.svg) | |
| Department for Education | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of State for Education Minister of State for Skills[1] | Bridget Phillipson Jacqui Smith |
| National education budget (2008–09) | |
| Budget | £62.2 billion[2] |
| General details | |
| Primary languages | English |
| System type | National |
| Compulsory education | 1880 |
| Literacy (2012[3]) | |
| Total | 99% |
| Enrollment | |
| Total | 11.7 million |
| Primary | 4.50 million (in state schools)[4] (2016) |
| Secondary | 2.75 million (up to Year 11 in state schools)[4] (2016) |
| Post secondary | Higher Education: 1,844,095[5] (2014/15) Further Education: 2,613,700[6] (2014/15) Total: 4,457,795 (2014/15) |
| Attainment | |
| Secondary diploma | Level 2 and above: 87.4% Level 3 and above: 60.3% (of 19 year olds in 2015)[7]Level 2 and above: 81.0% Level 3 and above: 62.6% (of adults 19–64 in 2014)[6] |
| Post-secondary diploma | Level 4 and above: 41.0% (of adults 19–64 in 2014)[6] |
Education in England is overseen by theDepartment for Education, a ministerial department of theGovernment of the United Kingdom.Local government authorities are responsible for implementing policy forpublic education andstate-funded schools at a local level. State-funded schools may be selectivegrammar schools or non-selectivecomprehensive schools. All state schools are subject to assessment and inspection by the government departmentOfsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills). England also hasprivate schools (some of which are known aspublic schools) andhome education; legally, parents may choose to educate their children by any suitable means.
The state-funded compulsory school system is divided intoKey Stages, based upon the student's age by August 31. TheEarly Years Foundation Stage is for ages 3–4.Primary education is divided intoKey Stage 1 for ages 5–7 andKey Stage 2 for ages 7–11.Secondary education is divided intoKey Stage 3 for ages 11–14 andKey Stage 4 for ages 14–16.[8] At the end of Year 11 (at age 15-16) students typically takeGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams or otherLevel 1 or Level 2 qualifications.
Education is compulsory until 18, thus post-16 education can take a number of forms, and may be academic orvocational. This can involve continued schooling, known assixth form, leading toA-levels or alternativeLevel 3 qualifications. It can also include work-basedapprenticeships, traineeships and volunteering.[9][10] TheRegulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) covers national school examinations and vocational education qualifications.[11]
Higher education often begins with a three-yearbachelor's degree. Postgraduate degrees includemaster's degrees, either taught or by research, anddoctoral level research degrees that usually take at least three years. The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ), which is tied to the RQF, covers degrees and other qualifications from degree-awarding bodies.[12]
During theMiddle Ages, schools were established to teachLatin to the sons of the aristocracy destined for priesthood or monastic work with the ministry of government or the law. Two universities were established in affiliation with the church: theUniversity of Oxford and theUniversity of Cambridge, to assist in the further training of the Catholic Christian clergy.
Education in England remained closely linked to religious institutions until the nineteenth century, althoughcharity schools and "free grammar schools", which were open to children of any religious beliefs, became more common in the early modern period.
Public schools,[13][14] and the universities ofOxford andCambridge,[15] for example throughEnglish public school football games and theCambridge rules established in 1848,[16] played a significant role in the development of modern sports,[17][18] which shaped British sports that spread worldwide.[19][20]
Nineteenth century reforms expanded education provision and introduced widespread state-funded schools. Until 1870 all schools were charitable or private institutions, but in that year theElementary Education Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 75) permitted local governments to complement the existing elementary schools in order to fill any gaps. TheEducation Act 1902 allowed local authorities to create secondary schools. TheEducation Act 1918 abolished fees for elementary schools.
Women's colleges were established in the 19th century to give women access to university education, the first beingBedford College, London (1849),Girton College, Cambridge (1869) andNewnham College, Cambridge (1871). TheUniversity of London established special examinations for women in 1868 and opened its degrees to women in 1878.[21]University College Bristol (now the University of Bristol) became the first mixed higher education institution upon its foundation in 1876,[22] followed in 1878 byUniversity College London (which had held some mixed classes starting in 1871).[23]
Education or training is compulsory for all children aged 5 to 18. Students must stay in a traditional school setting until the age of 16. After this age they are required to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday, either through full-timefurther education, training through anapprenticeship, or working or volunteering while in part-time education or training.[24][25] State-provided schooling and sixth-form education are paid for by taxes.
