UK EDUCATION SYSTEM

1. 1.BACKGROUND OF
UK EDUCATION SYSTEM
BY ABDUL HAMEED HAZARA UNIVERSITY

2. the education system in the UK is divided into
four main parts, primary education, secondary
education, further education and higher
education. Children in the UK have to legally
attend primary and secondary education which
runs from about 5 years old until the student is
16 years old.

3. The education system in the UK is also
split into "key stages" which breaks
down as follows:

4. •Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old
•Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
•Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
•Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old

5. •Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old
•Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
•Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
•Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old

6. Primary Education
Primary education begins in the UK at age 5
and continues until age 11, comprising key
stages one and two under the UK educational
system. Please visit the British Council
page for more information on primary
education.

7. Secondary Education
From age 11 to 16, students will enter
secondary school for key stages three and
four and to start their move towards taking the
GCSE's - learn more about secondary
education in the UK and what it will involve.
Primary and secondary education is
mandatory in the UK; after age 16, education
is optional.

8. Further Education
Once a student finishes secondary education
they have the option to extend into further
education to take their A-Levels, GNVQ's,
BTEC's or other such qualifications. UK
students planning to go to college or university
must complete further education.

9. Higher Education
Probably the most important subject area on this
site, this explains more about the higher
education system in the UK and how it works for
international students. Most international students
will enter directly into the UK higher education
system, after completing their home country’s
equivalent to the UK’s “further education.”

10. Entry Requirements
Each level of education in the UK has varying
requirements which must be satisfied in order
to gain entry at that level - learn more about
the education entry requirements for the UK.

11. UK Degree Online
With online programs growing in popularity, this
means the availability of top-notch online
programs is also on the rise. If you want to obtain
a UK accredited degree without having to
relocate to the United Kingdom, choosing to study
online is a good option for you. Getting a UK
accredited degree online allows you to fit your
studies into your schedule and save money on
travel costs while having access to a variety of
top programs.

12. 2. The current
National Curriculum:

13. 1). Primary curriculum:
Format and content
At both Key Stage 1 (Year groups 1–2, pupils
aged 5–7) and Key Stage 2 (Year groups 3–6, pupils
aged 7–11), the primary curriculum continues to
be structured around the subjects as specified in
1988:
• The ‘core subjects’ of English, mathematics
and science, and
• The ‘foundation subjects’ of art and design,
design and technology, geography, history, ICT,
music and physical education.

14. Primary schools must also teach religious
education. They are encouraged, but not
required, to cover appropriate personal, social
and health education (PSHE) and citizenship
topics.

15. Documentation:
The detail of the primary curia statutory Program
of Study—syllabus—for each subject at Key Stage 1
and Key Stage 2.
• A non-statutory Scheme of Work—lesson plans—
for each subject at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
• Non-statutory guidance on timetabling the
primary curriculum, 10 and
• The ‘Big Picture of the Curriculum’ framework,
which links the curriculum to other aspects of school
life.11culum is set out in the following
documentation:

16. 2). Secondary curriculum:
The new secondary curriculum is distinctive in being
underpinned by a set of statutory aims. The aims state
that the secondary curriculum should enable young
people to become:
• Successful learners who enjoy learning, make
progress and achieve;
• Confident individuals who are able to live safe,
healthy and fulfilling lives, and
• Responsible citizens who make a positive
contribution to society.

17. 2). Secondary curriculum:
The new secondary curriculum is distinctive in being
underpinned by a set of statutory aims. The aims state that
the secondary curriculum should enable young people to
become:
• Successful learners who enjoy learning, make
progress and achieve;
• Confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy
and fulfilling lives, and
• Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution
to society.

18. The subjects included in the secondary curriculum remain
broadly the same as those in the primary curriculum. At Key
Stage 3 (Year groups 7–9, pupils aged 11–14) pupils also study
citizenship and modern foreign languages. At Key Stage 4 (Year
groups 10–11, pupils aged 14–16) pupils study English,
mathematics, science, citizenship, ICT and physical education.
Alongside this they must be able to take at least one subject
from each of the four entitlement areas of arts subjects, design
and technology, humanities and modern foreign languages. In
addition, at Key Stages 3 and 4 schools must teach religious
education, sex and relationship education, drugs education and
careers education. At Key Stage 4 they must also provide work-
related learning.

