1. INTRODUCTION to EDUCATION in Britain
Education is important in England, as it is Wales and Scotland too. British children are required by law to have an education until they are 18 in Education is compulsory, but school is not, children are not required to attend school. They could be educated at home.

2. Education is free for all children from 5 to 17（18 in 2015）.
Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 17 (inclusive， 18 in 2015) across England. This can be provided by state schools, independent schools, or homeschooling.
About 94 per cent of pupils(under 17) in England, and the rest of the UK, receive free education from public funds (state schools), while 6 per cent attend independent fee payingschools (independent schools) or homeschooling.

4. Homeschooling in England: http://news. bbc. co

5. Two school systems for compulsory school education
Schools of compulsory-education in UK falls into two categories according to their ownership and source of funding:
State Schools国立学校 at two levels (primary schools and secondary schools-Comprehensive schools as they are now called)
Independent Schools私立学校 (at two levels:Preparatory schools（小学阶段-称为公学预科） and public schools (中学阶段-称为公学，实质为私立学校的初高中阶段private secondary school, contrary to what its name suggests).

6. Educational ladder
Schools can also divided according to the educational ladder(school years):
Primary schools,
secondary schools,
post-secondary schools(相当于中国的高中its names include six-form school, six-form college, further education school/college) and
higher education-colleges and universities. (There is only one private university)

7. Grades in Britain

8. State Schools
In the UK 93% of the children in England and Wales go to "state schools". State schools are non fee-paying for compulsory education, funded from taxes and most are organised by Local Authorities (LA). But things are changing...(refer to Economist Europe p66 Educational Reform in UK)
Parents are expected to make sure that their child has a pen, pencil, ruler etc. but the cost of other more specialised equipment, books, examination fees are covered by the school.
Parents are, however, expected to pay for their child's school uniform and items of sports wear. Charges may also be made for music lessons and for board and lodgings on residential trips. Schools may ask for voluntary contributions for school time activities - but no pupil may be left out of an activity if their parents or guardian cannot or do not contribute.

9. State School-Level 1 Primary schools (5 - 11 year olds)
In the UK, the first level of education is known as primary education. These are almost always mixed sex, and usually located close to the child's home. Children tend to be with the same group throughout the day, and one teacher has responsibility for most of the work they do.
Parents are strongly encouraged to help their children, particularly with reading and writing, and small amounts of homework are set to all children, even during the early years at school.

10. State Schools-Level 2 Secondary schools (11 - 17/18 in 2015 year olds)
Most children transfer at the age of 11 - usually to their nearest secondary school, though the law allows parents in England and Wales to express preferences for other schools too. A place has to be offered at the parents' preferred school unless the school has more applicants than places; in that case it will admit the children who have the highest priority under its published admission arrangements which can vary a little in different places.

11. Most secondary schools cater for both sexes
Most secondary schools cater for both sexes. They tend to be much larger than primary schools.
Nearly 88 per cent of secondary school pupils in England go to comprehensive schools, as do all pupils in Wales. These take children of all abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children in a district from 11 to 16 or 18. All children in Scotland go to non-selective schools.

12. Comprehensive schools are not selective, but grammar schools usually are
Grammar Schools are selective, they offer academically oriented general education. Entrance is based on a test of ability, usually at 11 (11+). Grammar schools are single sexed schools i.e. Children either go to a boys Grammar School or a Girls Grammar School. There are grammar schools in Northern Ireland and some parts of England.

13. Fee Paying Schools- Independent Schools
7% of the children in England go to independent schools. Independent schools are known as preparatory schools and public schools(私立学校) . Parents pay for their children to attend these schools.
Nursery/Kindergarten 2 to 4 years
Pre-preparatory 3 or 4 to 7 years
Preparatory （公学预科）7 to 11 or 13 years
Public （公学）11 or 13 to 18 years

14. Prep Schools-preparatory schools
A preparatory school is a school to prepare pupils to go to a public school.
Public Schools A public school (is actually a private school, named so because at first it was public 公学in the 15th century) is an independent secondary school. Public schools in England are not run by the government. The entrance exams used by most public schools are known as Common Entrance exams and are taken at the age of 11 (girls) or 13 (boys).
The most famous public schools are Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

15. What is the difference between  Grammar Schools and Comprehensive schools?
Grammar schools are selective, they offer academically oriented general education. Entrance is based on a test of ability, usually at 11, called the Eleven Plus (11+). (Find out about the 11+).Comprehensive schools, on the other hand, are non-selective, they do not select pupils on grounds of ability.

16. Curriculum
All government-run schools, state schools, follow the same National Curriculum.
The School Year
The school year runs from September to July and is 39 weeks long.
For many areas the year is divided into six terms:
September to October
October to December
January to February
February to March
April to May
June to July
(Some counties in England still follow the traditional three terms a year.)
The dates for school terms and holidays are decided by the local authority or the governing body of a school, or by the school itself for independent schools.