A child begins primary education during the school year they turn 5.[26] Children between the ages of 3 and 5 are entitled to 600 hours per year of optional, state-funded, pre-school education. This can be provided in "playgroups", nurseries, community childcare centres or nursery classes in schools.[27]
All children in England must currently therefore receive an effective education (at school or otherwise) from the first "prescribed day", which falls on or after their fifth birthday, and must remain in school until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they turn 16.[10][28][29] The prescribed days are 31 August, 31 December and 31 March.[30][31] The school year begins on 1 September (or 1 August if a term starts in August).[32]
The compulsory stages of education are broken into aFoundation Stage (covering the last part of optional and first part of compulsory education), 4Key Stages, and post-16 education, sometimes unofficially termed Key Stage Five, which takes a variety of different forms, including the sixth-form.
A number of different terms and names exist for the various schools and stages a pupil may go through during the compulsory part of their education.Grammar schools are selective schools, admitting children from 11 years old onward; they are normally state-funded, though fee paying independent grammars do exist. Schools offering nursery (pre-school) education commonly accept pupils from age 3; however, some schools do accept pupils younger than this.
| Key stage | Year | Final exam | Age[33] | State funded schools | State funded selective schools | Fee paying independent schools | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years | Nursery (or Pre-School) | None, though individual schools may set end of year tests. | 3 to 4 | Primary | Lower | Infant | Various 'gifted and talented' programmes within state and independent schools.[34] | Pre-preparatory | |||
| Reception (or Foundation) | 4 to 5 | ||||||||||
| KS1 | Year 1 | 5 to 6 | |||||||||
| Year 2 | 6 to 7 | ||||||||||
| KS2 | Year 3 | 7 to 8 | Junior | ||||||||
| Year 4 | 8 to 9 | Preparatory or Junior | |||||||||
| Year 5 | 9 to 10 | Middle | |||||||||
| Year 6 | National Curriculum assessments A grammar school entrance exam, often the 11-plus | 10 to 11 | |||||||||
| KS3 | Year 7 | None, though individual schools may set end of year tests, or mock GCSE exams. | 11 to 12 | Comprehensive or Secondary | Lower school | Comprehensive, Secondary or Senior | Grammar school and selective Academies | ||||
| Year 8 | 12 to 13 | ||||||||||
| Year 9 | 13 to 14 | Upper | Senior (Public/Private school) | ||||||||
| KS4 | Year 10 | 14 to 15 | University technical college | Upper school | |||||||
| Year 11 | GCSE | 15 to 16 | |||||||||
| KS5 | Year 12 | Advanced subsidiary level or school-set end of year tests. | 16 to 17 | Sixth form college | Further education college | Maths school | |||||
| Year 13 | A-levels,T- levels,BTEC,International Baccalaureate, etc. | 17 to 18 | |||||||||
Some 93% of children between the ages of 3 and 18 are in education in state-funded schools without charge (other than for activities such as swimming, cultural visits, theatre visits and field trips for which a voluntary payment can be requested, and limited charges atstate-funded boarding schools).[35]
All schools are legally required to have a website where they must publish details of their governance, finance, curriculum intent and staff and pupil protection policies.[36][37]
Types of schools in England include:
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In addition, three of the fifteenCity Technology Colleges established in the 1980s still remain; the rest having converted to academies. These are state-funded all-ability secondary schools which charge no fees but which are independent of local authority control. There are also a small number ofstate-funded boarding schools.
English state-funded primary schools are almost all local schools with a small catchment area. More than half are owned by the Local Authority, though many are (nominally) voluntary controlled and some are voluntary aided. Some schools just include infants (aged 4 to 7) and some just juniors (aged 7 to 11). Some are linked, with automatic progression from the infant school to the junior school, and some are not. A few areas still have first schools for ages around 4 to 8 andmiddle schools for ages 8 or 9 to 12 or 13.
English secondary schools are mostlycomprehensive (i.e. no entry exam), although the intake of comprehensive schools can vary widely, especially in urban areas with several local schools. Nearly 90% of state-funded secondary schools arespecialist schools, receiving extra funding to develop one or more subjects (performing arts, arts, business, humanities, languages, science, mathematics, technology, engineering, etc.) in which the school specialises, which can select up to 10% of their intake for aptitude in the specialism. In areas children can enter a prestigiousgrammar school if they pass theeleven plus exam; there are also a number of isolated fully selective grammar schools and a few dozenpartially selective schools.[41] A significant minority of state-funded schools arefaith schools, which are attached to religious groups, most often theChurch of England or theRoman Catholic Church.