19. Key Stage 3 tests in English, mathematics and
science were discontent 2008, though teacher
assessment remains in place for these pupils.
At Key Stage 4 pupils sit GCSE or equivalent
examinations.

20. Where and when
the National Curriculum applies
It is organized on the basis of four key
stages, as shown here.

21. Key Stages 1 Key Stages 2 Key Stages 3 Key Stages 4
Age 5-7 7-11 11-14 14-16
Year groups 1-2 3-6 7-9 10-11
English
Mathematics
Science
Information & communication
Technology
History
Geography
Modern Foreign Languages
Art & Design
Music
Physical Education
Citizenship
It is organized on the basis of four key stages, as shown here.

22. The structure of
the National Curriculum:

23. For each subject and for each key stage,
programs of study set out what pupils
should be taught, and attainment targets
set out the expected standards of pupils’
performance. It is for schools to choose
how they organize their school curriculum
to include the programs of study.

24. Programs of study:
The programs of study2 set out what pupils should be taught
in each subject at each key stage, and provide the basis for
planning schemes of work. When planning, schools should also
consider the four general teaching requirements (pages 30–40)
that apply across the programs of study.
The national frameworks for teaching literacy and
mathematics published by the DfEE, and the exemplar schemes of
work jointly published by the DfEE and QCA, show how the
programs of study and the attainment targets can be translated
into practical, manageable teaching plans.

25. Teacher education
It is hard to argue with the statement that
the most important people in society are the
teachers. Teachers are responsible for the
children, who are precious to the parents and
who represent the future of the country. If
you are interested in becoming a teacher in
the United Kingdom, then you will want to
read this article. This article describes the
training necessary to become a teacher in the
United Kingdom.

26. Exciting Opportunity
Becoming a teacher in the United Kingdom
is an exciting opportunity. Not only is it a
very beautiful, historic and legendary place
to teach, but it can also be a lot of fun.
There is ample opportunity to talk to others
who have become teachers in the United
Kingdom in order to discuss their
experience and see whether it sounds like
something that would be for you.

27. Exciting Opportunity
Becoming a teacher in the United
Kingdom is an exciting opportunity. Not
only is it a very beautiful, historic and
legendary place to teach, but it can also
be a lot of fun. There is ample
opportunity to talk to others who have
become teachers in the United Kingdom
in order to discuss their experience and
see whether it sounds like something
that would be for you.

28. Leadership
Opportunities
After you have taught in the United Kingdom for awhile,
you will have plenty of chances to assume a leadership role
in education. For instance, you could become a faculty
head, a department head or a curriculum head. The
position of utmost responsibility in a school in the United
Kingdom is that of Headteacher, which is a title and role
much akin to that of Principal. There is special training
available for those who want to become a Headteacher.
That program is titled The National Professional
Qualification for Headship program. Anyone can become a
Headteacher in the United Kingdom with planning, training,
patience and preparation.

29. examination System in
UK

30. United Kingdom is a traditional country and
people are sincere and conscious towards
everything. Same is with education. It is the most
examination conscious country in the world, and
their examination patterns have set a benchmark
for many countries. The main examinations are
11Plus examination, GCE O Level, GCE A level,
CSE and Higher Education.

31. •11 Plus: This is the most important examination in the
UK conducted by the LEAs. As the name suggests it is
held at the age of 11plus. The basic purpose of this
exam is to allocate students to the three types of
school – (tripartite). It contains Intelligence tests in
English and Arithmetic, and standardized tests, and
predictive tests. This was the most popular test till
recently but has now come under severe criticism.
Hence the 13 plus examination is gaining popularity. It
is a common entrance examination to different public
schools and includes English, Maths, History,
geography and French. It is more flexible compared to
the rigid 11 plus exam.