17. The main school holidays are: Christmas- 2 weeks Spring - 2 weeks
Summer - 6 weeks
There are also one week holidays:
end of October
mid February
end of May

18. When do kids start school?
Children normally start primary school at the age of four or five, but many schools now have a reception year for four year olds.
Children normally leave at the age of 11, moving on to secondary school (High school).
Please note aslo: Every three and four year old in England is entitled to 12.5 hours of free early learning per week, in nurseries, playgroups, pre-schools or at their childminders for 38 weeks of the year.

19. When do kids leave school?
British children are required to attend school until they are 16 years old. In England, compulsory schooling currently ends on the last Friday in June during the academic year in which a pupil attains the age of 16. Current government proposals are to raise the age until which students must continue to receive some form of education or training to 18. This is expected to be phased in by 2015.
At the age of 16, students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland take an examination called the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Study of GSCE subjects begins at the start of Year 10 (age 14-15), and final examinations are then taken at the end of Year 11 (age 15-16).
In state schools English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education and Physical Education are studied during Key Stage 4 (the GCSE years of school); in England, some form of ICT and citizenship must be studied and, in Wales, Welsh must be studied. Other subjects, chosen by the individual pupil, are also studied.

20. In Scotland, the equivalent of the GCSE is the Standard Grade.
After completing the GCSE, some students leave school, others go onto technical college, whilst others continue at high school for two more years and take a further set of standardized exams, known as A levels, in three or four subjects. These exams determine whether a student is eligible for university.

21. Education stages:
Nursery Schools3-4 years oldPrimary Schools5-11 years oldFoundation Stage - Nursery, Reception, (Infants)Key Stage 1 - Years 1 and 2 (Infants)
Key Stage 2 -Years 3 - 6 (Juniors)Secondary Schools12-18 years oldYears 7-13 (Key Stage 3, 4 & 5)

22. At what age do children start school in Britain?
The statutory school age in England, Wales and Scotland is from 5 years to 16 years.In England term starts in September, the entry year is reception (R) and children must be 5 before August 31 the following year.The Scottish school year starts in August. The entry class is primary 1 (P1) and a child must be 5 before the end of the following February to gain admission to P1. (see table)Children attend primary school for seven years, where they study English, mathematics, science, Religious education, history, geography, music, art and crafts, physical education, information technology (computers) and a foreign language.

23. Most school in England require children to wear a school uniform.
Boys Long grey or black trousers
(shorts may be worn in the Summer) White Shirt School tie (optional in most primary schools) Jumper or sweater with the school logo on. The
colour is the choice of the schools. Black shoes
Girls As above. Girls may wear skirts  During the summer term girls often wear summer school dresses.

24. Why wear a Uniform?
When we go on a school trip we all look the same and so can't get lost.
Stops kids worrying about what to wear each day.
Everyone is equal.
Parents don't have to shop for expensive and varied wardrobes for their children to keep up with or show-off to other children
Wearing a uniform instills a sense of pride and discipline in students
Why not to wear a uniform:
Uniforms deny students their right to personal identity and self-expression.

26. School Tests in England
The British Government places great importance on the need to assess and test pupils in order to know what they have achieved. Compulsory testing takes place at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen in England and Scotland (but not Wales where more informal methods of assessment are favoured).
All children in state schools are tested in English and mathematics at the ages of seven, 11 and 14, and pupils aged 11 and 14 are also tested in science.
Most young people take GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations at sixteen, and many take vocational qualifications, A/S and A levels (Advanced levels), at seventeen and eighteen.

28. Different types of schools in England?
Children's education in England is normally divided into two separate stages. They begin with primary education at the age of five and this usually lasts until they are eleven. Then they move to secondary school, there they stay until they reach sixteen, seventeen or eighteen years of age.
The main categories of school are:-
local authority maintained schools (State Schools) Free to all children between the ages of  
independent schools. (Private/Public Schools) Parents pay for their children's' education.

29. Higher Education
Around 30% of the 18 to 19 year olds enter full-time higher education. The formal entry requirements to most degree courses are two A-levels at grade E or above. In practice, most offers of places require qualifications in excess of this.

30. Schools and Terms

33. Schools days in comparison
School days in other countries
American students 180 days
Australian students 198 days
Israeli students 216 days
German students 220 days
Japanese students 243 days
School Holidays
The main summer holiday (6 weeks) is from mid-July to early September. Children also have 2 weeks holiday at Christmas and at Easter, plus a week in mid-October and in mid-February. Exact dates vary between each education authority.

34. When are school Vacations in England? how long do they last?
Holidays / Vacations
Our main School holidays are:
Christmas - 2 weeks
Spring - 2 weeks
Summer (end of July and the whole of August) - 6 weeks
We also have a one week holiday at the end of every odd numbered term.
When does the School Year start?
The new school year starts at the beginning of September, at the end of summer vacation.
Who decides the dates of the School terms and holidays?
The local educational authority decides the dates of the school terms and the school governing bodies determine the times at which schools open and close each day.

