Education in England

[1]
Department for Education Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Secretary of State (Education) Minister for Universities and Science (BIS)	Michael Gove David Willetts
National education budget (2008–09)
Budget	£62.2 billion
General details
Primary languages	English
System type	National
Compulsory education	1880
Literacy (2003)
Total	99 %
Male	99 %
Female	99 %
Enrollment
Total	11.7 million
Primary	4.4 million
Secondary	3.6 million
Post secondary	3.7 million
Attainment
Secondary diploma	Level 2 and above: 70.7% Level 3 and above: 50.6%
Post-secondary diploma	Level 4 and above: 30.9% (2007 statistics for population aged 19-64)

Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities (LAs) take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a local level.

The education system is divided into early years (ages 3–4), primary education (ages 4–11), secondary education (ages 11–18) and tertiary education (ages 18+).

Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 17 (from 2013, and up to 18 from 2015), either at school or otherwise, with a child beginning primary education during the school year he or she turns 5. Students may then continue their secondary studies for a further two years (sixth form), leading most typically to A-level qualifications, although other qualifications and courses exist, including Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Cambridge Pre-U. The leaving age for compulsory education was raised to 18 by the Education and Skills Act 2008. The change takes effect in 2013 for 16-year-olds and 2015 for 17-year-olds. State-provided schooling and sixth form education is paid for by taxes. England also has a tradition of independent schooling, but parents may choose to educate their children by any suitable means.

Higher education often begins with a three-year bachelor's degree. Postgraduate degrees include master's degrees, either taught or by research, and the doctorate, a research degree that usually takes at least three years. Universities require a Royal Charter in order to issue degrees, and all but one are financed by the state via tuition fees, which cost up to £9,000 per academic year for English, Welsh and EU students.

The Programme for International Student Assessment coordinated by the OECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of British 15-year-olds as 13th in the world in reading literacy, mathematics and science, with the average British student scoring 503.7, compared with the OECD average of 493. In 2011, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) rated 13–14-year-old pupils in England and Wales 10th in the world for maths and 9th for science.

Contents

  [hide] *1 History of English education

• 2 Primary and secondary education
  • 2.1 State-funded school system
    • 2.1.1 School years
    • 2.1.2 Curriculum
    • 2.1.3 School governance
    • 2.1.4 Secondary schools by intake
  • 2.2 Independent schools
  • 2.3 Education by means other than schooling
  • 2.4 Further education
• 3 Higher education
  • 3.1 Postgraduate education
  • 3.2 Specialist qualifications
  • 3.3 Fees
• 4 Adult education
• 5 Progression
• 6 Criticism
• 7 See also
• 8 References
• 9 External links

History of English education

Until 1870 all schools were charitable or private institutions, but in that year the Elementary Education Act 1870 permitted local governments to complement the existing elementary schools, to fill up any gaps. The Education Act 1902 allowed local authorities to create secondary schools. The Education Act 1918 abolished fees for elementary schools.

Primary and secondary education

The school year begins on 1 September (or 1 August if a term starts in August). Education is compulsory for all children from the next "prescribed day" which falls either on or after their fifth birthday to the last Friday in June of the school year in which they turn 16. This will be raised, in 2013, to the year in which they turn 17 and, in 2015, to their 18th birthday. The prescribed days are 31 August, 31 December and 31 March.

State-funded school system

A school building in England.

State-run schools and colleges are financed through national taxation, and take pupils free of charge between the ages of 3 and 18. The schools may levy charges for activities such as swimming, theatre visits, cultural visits and field trips, provided the charges are voluntary, thus ensuring that those who cannot afford to pay are allowed to participate in such events. Approximately 93% of English schoolchildren attend such schools.

A significant minority of state-funded schools are faith schools, which are attached to religious groups, most often the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. There is also a small number of state-funded boarding schools, which typically charge for board but not tuition. Boarding fees are limited to £12,000 per annum.

There is also a smaller number of City Technology Colleges and academies, which are secondary schools funded and monitored directly by the Department for Education. Academies can also accept funding from private sources such as individuals or companies. The current government is greatly expanding the academy scheme by encouraging many schools to convert to Academy status.

A typical school classroom in England. The chairs and tables are sometimes grouped together.