32. •The General Certificate of
Secondary Examination –
This is another most important and
popular examination in the UK. It has
two levels – O –Ordinary and A-
Advanced

33. O-Level is conducted at the age of 16+ after taking a
course of 5 years in a secondary school. Some
exceptional and gifted children may take it at 15+ ages
also. Earlier this was meant for grammar school
students, but now all students take it. The O-level exam
is the qualifying exam for the A-level. This is almost like
the Class X exam in India, the major difference being
that there is one compulsory paper, and minimum of just
1 subject and maximum 9 subjects to be chosen out of
80 subjects. O-level exam evaluates the depth of
knowledge and questions are generally
objective. Grading is on 1-6 and rated from Excellent (1)
to very bad (6)

34. A-Level
The advanced level examination is conducted at the
age of 18+ after completion of 2 years in any secondary
school. This is a terminal (last) examination for
secondary education. Most universities admit students
on the basis of the performance in the A-level exam
except Oxford and Cambridge which have their own
admission tests. For A level students have to select any
five subjects out of a list of 60subjects. The five should
comprise of at least 3 electives or ‘special subjects and
2 non-special subjects. The papers consist of a balance
of objective, short answer and essay type answers.

35. The standards of this exam are very high and
students are expected to have thorough
knowledge and understanding of the
subjects. Less emphasis is given to
memorization or rote learning. It also includes
art, music, domestic sciences, technical and
commercial subjects etc. The results are
graded from A to E. It is the stepping stone to
higher education.

36. There are now five examination boards offering
GCSEs:
•Assessment and Qualifications Alliance(AQA)
•Oxford, Cambridge and RSA
Examinations(OCR)
•Edexcel (Edexcel – London Examinations)
•Welsh Joint Education Committee(WJEC)
•Council for the Curriculum, Examinations &
Assessment(CCEA)

37. 3.Certificate of Secondary Examination
(CSE)
The CSE was introduced in 1965. There are
14 regional examination boards controlled and
represented by teachers. In this, schools
prepare their own syllabi and conduct their
own examinations. However, the papers are
marked by the Boards. The schools can opt
one out of the three modes of assessing
students

38. • External examination – with boards
syllabus prescribed by the regional
boards
•External examination –framed by a
group of schools
•Examination based on syllabus
provided by schools, moderated by the
boards, and marked by the schools.
(autonomous)

39. The CSE is open to any student of any
school who has completed 5 years of
secondary education. Like the GCE it is a
single subject exam and grading is done
from 1 to 5. A student passing with grade
‘1’ is considered to have passed the GCE
O level.

40. 4.Examination at Higher Level
Higher level examinations are held at the end of
every course, and generally cover essay type
questions. It is a high standard test which is serious
and critical. It tests the intellectual and critical
reasoning and thinking abilities of the students.
Universities award degree on passing prescribed
number of papers or submission of thesis on the
approved subjects. The problems of mass copying,
using unfair means etc at examinations, which is a
very common feature in India is absent in UK since
they take the exams very seriously.

41. Planning and management
in uk

42. What the Department for
Education does
The Department for Education is
responsible for children’s services
and education, including early years,
schools, higher and further
education policy, apprenticeships
and wider skills in England.

43. DfE is a ministerial department, supported by 18
agencies and public bodies.
Financing
In 2000 UK education spending was less than £42.7
billion, and education spending was increasing steadily,
year on year, reaching £91.5 billion in 2011. Since then
the education budget has remained steady at about
£85 billion per year. For the year ending March 2019
education spending was £89.4 billion.

44. In terms of Gross Domestic Product UK
education spending was 4.4 percent of
GDP in 2000, and steadily increased as a
percent of GDP till the peak year of 2010
when education spending was 5.8
percent of GDP. Since the Great
Recession, education spending been in
steady decline, descending to 4.4
percent GDP in 2017. For the year
ending March 2019 education spending
was 4.2 percent GDP.