35. Holidays in Britain

36. What school events do you have in a typical school year?
There are many school events during the year, such as:

39. What is registration?
The attendance of every child attending school each morning and afternoon is recorded in a special book.
The teacher reads out each child’s name in turn. On hearing his/her name, the child replies 'yes Mrs. (teacher's name)' and the teacher notes down in the book whether the child is in school or not.

40. A day in the life of an English Student
At 9:10 we go to assembly. In assembly we sing songs, listen to a story and pray.
Our first lesson begins at 9:20.
We have break time from 10:20 until 10:35. During break time, the children have a snack and play games out doors.
Afterwards, we go back in for another lesson until lunch at 12:00.
Afternoon lessons begin at 1:10 and end at 3:15, when the children go home.
We do not have a break in the afternoon.
Actual taught time as defined by Department of Education is 23.5 hours weekly.

41. School Life for a 13 year old British Boy
My School is a mixed school. There about 1,150 students in my school, including 200 in the sixth form. It is called a Technology College and specialises in Computers and Maths. My school has over 1200 computers (including over 400 tablet PC's)
I am in Year 8 and at the end of Key Stage 3 (a year earlier than normal). I am presently having to decide what GCSEs I would like to start working towards. I sit my GCSE exams next year instead of the year after when most other people of my age will be doing them.
Some subjects are compulsory like Maths, English, Science and a foreign language. I am not sure what other GSCEs I will be taking. I will have to decide soon.

42. My School Day
I leave home at 6:45 and walk 20 minutes to catch a bus to school. The bus is a special one just for kids going to my school. The journey on the bus takes an hour because it has to keep stopping to pick up other students along the way.
When I arrive at school, I collect my Tablet PC from the Flexi (Flexiable Learning Centre). Then I go to my Tutor Room for Registration at 8:30.

43. We listen to announcements to see what special things are happening at school today or this week.
At about 8:50 we leave Tutor Room to go to our First Period. Every day I have a different Lesson the first period. Normally it is Humanities but I also have Maths, Drama and Music, and French on the other days. Each period lasts an hour.
All my lessons are in different rooms and places around the school. Each Room either has a three digit number or a name. The numbers are very hard to remember!. I have different teachers for each lesson. I have a locker where I can store some of my stuff but otherwise I have to carry it all around with my in my bags.
Swipe Cards Every Student carries a swipe card. We swipe into every lesson to let the school know that we have attended that certain lesson and to know where we are in case of emergencies.
On the Swipe Card there are two stripes, a black and a brown. The brown is to swipe into lessons and the black is to get into the toilets and buildings.
We can put money on our Swipe cards instead of carrying cash around. When we want to pay for snacks at the Tuck Shop or canteen we just hand over our cards and they deduct the money.

44. Nine Major Subjects Subjects: Maths, English，Science， ICT，Drama，
Music，Art，PE，Humanities (History, Geography, and Religion)

45. Time Table
9:00 1st Period
10:00 2nd Period
11: :20 Break During break, I have a snack and play and chat with my friends. Usually we play 'IT' a chasing game. Snow ball fight when it snows is dead fun.
11:20 3rd Period
12:30 4th Period
1:30 - 2:10 Lunch I bring a packed lunch to school but occasionally I have school dinners in the School Canteen.
2:10 5th Period
3:10 End of School
Sometimes I stay after school for clubs.

46. Canteen The Canteen is open at Lunch Time and Break Time
Canteen The Canteen is open at Lunch Time and Break Time. Most hot food is served only at lunch time. Chips are only available on Mondays and Fridays.
Tablet PC We don't use our Tablet PCs in all lessons because some rooms do not have enough power sockets. We use the Tablets to do our work on and to search the Internet. Our Tablet PCs are connected to a Network so we can send our work straight to our teachers. and they can send them back with their comments.

47. National Curriculum

48. What subjects do you learn?
We follow the National Curriculum for England and Wales.What is taught in state schools is set by government guidelines. The main aim of the National Curriculum is to raise standards, making sure all children have a broad and balanced education up to the age of 16 and to ensure that schools in all parts of the country are following the same courses.The National Curriculum specifies what children must study and what they are expected to know at different ages. This ties in with the national tests that check whether children are meeting these targets.

49. Subjects studied in Key Stage 2 (5 -11 year olds) English, Mathematics, Science, Information Technology (Computers), Religious Education (RE), Design and Technology, History, Geography, Art, Music and Physical Education (PE).
The National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 includes English, Mathematics, Science, Design and Technology, IT, History, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages, Art, Music and PE. In addition to the National Curriculum, RE is also taught and, for secondary pupils, Sex Education.
At Key Stage 4 students have to study English, Mathematics, Science, Design and Technology, a Modern Foreign Language, IT and PE. RE and Sex Education are also taught, although parents can choose not to let their child study these subjects.

50. We believe extra-curricular activities play a very important role in the life of the pupil and the school. We therefore offer a variety of clubs for our students to join and enjoy. Many of our students also learn a musical instrument.
Once the children have joined a club they are expected to attend regularly.
Some of the clubs only run at certain times of the year.

51. School Clubs (in a Kent school)