Uk school guide

UK SCHOOL INFORMATION

Contents General Introduction ............................................................................................................. 2 Schooling Age ................................................................................................................... 2 Primary Education ............................................................................................................. 2 Secondary Education ........................................................................................................ 2 Nursery Schools ................................................................................................................ 3 Home Schooling ................................................................................................................ 3 School Year and Holidays ................................................................................................. 3 State (public) schools............................................................................................................ 4 Admission Process – Key points........................................................................................ 4 Choosing a School......................................................................................................... 4 OFSTED Inspection Reports ............................................................................................. 4 English Language Support ................................................................................................ 5 Special Needs Assistance (SEN)....................................................................................... 5 Transport for School .......................................................................................................... 5 Class Size ......................................................................................................................... 5 Single sex schooling.......................................................................................................... 5 Private schools...................................................................................................................... 5 Admissions Process – Key points...................................................................................... 5 Choosing a school ............................................................................................................. 6 OFSTED Inspection Reports ............................................................................................. 6 English Language Support ................................................................................................ 6 Special Needs Assistance (SEN)....................................................................................... 6 Transport for School .......................................................................................................... 6 Class Size ......................................................................................................................... 6 Single sex schooling.......................................................................................................... 6 International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes....................................................................... 6 Benefits of the Programme v British Curriculum ................................................................ 6

1

Schooling in the UK General Introduction This document provides an overview of schooling in the UK. Schooling Age

Early learning is available from the age of three, and it is especially helpful for the children of expat families, helping the children to integrate properly. It is not mandatory but highly recommended. Attending school is obligatory from the age of 5 to 16. While your child may arrive to the UK in the middle of school year or when the school year is already ended in your home location - the schooling obligation applies based on the UK schooling calendar. The school year runs from September until July each year – the exact start/end date will vary per school. Kindly consult with your relocation agent in order to ensure you remain compliant. Primary Education Primary schools are for children aged 4 to 11 years. The education levels or grades may also be referred to as Key Stage 1 (ages 4 to 7) and Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). The first class in primary school is usually called the Reception class, and each child automatically moves to the next higher class at the end of the school year. The subjects to be taught at primary schools are specified by the National Curriculum, which also sets out Standard Attainment Targets (SATs) to be reached. Pupils are tested on SATs at 7 and 11 years old, at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, in compulsory core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science. Other subjects, including History, Geography, Technology, Music, Art and Physical Education (PE) are also taught. Details of these can be found in the individual school prospectuses. For younger children, the subjects are often integrated into topics. Secondary Education Between the ages of 11 and 16, children attend Secondary school. Most of these schools must follow the National Curriculum and assessment of the children takes place at Key Stage 3 (age 14) and Key Stage 4 (age 16). Private schools and certain types of state schools, known as ‘Academies’, do not have to follow such a strict National Curriculum and can just use it as a guideline. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is the principal means of assessment for 16-year old. Many subjects include written and practical course work in addition to examinations in each individual subject. These are the main examinations for students before deciding their next steps onto higher education, much like a high school diploma it marks the end of compulsory education in the UK. Many pupils remain at school after the minimum leaving age of 16. Education for 16 to 18 year olds is usually referred to as Sixth Form, and divided into two stages: Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth. In the Lower Sixth, students study for AS level exams, usually in 4 or 5 subjects, leading on to higher A level exams (advanced level) usually in 3 subjects in the Upper Sixth. The usual route to university and college is through the A level system and depends on the grades attained in these examinations.

2

Nursery Schools All 3 and 4-year-old in England and Wales are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare a year and this is often taken as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year. Some primary schools have a nursery school attached or affiliated with them, however, bear in mind that these are very popular and can be oversubscribed. Nursery schools will follow a wide curriculum, but this does not have to be the National Curriculum. Home Schooling You can teach your child at home if you wish but you must inform your local authority so that they have a record. You are not required to be qualified or registered to do this. The parent of every child of compulsory school age must ensure that they receive efficient full-time education suitable to – a) their age, ability and aptitude, and b) any special education needs they may have. Parents do not have to follow the UK National Curriculum. The local authority have the right to check on the education you are providing your child and if they feel they are not receiving suitable education they can serve a ‘School Attendance Order’ which could result in the child having to attend a school. School Year and Holidays The school year runs from September to July and is divided into three terms (semesters). The Autumn term (Fall) runs from September to December, the Spring term runs from January to April and the Summer term runs from April to July. Each term lasts approximately 12 weeks and a half term holiday is given in the middle of each term, usually a weeks’ duration. Half term holidays are usually held in October, February and May. The Christmas and Easter holidays are usually 2-3 weeks long and the summer holiday is around 6-8 weeks long.