All state-funded schools are regularly inspected by theOffice for Standards in Education, often known simply as Ofsted. Ofsted publishes reports on the quality of education, learning outcomes, management, and safety and behaviour of young people at a particular school on a regular basis. Schools judged by Ofsted to be providing an inadequate standard of education may be subject tospecial measures, which could include replacing the governing body and senior staff. School inspection reports are published online and directly sent to parents and guardians.
School uniforms are defined by individual schools, within the constraint that uniform regulations must not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief. Schools may choose to permit trousers for girls or religious dress.[42] Pupils aged five to seven in state-funded schools (including those in reception class) are entitled to free school meals and fruit. Pupils aged seven to 16 from low income families are eligible for free school meals.[43] All school meals must follow the government's healthy eating standards and promote a healthy diet.[44]
State-funded schools are encouraged to provide childcare outside of school hours, including breakfast clubs and after school curriculum activities (drama, computing, food preparation, arts, crafts, sports, science, etc.).[45]
Approximately 7% of school children in England attend privately run, fee-chargingprivate schools.[46] Some independent schools for 13–18-year-olds are known for historical reasons as 'public schools' and for 8–13-year-olds as 'prep schools'. Some schools offer scholarships for those with particular skills or aptitudes, orbursaries to allow students from less financially well-off families to attend. Independent schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum, and their teachers are not required or regulated by law to have official teaching qualifications.[47] TheIndependent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) regularly publishes reports on the quality of education in independent schools that are members of theIndependent Schools Council, while other independent schools in England are inspected byOfsted.
TheEducation Act 1944 stated that parents are responsible for the education of their children, "by regular attendance at school or otherwise", which allows children to be educated at home.[48] Officially referred to as "Elective Home Education", teaching ranges from structuredhomeschooling (using a school-style curriculum) to less-structuredunschooling.[49][50]Education Otherwise has supported parents who wished to educate their children outside school since the 1970s. The state provides no financial support to parents who choose to educate their children outside of school.
In theearly years foundation stage, the curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning:[51]
The national curriculum covers pupils in primary school (ages 5 to 11; key stages 1 and 2) and secondary school (ages 11 to 16; key stages 3 and 4). It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.
State-funded schools in England are required to offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based, which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and which prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.[52]
State-funded schools are obliged to teach thirteen subjects, including the core English, Mathematics and Science. The structure of the National Curriculum is:[52]
Schools must provideRelationship and Sex Education andPersonal, Social, Health and Economic education.[52]
In addition to the compulsory subjects, students atKey Stage 4 have a statutory entitlement to be able to study at least one subject from the arts (comprising art and design, dance, music, photography, media studies, film studies, graphics, drama and media arts), design and technology (comprising design and technology, electronics, engineering, food preparation and nutrition), the humanities (comprising geography and history), business and enterprise (comprising business studies and economics) and a modern language.[52][53]
Compulsory schooling ends on the last Friday of June for pupils who will turn 16 before the start of the next school year.[54] Most pupils at both state schools and independent schools will typically takeGCSE examinations at the end of their last year of compulsory schooling.
After this, young people are mandated to continue in education until age 18, but need not attend a school. They can pursuefurther education, which includes technical education, in thesixth form of a school, in a specialised sixth form or further education college. Alternatively, they can take anapprenticeship or traineeship, or can volunteer for 20 or more hours a week while undertaking part-time education or training.[54] Types of colleges that focus on education after sixteen include:
Students over 16 typically study in the sixth form of a school (sixth form is a historical term for Years 12–13), in a separatesixth form college orfurther education college. Courses at FE colleges (referred to asfurther education courses) can also be studied by adults over 18. Colleges can offer a wide range of options for study, including apprenticeships and national qualifications such as:
TheNational Apprenticeship Service helps people 16 or more years of age enterapprenticeships in order to learn askilled trade. Traineeships are also overseen by the National Apprenticeship Service, and are education and a training programmes that are combined with work experience to give trainees the skills needed to get an apprenticeship.[57]
T Levels are technical qualifications introduced in 2020, developed in collaboration with businesses and education providers to prepare students for skilled employment, apprenticeships and higher study.[58] Every T Level includes an industry placement with an employer focused on developing the practical and technical skills required for an occupation.[59][60]
Higher education in England is provided by Higher Education (HE) colleges,university colleges,universities and private colleges. Students normally enter higher education asundergraduates from age 18 onwards, and can study for a wide variety of vocational and academic qualifications, includingcertificates of higher education andhigher national certificates at level 4,diplomas of higher education,higher national diplomas andfoundation degrees at level 5,bachelor's degrees (normally withhonours) at level 6, and integratedmaster's degrees and degrees in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science at level 7.[61]
Historically, undergraduate education outside a small number of private colleges and universities has been largely state-financed since the 1960s, with a contribution fromtop-up fees introduced in October 1998,[62] however fees of up to £9,000 per annum have been charged from October 2012. There is a perceived hierarchy among universities, with theRussell Group seen as being composed of the country's more prestigious universities.[63]League tables of universities are produced by private companies and generally cover the whole UK.
