United Kingdom-

Education System

Table of Contents1.Overview of Education System

2.Nursery School & Facts and Figures

3.Primary School & Facts and Figures

4.Secondary School & Facts and Figures

5.Academies and Private Secondary Education & Facts

and Figures

6.Sixth Form and Facts and Figures

7.College

8.Apprenticeships

9.QCF and EFQ

10.University & Facts and Figures

11.Sources of Information

UK-England Education

System Overview

Nursery School●Children between the ages of 3-5

years.

●Educational play/early education.

●FS1 (first year of foundation

education)

●Simple curriculum

●Fully funded by the government

●Provided by nursery schools,

childcare centres or playgroups within

primary schools.

●PVI (Private Voluntary or

Independent) sectors also run across

the UK.

Nursery School-Facts

and Figures●Nurseries are mainly funded privately,

hence the reason why they cost a lot of

money.

●Relevant qualifications are needed to be

part of a nursery staff e.g. Child

Development and Educational Wellbeing of

a Child.

●Some NVQs are also necessary.

●Nursery staff have an excellent pay ranging

from £100-£150 per day!

●Over 70% of 3-5 year olds in England

Primary School●First stage of compulsory education.

●Funded by a church/government.

●Infant school/ KS1-4-7 yrs

●Junior school/KS2-7-11 yrs; Reception-

Year 6).

●Preparatory/private primary schools: up to

13 yr olds

●SATs (yrs 2 and 6). Subjects: Numeracy,

Science, Mental Maths, Reading Comp.

and Writing.

●Wales and Northern Ireland have

boycotted the tests.

Primary School-Facts

and Figures●Total number of full-time regular qualified

staff (January 2010):166.8 thousand.

●January 2011-Proportion of pupils in state-

funded primary school increased.

●Average size of a class taught by one

teacher increased (25 to 30+).

●The total workforce of primary schools

increased from 380,000 to 390.6 thousand.

●Overall enrolment increased from 83% to

89%.

Secondary School●Final stage of compulsory education.

●Usual age: 10 to 16 years.

●Key stage 3: years 7-9 and key stage 4:

year 10-11.

●Years 10-11- students undertake their

GCSEs (general certificate of secondary

education).

●GCSEs: students required to choose 3

options alongside the compulsory subjects.

●Determine whether a student can undertake

further education.

●More than 1 in 5 student received A or A*s

for their GCSEs in 2010.

Secondary School-Facts

and Figures●January 2011-1.1 million pupils with

special needs attending secondary

school (head count).

●Jan 2011-53% pupils achieved 5

GCSEs A*-C.

●213.6 thousand staff members in

total.

●3127 maintained secondary schools

(England).

●3,055,460 pupils in total attending

secondary school in England.

Academies and Private

Secondary Education

●Ofsted-carries out reports of educating

institutes.

●Overall grading (outstanding, good,

satisfactory or inadequate).

●2011 grading: 10% -outstanding, 44% -

good, 39% -satisfactory and 6% -

inadequate.

●Outstanding secondary schools can

become academies-majority of

decisions made independently.

●1700 schools could become academies

by September after being deemed

Academies-Facts

and Figures

●83 academies open in the UK.

●50 more due in September

(definitely). More outstanding

secondary schools could

become academies though.

●18.2 million students in

academies in the UK.

●301.2 qualified members of

staff.

Sixth Form●Final 2 (optional) years of secondary

school.

●16-18 year old students.

●Lower sixth form-Year 12

●Upper/senior sixth form-Year 13.

●A-Level-Year 12, A2/AS-Year 13.

●Not compulsory

●Entrance to a university-3 A2 levels and

1 AS level

●4-5 subjects max.

●More than 90% students in the UK

currently attend sixth form.

Sixth Form-Facts

and Figures●Over 90 sixth forms in operation in

England.

●60 pupils (on average in 1 sixth

form).

●Statistics show that girls

outperform boys in their A-Levels.

●97.6%-Pass rate for A-Levels.

●94.6%-Pass rate for A2.

●101,000 teachers in Sixth Form in

England.

College

●Can either be a secondary school, offer

vocational education or a tertiary

educational system.

●Could refer to a training institute which

awards trade qualifications.

●FE college (further education college):

provides ‘adult’ education e.g. vocational

courses.

●Sometimes offer A-Levels (mainly within a

sixth form).

Apprenticeships●Training vocationally. Involves

working for an employer-helps

apprentices learn their trade.

●Theoretical education

involved through vocational

school.

●Separately certified elements:

the Technical Certificate

(knowledge based), NVQ

(national vocational

qualification) competence

based, Key/Core skills and

ERR (employment rights and

responsibilities).

Apprenticeships-

Facts and Figures●Business, Admin & Law:most

popular job sectors-76,000

people

●50.4% males & 49.6% females

●Dec 2010-170,000 people

completed an apprenticeship

●National Minimum Wage-£2.50

(employers pay more e.g. £150

per week).

●1/5 employers employing

apprentices

EQF

●European Qualifications Framework.

●Links European Countries’ qualifications

systems together.

●Makes it easier to cross reference

qualifications between countries.

●Makes it easier to compare levels of

qualifications for employers.

●Replaces existing national qualification

systems e.g. NVQs.

●Individual qualifications: not referenced-

countries’ qualification system:

referenced.

QCF

●QCF-Qualifications and Credit framework

●New framework for creating and

accrediting qualifications.

●Easier to understand and use, more

relevant to employers’ and learners’

needs.

●Simpler than NVQs-replacing NVQs.

●More accessible to a wider range of

learners.

●National Co-ordination Point (NCP)-

established in England and Wales to

reference the QCF to the EQF.

University●Institution of higher/tertiary education or

research.

●Variety of academic degrees.

●Undergraduate and postgraduate

degrees (bachelor and master).

●Annual fees has increased (£9000+

max.)

●One degree at a time

●Different types of universities e.g

collegiate, single based etc.

●21,000 students attend Oxford (world

famous university).

University-Facts and Figures

●115 universities in the UK (89 in England).

●Professors starting salary-£31,000 PA

●HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council

for England) funds tertiary education.

●Research universities award 50+ doctoral

degrees PA.

●1.8 million full-time undergraduate students

(including international students).

●Overall, 2,400,000 students in the UK

(545,000 post-graduates approx.)

●Thousands of students from over 200

different countries.

●22,405 UK students studying abroad.

Thanks for Watching!

Source of Statistics

and InformationNational Statistics website:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html

(Under the ‘children, education & skills’ link)

Google Search:

http://google.co.uk/

Interesting facts about apprenticeships:

http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/news/view/289

Wikipedia:

http://www.wikipedia.org.uk/

QCF and EQF information (PDF file):

www.qcda.gov.uk/docs/QCF_EQF.pdf

Information on University students and Universities:

http://www.postgrad.com/editorial/uk_pg_students/

Contact Details

Address: Embrace Co-operation Ltd.

Shakespeare Business Centre

245a Coldharbour Lane

SW9 8RR. London UK

Tel: +044(0)-207 274 9450

Web: www.myembrace.org

E-Mail: info.hq@myembrace.org