English secondary schools are mostly comprehensive (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 are specialist schools, receiving extra funding to develop one or more subjects (performing arts, art & design, 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 prestigious grammar school if they pass the eleven plus exam; there are also a number of isolated fully selective grammar schools and a few dozen partially selective schools. A significant minority of state-funded schools are faith schools, which are attached to religious groups, most often the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.

All state-funded schools are regularly inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, often known simply as Ofsted. Ofsted publish 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 to special 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 years

The table below describes the most common patterns for schooling in the state sector in England. Children are normally placed in year groups determined by the age they will attain at their birthday during the school year. In most cases progression from one year group to another is based purely on chronological age, although it is possible in some circumstances for a student to repeat or skip a year. Repetition may be due to a lack of attendance, for example from a long illness, and especially in Years requiring standard tests. A child significantly more advanced than their classmates may be forwarded one or more years.

Age at birthday during school year	Year	Curriculum Stage	State Schools			Independent Schools
4	Nursery	Foundation Stage	Nursery School			Pre-preparatory School	Preparatory School	Preparatory School
5	Reception		Infant School	Primary School	First School
6	Year 1	Key Stage 1
7	Year 2
8	Year 3	Key Stage 2	Junior School			Preparatory School
9	Year 4
10	Year 5				Middle School
11	Year 6
12	Year 7	Key Stage 3	Secondary School or High School	Secondary School with Sixth Form				Senior School
13	Year 8
14	Year 9				Upper School	Senior School, see Public School orPrivate School
15	Year 10	Key Stage 4 GCSE
16	Year 11
17	Year 12 (Lower Sixth)	Key Stage 5 / Sixth Form A-level, BTEC, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Pre-U, etc.	Sixth Form/FE College
18	Year 13 (Upper Sixth)

In the vast majority of cases, pupils progress from primary to secondary levels at age 11; in some areas either or both of the primary and secondary levels are further subdivided. A few areas have three-tier education systems with an intermediate middle level from age 9 to 13.

State-funded nursery education is available from the age of 3, and may be full-time or part-time, though this is not compulsory. If registered with a state school, attendance is compulsory beginning with the term following the child's fifth birthday. Children can be enrolled in the reception year in September of that school year, thus beginning school at age 4 or 4.5. Unless the student chooses to stay within the education system, compulsory school attendance ends on the last Friday in June during the academic year in which a student attains the age of 16.

Under the National Curriculum, all pupils undergo National Curriculum Tests towards the end of Key Stage 2 in the core subjects of Literacy, Numeracyand Science. Pupils study GCSE exams in the last two years of Key Stage 4 and typically study 8-13 broad subjects based on interests and career prospects. This must include core and foundation subjects such as English literature, English language, mathematics, science, citizenship studies, religious studies, computing and physical education. They must also include subjects from the entitlement areas of the arts, humanities, languages and design and technology.

Curriculum

The National Curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge they require to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said, and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievements. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

These aims set out to support the statutory duties of schools to offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, while preparing pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life, as set out in the Education Act 2002.

Key Stage 1

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Art & design
• History
• Geography
• Design & technology
• Religious education
• Computing
• Physical education
• Music

Key Stage 2

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Art & design
• History
• Geography
• Design & technology
• Ancient & modern languages
• Religious education
• Computing
• Physical education
• Music

Key Stage 3

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Citizenship
• Art & design
• History
• Geography
• Design & technology
• Modern languages
• Religious education
• Computing
• Physical Education
• Music

Key Stage 4

Core subjects:

• English literature
• English language
• Maths
• Science

Foundation subjects:

• Citizenship studies
• Religious studies
• Computing

Entitlement subjects:

• Arts
• Humanities
• Design and technology
• Languages

In addition to the compulsory subjects, students at Key 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 one modern language.

In addition, other subjects with a non-statutory programme of study in the National Curriculum are also taught, including Religious education in all Key Stages, Sex education from Key Stage 2, and Career education and Work-related learning in Key Stages 3 and 4. 

School governance

Almost all state-funded schools in England are maintained schools, which receive their funding from local authorities, and are required to follow the National Curriculum. In such schools, all teachers are employed under the nationally agreed School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document.

Independent schools

Main article: Independent school (United Kingdom)

Approximately 7% of school children in England attend privately run fee-paying independent schools rising to 18% for sixth form students. 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, or bursaries 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. The Independent Schools Inspectorate regularly publishes reports on the quality of education in all independent schools.

