UK
...The education system in England
of both. This can mean that parents will move house to secure a place at what they believe to be a better school. Parents will sometimes move into an area to secure a school place and then move back out once the child has started at the chosen school. Even newly married couples may base their decision about where to buy their first home on proximity to popular schools.
Kent College Canterbury
grammar schools, which choose the pupils with the highest marks, regardless of where they live. Many secondary
schools
If parents decide to move their child before he or she has started secondary education, a major factor in their choice of school will be what they want the child to learn, how the child will be examined and what qualifications will be awarded at the end of school. England’s examinations and qualifications system is organised by levels of learning. Within these levels, there are many recognised qualifications and different schools support different systems. The government is backing numerous systems within state schools, widening choice but also adding to the confusion. However, although there are numerous options, a student in an English school will typically study for GCSEs between the ages of 14 and 16, and then A Levels between the ages of 16 and 19. There are further post-16 options in some schools – for example, the BTEC Diploma and vocational qualifications such as the NVQ and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, which is now quite widely available in state and independent schools.
provide children with the
opportunity to remain at school for a further two years to study for their A Levels or the International Baccalaureate (IB). In England, until the age of 18, children must either remain in full-time education, enrol in an apprenticeship or traineeship, or work or volunteer (for 20 hours or more a week) while in part-time education or training. There are exceptions to this rule. In some areas, children attend first (up to age nine), middle (ages nine to 13) and high (ages 13 and above) schools. Many local councils operating this three-tier system have plans to adapt their age ranges to the new Key Stage system introduced in 1998, so it seems that this system is gradually being phased out.
SECURING A PLACE
Places at state primary and secondary schools can sometimes be difficult to secure, and this can prove stressful for parents. Places at non-grammar state schools are generally awarded on whether a child already has a sibling at the school, how far away from the school the family lives, or a combination
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The Pre-U was introduced into independent schools and sixth forms in 2008, and the International GCSE (IGCSE) was recently accredited for study.
GCSE
The GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is the main school-leaving qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Scotland operates an independent system of National qualifications). It is generally well regarded by higher- education institutions and employers for its rigour and breadth of study.
However, in recent years, the examination system has come under attack for failing to address grade inflation and placing a heavy reliance on resits and modular coursework assessment. The government has responded by introducing a comprehensive programme of GCSE reforms, which are being rolled out in a phased approach until 2019.
GCSEs are currently available in around 50 subjects and are usually studied full time at school or college, taking five terms to complete. The qualification mainly involves studying the theory of a subject, combined with some investigative work. Some subjects, such as Science, also involve practical work.
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