UNITED KINGDOM
...The education system in England INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Independent schools charge fees rather than receiving funding from the government. These schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum but must be registered with the government and are inspected on a regular basis, either by Ofsted or by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The independent sector ranges from elite schools, such as
Eton College, to more mainstream independent schools that charge lower fees. While the clear advantage of a state education in England is that it is free, many believe that an independent-school education is worth the expense. The smaller class size is a clear attraction, with children gaining more one-to-one contact with the teacher and potentially achieving higher grades than they would at a state school.
Using money from the fees, independent schools are able to offer a wide range of extracurricular resources and activities to encourage children to discover new talents. Many independent schools also provide before-school and after-school childcare for working families with younger children. Kent College Canterbury is an independent day and
boarding school for boys and girls aged from three to 18. Its extended school day gives every pupil the opportunity to discover a new passion. The list of clubs, activities and societies available at the end of the school day ranges from Art Club to yoga. The school has its own working farm, located on the campus, with a wide range of livestock. Kent College Young Farmers’ Club is open to all pupils, and there is a dedicated equine centre for pupils who wish to ride.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
There is a variety of international schools to choose from in England. While these are a clear choice for non-English-speaking families relocating from abroad, they are also popular with English families whose children have attended international schools in other countries and have now returned to England. International schools charge fees. Some are single sex, and some are faith schools. They offer a varied curriculum, ranging from the US and French systems to the International Baccalaureate
(IB). International schools do not select
their pupils on ability but base their decisions on previous school records.
THE ACADEMIC YEAR England’s academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August. It is divided into six terms, which range in duration
from around five to seven weeks. Generally, there are two weeks of holiday at Christmas and Easter, and a six-week holiday in the summer. Each term is broken up by a week’s holiday known as ‘half term’.
Thus, there are around 39 weeks of schooling in each
academic year. The school holidays are often longer for independent schools than for state-funded ones.
GOING TO NURSERY Funding for a place at a nursery in England begins
at the start of the term following the child’s third birthday. However, many children begin nursery while they are still only two years old, at their parents’ expense. Children aged between three and four are entitled to
570 hours of free childcare or early-years education per year; this is usually broken down as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year. Working parents often choose to send their children to nursery or a childminder for longer than the subsidised 15 hours a week, at an extra cost to themselves.
STARTING SCHOOL
Children are entitled to a place in a state school from the September after their fourth birthday. Those born in September will thus be nearly five when they start school, while those born in August will not turn five until the end of their first year at school. This first year is called reception, and here the children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) that they will have begun at nursery. Children enter Year 1 in their second year of school and move into Key Stage 1.
The English system is broken into Key Stages: Key Stage 1 for children in Years 1 and 2 (primary/infant school) and Key Stage 2 for children in Years 3–6 (primary/junior school). Many primary schools in England cater for children from reception through to Year 6 in one school, while others are broken into two schools – infant school for reception to Year 2 and junior school for Years 3–6.
MOVING TO SECONDARY SCHOOL Children start secondary school in Year 7 as they enter Key
Stage 3 (Years 7–9). Key Stage 4, for children in Years 10 and 11 (preparing for GCSEs), follows. By law, children in England must stay in full-time education until their 16th birthday. Most secondary schools are coeducational, but there are a handful of single-sex secondary schools, such as performing-arts schools for girls and sports academies for boys. State secondary schools in England are either selective (grammar) or non-selective (comprehensive, city technology
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