Further education

Students at both state schools and independent schools typically take 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 at present, although mandatory education until the age of 18 is to be phased in under the Education and Skills Act 2008. This will take effect for 16-year-olds in 2013, and for 17-year-olds in 2015.

Students will typically study in the sixth form of a school, in a separate sixth form college, or in a further education college. These courses can also be studied by adults over 18. This sector is referred to as Further Education. Some 16-18 students will be encouraged to study Key Skills in Communication, Application of Number, and Information Technology at this time.

T Levels are a technical qualification introduced between 2020-2023 in England. The aim of the new T Levels is to improve the teaching and administration of technical education which will enable students to directly enter skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship. Students will be able to take a T Level in the following subject areas:

• accountancy
• agriculture, land management and production
• animal care and management
• building services engineering
• catering
• craft and design
• cultural heritage and visitor attractions
• design and development
• design, surveying and planning
• digital business services
• digital production, design and development
• digital support and services
• education
• financial
• hair, beauty and aesthetics
• health
• healthcare science
• human resources
• legal
• maintenance, installation and repair
• management and administration
• manufacturing, processing and control
• media, broadcast and production
• onsite construction
• science

Higher education

King's College Chapel, Cambridge University.

Students normally enter university from age 18 onwards, and study for an academic degree. Historically, all undergraduate education outside the private Regent's University London University of Buckingham and BPP University College was largely state-financed, with a small contribution from top-up fees, however fees of up to £9,000 per annum have been charged from October 2012. There is a distinct hierarchy among universities, with the Russell Group containing most of the country's more prestigious, research-led and research-focused universities. The state does not control university syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures through the Office for Fair Access (OfFA), which approves and monitors access agreements to safeguard and promote fair access to higher education. Unlike most degrees, the state still has control over teacher trainingcourses, and uses its Ofsted inspectors to maintain standards.

The typical first degree offered at English universities is the bachelor's degree, and usually lasts for three years. Many institutions now offer an undergraduate master's degree as a first degree, which typically lasts for 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 on to 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 might be a:

• Master's degree (typically taken in one year, though research-based master's degrees may last for two)
• Doctorate (typically taken in three years)

Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the state, and so admissions are highly competitive.

Specialist qualifications

[2][3]The University of Birmingham, a 'Red Brick university'.*Education: Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Certificate in Education (Cert Ed), City and Guilds of London Institute (C&G), or Bachelor of Education (BA or BEd), most of which also incorporate Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

• Law: Bachelor of Laws (LLB).
• Medicine: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, studied at medical school
• Business: Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Psychology: Doctor of Educational Psychology (D.Ed.Ch.Psychol) or Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psych.).

Fees

In the academic year 2011-2012, most undergraduates paid fees that were set at a maximum of £3,375 per annum. These fees are repayable after graduation, contingent on attaining a certain level of income, with the state paying all fees for students from the poorest backgrounds. UK students are generally entitled to student loans for maintenance. Undergraduates admitted for the academic year 2012-2013 will pay tuition fees set at a maximum of up to £9,000 per annum, with most universities charging over £6,000 per annum, and other higher education providers charging less.

Postgraduate fees vary but are generally more than undergraduate fees, depending on the degree and university. 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.

Different arrangements will apply to English students studying in Scotland, and to Scottish and Welsh students studying in England. Students from outside the UK and the EU attending English universities are charged differing amounts, often in the region of £5,000 - £20,000 per annum for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The actual amount differs by institution and subject, with the lab based subjects charging a greater amount.

Adult education

Adult education, continuing education or lifelong learning is offered to students of all ages. This can include the vocational qualifications mentioned above, and also:

• One or two year access courses, to allow adults without suitable qualifications access to university.
• The Open University runs undergraduate and postgraduate distance learning programmes.
• The Workers' Educational Association offers large number of semi-recreational courses, with or without qualifications, made available by Local Education Authorities under the guise of Adult Education. Courses are available in a wide variety of areas, such as holiday languages, crafts and yacht navigation

Criticism

An analysis of 2010 school data by The Guardian found that state faith schools were not taking a fair share of the poorest pupils in their local areas, as indicated by free school meal entitlement. Not only was this so at an overall national level, but also in the postcode areas nearby the schools. This suggested selection by religion was leading to selection of children from more well-off families.

