English Schools

English School System English schools start at the age of three years old to five years old with nursery school. Real compulsory school starts with primary school which is divided in infant (5-7) and junior (7-11). After that there is secondary school that requires an admission test. At sixteen years old school finishes with an exam called GCSE. Tertiary school goes until eighteen years old.

School starts at nine o’clock and finishes at half past three School starts at nine o’clock and finishes at half past three. It may seem such a long day but it’s not for them. During the day they do many exciting activities: play in the playground, read adventurous books, do assemblies and sing in choir. A significant number of schools are faith schools. Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.

Uniform School uniform is obligatory in every English school and is worn in sign of respect and fairness for the students and distinction from other schools.

School shoes need to be black for both boys and girls, and need to always be polished in order to be neat. Every school has its own tie, which is worn by both girls and boys. It is taught how to tie a tie in year 1 and needs to be worn always.

Subjects studied in England The main subjects: English, science, maths, then history, geography, ICT and a second language. In English they read poems and stories of different English authors. In science: human body, plants... History is mainly about England (kings and queens or about Britain at war). They also study the Romans and Greeks briefly.

Geography is mainly about English coasts and rocks, as England is an island. ICT stands for Interactive Computer Technology. These subjects are fun because during lessons the use of the interactive whiteboards for games, exercises, music and pictures, always make everyone pay attention.

Activities Sports day : a day of sports in a park with teachers, family and friends. It is a series of races against classmates and sometimes parents. At the end the Head Teacher announces the winners of the different races. Its a way schools show the families that the children not only study, but also have fun.

Often schools organise clubs after school hours Often schools organise clubs after school hours. For example cookery club, sports club, foreign language clubs and music clubs. Cookery club: it’s an activity that most schools propose to pupils who love cooking. They make biscuits, pizzas, ice-cream and lots more. Then they get to take them home and show their parents and let them taste their lovely cooking. Lots of pupils love cooking with their teacher.

Choir and music lessons: many schools in England plan choir and music lessons for students who love music. After a lot of practise and lessons, concerts are organised for who really enjoys music.

School Assemblies Take place once a week in the big school hall. All the school reunites and say their morning prayers and listen to visitors who talk about events. Assemblies can also be presented by classes who show something they are covering in class. It is a way to start the day in peace with each other and build a great sense of community.