, and so admission is in practice highly competitive.