See also

• City Learning Centre
• Education by country
• List of schools in England
• National Union of Students (United Kingdom)
• School uniforms in England
• Science Learning Centres
• Special education in England

References

1. Jump up^ Annex A: Total Departmental Spending, 7391 Departmental report 2008, Department for Children, Schools and Families. £43 billion total spending on schools.
2. Jump up^ Table 1 Total Departmental spending, Departmental report 2008, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. £14.3 billion spending on HE, £4.9 billion on FE.
3. Jump up^ Estimate for the United Kingdom, from United Kingdom, CIA World Factbook
4. ^ Jump up to:^a b c Table 1.2: Full-time and Part-time pupils by age, gender and school type, Education and Training Statistics for the United Kingdom: 2008, Department for Children, Schools and Families. Enrolment at independent schools is not partitioned by stages in the source, and has been estimated using an equal division. The error is within the precision of these figures.
5. Jump up^ "Higher Education Enrolments, and Qualifications Obtained, at Higher Education Institutions in the UK in the Academic Year 2006/07". Higher Education Statistics Agency. 10 January 2008. "The total number of HE enrolments at English HEIs stood at 1,957,195 in 2006/07."
6. Jump up^ "Further Education, Work-Based Learning, Train to Gain and Adult Safeguarded Learning - Learner Numbers in England: October 2007". Learning and Skills Council. 10 April 2008. "There were 1.75 million learners in LSC-funded FE on 1 October 2007."
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10. Jump up^ The Education (Information as to Provision of Education) (England) Regulations 1994, Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 1256, UK Parliament.
11. Jump up^ Section 8. Compulsory school age, Education Act 1996, 1996 c.56, UK Parliament.
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26. Jump up^ Tim Brighouse. "Comprehensive Schools Then, Now and in the Future: is it time to draw a line in the sand and create a new ideal?", Forum 45:1 (2003) pp3-11.
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31. Jump up^ Terri Dowty (editor) (2000). Free Range Education: How Home Education Works. Hawthorn Press. ISBN 1-903458-07-2.
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33. Jump up^ Http://www.regents.ac.uk. 
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35. Jump up^ "UKCISA - Fees, funding and Student Support". Retrieved 25 February 2010. UK Council for International Student Affairs > How much will the 'overseas' fee for my course be?
36. Jump up^ Paton, Graeme (13 July 2012). "More students forced to sit university admissions tests". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
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38. Jump up^ Jessica Shepherd and Simon Rogers (5 March 2012). "Church schools shun poorest pupils". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
39. Jump up^ Improving Literacy and Numeracy: A Fresh Start
40. Jump up^ "Boosting employability skills". Confederation of British Industry. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
41. Jump up^ Katharine Birbalsingh (2011). To Miss with Love. Viking. ISBN 0-670-91899-7
42. Jump up^ Frank Chalk (2006). It's Your Time You're Wasting: A Teacher's Tales of Classroom Hell. Monday Books. ISBN 978-0-9552854-0-0
43. Jump up^ Berliner, Wendy (3 October 2011). "Guardian survey finds teachers want to be treated as professionals". The Guardian(London). Retrieved 5 October 2011. "Many wrote: 'I love teaching but...' [...] fed up with governments that don't trust them [...] One former solicitor, now questioning the sense of the career switch, said: "There is a profound lack of respect by senior staff and parents for the quality of work and quantity of work undertaken by teachers. [...]""
44. Jump up^ Drury, Emma (5 October 2011). "Why I left teaching". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 6 October 2011. "[leaving teaching] just kind of crept up on me until I had had enough. [...] The problem, I think, was me. I wasn't a fresh out of college squashy NQT ready to be moulded into a standard shape. [...] I questioned things and I answered back. I was determined to make things better."

External links

• Department for Education
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• A history of education in England by Derek Gillard, an advocate of the comprehensive system
• "The Skills for Life survey: A national needs and impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills", Research Brief RB490 (Department for Education and Skills), 2003
• Skills for Life: Progress in Improving Adult Literacy and Numeracy (PDF), House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 14 January 2009
• Guardian Special Report - Education

Categories: 

• Education in England