The state does not control university syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures through theOffice for Students (OfS), which approves and monitors access agreements to safeguard and promote fair access to higher education.[64] TheQuality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is an independent expert quality body, with a remit to maintain and enhance the quality of teaching and learning in tertiary education in England.[65] Unlike most degrees, the state has control overteacher training courses, and standards are monitored byOfsted inspectors.[66]
The typicalfirst degree offered at English universities is thebachelor's degree withhonours, which usually lasts for three years, although more vocationalfoundation degrees, typically lasting two years (or full-time equivalent) are also available in some institutions. Many institutions now offer integratedmaster's degrees, particularly inSTEM subjects, as first degrees; these typically lasts for four years, the first three years running parallel to the bachelor's course in the subject. During a first degree students are known asundergraduates. The difference in fees between integrated and traditionalpostgraduate master's degrees (and that fees are capped at the first degree level for the former) makes taking an integrated master's degree as a first degree a more attractive option. Integrated master's degrees are often the standard route tochartered status for STEM professionals in England.[67]
The majority ofinternational students in the United Kingdom chose a British institution because of the country's reputation for high quality education, a far higher proportion than in Canada or Australia (just over 20 per cent) or the US (around 15 per cent).[68] TheUniversity of Oxford and theUniversity of Cambridge rank among the top 10 of themajor global rankings.[69][70][71] At some institutions in London such as theLondon School of Economics andUniversity College London, the majority of first degree students are from outside the UK.[72] Including postgraduates, international students are also in the majority atImperial College London andUniversity of the Arts London.[73]
Students who have completed afirst degree can apply forpostgraduate and graduate courses. These include:
Since October 1998, most undergraduates have paid fees repayable after graduation, contingent on attaining a certain level of income, with the state paying all fees for students from the poorest backgrounds. Only those who reach a certain salary threshold (£21,000) pay this fee throughgeneral taxation. In practice, higher education remains free at the point of entry in England for a high minority of students. English students are generally entitled tostudent loans for maintenance and living costs.[76]
Students admitted from the academic year 2024-25 have paid tuition fees set at a maximum of up to £9,535 per annum.[77] Fees for international students vary but are generally higher. Depending on the discipline and university, Master's degrees can cost between £10,000 and £35,000.[74] There are numerous bursaries (awarded to low income applicants) to offset undergraduate fees and, for postgraduates, full scholarships are available for most subjects, and are usually awarded competitively.[78]
The gap between rich and poor students has narrowed since the introduction of the higher fees.[79] This may be because universities have used tuition fees to invest in bursaries and outreach schemes.[80] In 2016,The Guardian noted that the number of disadvantaged students applying to university had increased by 72% from 2006 to 2015, a bigger rise than in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.[81]
A study by theCentre for Economic Performance found that the introduction of tuition fees had "increased funding per head, educational standards, rising enrolments, and a narrowing of the participation gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students".[82]
Adult education,continuing education orlifelong learning is offered to students of all ages. This can include the vocational qualifications mentioned above, and also:
The two qualifications frameworks in England are the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), for qualifications regulated byOfqual, and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) for qualifications granted by bodies with degree awarding powers, overseen by theQuality Assurance Agency. These share a common numbering scheme for their levels, which was also used for the earlierQualifications and Credit Framework. The RQF is linked to theEuropean Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the FHEQ to theQualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA).[83][12][84][85]
| RQF/FHEQ level | Common qualifications | EQF/QF-EHEA equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Foundation diploma GCSE (grades D–G/4-1) NVQ level 1 | EQF level 2 |
| Level 2 | Higher diploma GCSE (grades A*–C/9-5) NVQ level 2 | EQF level 3 |
| Level 3 | Advanced diploma A-level International Baccalaureate BTEC National NVQ level 3 | EQF level 4 |
| Level 4 | Certificate of Higher Education HNC (awarded by a degree-awarding institution) | QF-EHEA Intermediate qualifications within the Short Cycle |