3

State (public) schools State schools are government run schools which are free of charge. The local authority in the area you move to (local government administration body) will guarantee your child a place in a school but they will not guarantee a place in your preferred school(s), it will depend on if there is a space available for your child at the time of submission/entry. Admission Process – Key points The admissions process varies from local authority to local authority but the general points to keep in mind are as follows. + You must have a permanent address in the UK before you can apply for a school place (temporary accommodation address is not acceptable) – a signed lease/rental contract and one proof of address document (utility bill or council tax bill) are usually required + Your children must be in the UK before you can apply, and some local authorities will ask you to go to their offices so that they can see the children + Applications can be made in person at the local authority office or online + You can apply for up to 6 schools (depending on the local authority) + Distance from home to school is used by many schools to decide which children qualify for a place, this is known as a ‘catchment area’ + If you apply for a faith school which gives priority based on attendance at a place of religion or worship, you should read the admission criteria carefully to decide if you are likely to be offered a place + There are usually no entry requirements for children, though some specialist schools will require them and most schools like to see a copy of the child’s last school report Please note that availability within a school can change weekly and therefore local authorities are often reluctant to even confirm what schools may have places when you are looking for your permanent home. Choosing a School It is important to collect as much information as possible about the schools you want to apply for and their admission procedures. You can do this by: + Reading the information from the local authority, your relocation consultant can help you to obtain this + Look at school websites or contacting schools to ask for a copy of their prospectus, although not all schools will have one + Visiting schools on special open days or making an appointment + Looking at OFSTED inspection reports (see the section on OFSTED following this) + Looking at school performance tables OFSTED Inspection Reports OFSTED stands for ‘Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills’. They report directly to the government and are independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people. Each school has an OFSTED report and will be graded as one of the following; 1. Outstanding 2. Good 3. Requires Improvement 4. Inadequate

4

You can check a school report through the following website; www.ofsted.gov.uk

English Language Support All state schools have access to ESL (English as a second language) teachers and can request more support from the Local Authority as needed. Special Needs Assistance (SEN) If your child has special needs of any kind you will be put in contact with a ‘SEN co-ordinator’ at the local authority who will advise you on which schools can offer the correct assistance for your child’s needs following an assessment Transport for School State schools rarely have a bus service and most children should be within walking distance of their school. If the school offered is more than 2 miles from your home for children aged 7 or under, or more than 3 miles for children aged 7 upwards, then the local authority has to provide transport and this tends to be a taxi. The local authority will be able to provide you with more information on this. Class Size

Classes are usually a maximum of 30 children and in reception year, year 1 and year 2 this is a legal limit. Lower primary classes often have a classroom assistant for all or part of the day. Single sex schooling There are no single sex schools or classes in any primary schools in the UK but some secondary schools offer single sex classes and there are a few all girls or all boys schools, though these are rare.

Private schools Private schools (also known as independent schools) are fee paying school that are not dependent on the government. Fees vary from school to school. Admissions Process – Key points The admissions process is simpler than for state schools and below are the key points to consider; + You can apply for a school at any time, even before you arrive if you’d like to + At the time you apply for the school you will have to pay an application fee per children (around £150-£300 each) + Many schools require children to sit an entrance test of have a taster day before finalizing the place

5

Choosing a school Again, it’s important to get as much information as possible about the schools you are interested in by referring to the school’s website and/or a prospectus. Private schools are always keen to invite you to see the school and will take time to answer your questions carefully. OFSTED Inspection Reports Although it is not compulsory for private schools to be tested by OFSTED most will choose to be and you will find their reports on the OFSTED website, just as you would with a state school. www.ofsted.gov.uk English Language Support Unlike state schools, many private schools will not take non-English speaking children over the age of 6 or 7. Some schools will offer ESL (English as second language) support but at an extra cost and the level of this support is not very high, i.e. it’s targeted at those who already speak English and need a bit of help rather than those who need to learn English as a new language. Special Needs Assistance (SEN) Again, unlike state schools, many private schools do not have the capacity to accept children with special needs unless they are a specialist school. Some schools are able to offer extra help though a support teacher, though this will be at an additional cost. Transport for School Many private schools have their own fleet of minibuses which can pick up children in the morning and drop them home after school, this will be an additional cost. The buses usually have routes that they take which can be altered to accommodate demand. Class Size Classes are usually smaller than in state schools, the average size being 15 to 20 pupils. Single sex schooling In comparison with state schools there are many more single sex schools in the UK through all age groups. Some schools have a girl campus and a boys campus. International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes The UK has 155 IB schools, of which 83 are private schools. These offer one or more of the IB programmes and the majority of the schools are based in London and surrounding counties. There are 4 programmes; + The Diploma Programme (DP) for students aged 16 to 19 + The Career-related Certificate (IBCC) for students agents 16 to 19 + The Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16 + The Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged 3 to 12 More than 90% of the UK IB schools concentrate on the Diploma Programme only and a handful offer the PYP and MYP. Benefits of the Programme v British Curriculum + Emphasis on students personal development, working on their intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills + Emphasis on development of a second language and becoming more culturally aware + Easily transferable between schools

6