| BTEC Professional award, certificate and diploma level 4 Higher National Certificate (HNC) NVQ level 4 | EQF level 5 | |
| Level 5 | BTEC Professional award, certificate and diploma level 5 Higher National Diploma (HND) NVQ level 4 | |
| Diploma of Higher Education Foundation degree HND (awarded by a degree-awarding institution) | QF-EHEA Short Cycle (within or linked to first cycle) | |
| Level 6 | BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma level 6 NVQ level 4 | EQF level 6 |
| Graduate certificate Graduate diploma Professional Graduate Certificate of Education | QF-EHEA Intermediate qualifications within the First Cycle | |
| Ordinary bachelor's degree Bachelor's degree with honours | QF-EHEA First Cycle (end of cycle) | |
| Level 7 | BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma level 7 NVQ level 5 | EQF level 7 |
| Postgraduate certificate Postgraduate diploma Postgraduate Certificate of Education | QF-EHEA Intermediate qualifications within the Second Cycle | |
| Integrated master's degree Master's degree | QF-EHEA Second Cycle (end of cycle) | |
| Level 8 | NVQ level 5 | EQF level 8 |
| Doctorates | QF-EHEA Third Cycle (end of cycle) |
TheProgramme for International Student Assessment coordinated by theOECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of British 15-year-olds as thirteenth in the world in literacy, mathematics, and science with the average British student scoring 503.7, well above the OECD average of 493.[86] Primary school children in England were ranked fourth in theProgress in International Reading Literacy Study forreading and literacy skills in 2021.[87]
The United Nations ranks the UK seventh in theEducation Index, measuringeducational attainment,GDP per capita andlife expectancy, ahead most ofEurope.[88][89] From 1997 to 2010, the Labour government introduced city academies in areas of social and economic deprivation. More former local authority schools, deemedinadequate orrequiring improvement by inspectors, transitioned to an academy trust are now ratedgood oroutstanding.[90]
Academies were established in most disadvantaged areas, they are the key element in the drive to raise standards; raising aspirations and creating opportunity in some of the most disadvantaged communities.[91] By 2015, more students were ingood andoutstanding rated schools from all social backgrounds than 2010.[92] This growth in the academy system coincides with the improvement across schools in England, with 88% of all schools ratedgood oroutstanding, an improvement from 68% in August 2010.[93]
Since 2018, English schools have been funded through a national formula.[94] In August 2019, it was announced that the budget for schools and high needs would be increased by 6% (£2.6 billion) in 2020–21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23 respectively – plus an extra £1.5 billion per year to fund additional pensions costs for teachers. This new funding includes £780 million in 2020–21 to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).[95]
What sets British team and competitive sports slightly apart ... is that they were introduced primarily to solve an educational rather than strictly military need. These sports were initially aimed not at the general population but at the upper classes and social elite, or at least their male offspring; they were therefore structured around the pedagogical and disciplinary requirements of a limited range of institutions, that is, the elite public schools and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
At this time, in the second half of the nineteenth century, England was experiencing a sporting revolution that went global, with Cambridge ... having a significant impact.;Edwards, Ashley (12 September 2019)."History of Sport in Cambridge: Cradle of a Leisure Revolution".www.sport.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved17 May 2025.
Perhaps more than any other two colleges, Harvard and Yale gave form to American intercollegiate athletics--a form that was inspired by the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry overseas, and that was imitated by colleges and universities throughout the United States. Focusing on the influence of these prestigious eastern institutions, this fascinating study traces the origins and development of intercollegiate athletics in America from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century.
It is compulsory for young people to be in education or training until the age of 18
You'll have to stay in some form of education or training until you turn 18, if you started year eleven in September 2013 or later
Text was copied from this source, which is available under anOpen Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.The OfS was established to fulfil a role as the main regulator of higher education in England.
First degrees have, in the past, usually lasted three years and resulted in a Bachelors degree. There has, however, been a move towards four year courses in STEM subjects, particularly engineering, leading to an integrated Master's degree and increasingly Master's are seen as a prerequisite for postgraduate study internationally. Such a degree, or its equivalent at Master's level, is essential to achieving Chartered status in engineering and some other areas.
