Education in England

Legally compulsory education

Education or training is compulsory for all children aged 5 to 18. Students must stay in a traditional school setting until the age of 16. After this age they are required to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday, either through full-time further education, training through an apprenticeship, or working or volunteering while in part-time education or training. State-provided schooling and sixth-form education are paid for by taxes.

A child begins primary education during the school year they turn 5. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 are entitled to 600 hours per year of optional, state-funded, pre-school education. This can be provided in "playgroups", nurseries, community childcare centres or nursery classes in schools.

All children in England must currently therefore receive an effective education (at school or otherwise) from the first "prescribed day", which falls on or after their fifth birthday, and must remain in school until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they turn 16. The prescribed days are 31 August, 31 December and 31 March. The school year begins on 1 September (or 1 August if a term starts in August).

The compulsory stages of education are broken into a Foundation Stage (covering the last part of optional and first part of compulsory education), 4 Key Stages, and post-16 education, sometimes unofficially termed Key Stage Five, which takes a variety of different forms, including the sixth-form.

Types of school

A number of different terms and names exist for the various schools and stages a pupil may go through during the compulsory part of their education. Grammar schools are selective schools, admitting children from 11 years old onward; they are normally state-funded, though fee paying independent grammars do exist. Schools offering nursery (pre-school) education commonly accept pupils from age 3; however, some schools do accept pupils younger than this.

State-funded schools

Some 93% of children between the ages of 3 and 18 are in education in state-funded schools without charge (other than for activities such as swimming, cultural visits, theatre visits and field trips for which a voluntary payment can be requested, and limited charges at state-funded boarding schools).

All schools are legally required to have a website where they must publish details of their governance, finance, curriculum intent and staff and pupil protection policies.

Types of schools in England include:

• Academy schools, established by the 1997-2010 Labour Government to replace poorly-performing community schools in areas of high social and economic deprivation. Their start-up costs are typically funded by private means, such as entrepreneurs or NGOs, with running costs met by central government and, like Foundation schools, are administratively free from direct local authority control. The 2010 Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government expanded the role of Academies in the Academy Programme. Some such schools operate selective entrance requirements for some of their entry, similar to grammar schools.
• Community schools, in which the local authority employs the schools' staff, owns the schools' lands and buildings, and has primary responsibility for admissions.
• Free schools, introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, are newly established schools in England set up by parents, teachers, charities or businesses, where there is a perceived local need for more schools. They are funded by taxpayers, are academically non-selective and free to attend, and like Foundation schools and Academies, are not controlled by a local authority. They are ultimately accountable to the Secretary of State for Education. Free schools are an extension of the existing Academy Programme. The first 24 free schools opened in Autumn 2011.

• Foundation schools, in which the governing body employs the staff and has primary responsibility for admissions. School land and buildings are owned by the governing body or by a charitable foundation. The foundation appoints a minority of governors. Many of these schools were formerly grant maintained schools. In 2005 the Labour government proposed allowing all schools to become Foundation schools if they wished.
• Voluntary Aided schools, linked to a variety of organisations. They can be faith schools (about two thirds Church of England-affiliated; just under one third Roman Catholic Church, and a few another faith), or non-denominational schools, such as those linked to London Livery Companies. The charitable foundation contributes towards the capital costs of the school (typically 10%), and appoints a majority of the school governors. The governing body employs the staff and has primary responsibility for admissions.
• Voluntary Controlled schools, which are almost always faith schools, with the lands and buildings often owned by a charitable foundation. However, the local authority employs the schools' staff and has primary responsibility for admissions.
• University technical colleges (UTCs), introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010. These are sponsored by a university and have close ties to local business and industry. They are funded by the taxpayer, and are non-selective, free to attend and not controlled by a local authority. The university and industry partners support the curriculum development of the UTC, provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and guide suitably qualified students to industrial apprenticeships, foundation degrees or full degrees. The sponsor university appoints the majority of the UTC's governors and key members of staff. Pupils transfer to a UTC at the age of 14, part-way through their secondary education. The distinctive element of UTCs is that they offer technically oriented courses of study, combining National Curriculum requirements with technical and vocational elements. UTCs must specialise in subjects that require technical and modern equipment, but they also all teach business skills and the use of information and communications technology. UTCs are also supposed to offer clear routes into higher education or further learning in work.
• Maths schools were launched as selective specialist 16–19 schools in 2018, again sponsored by a university, following pilots with King's College London Mathematics School and Exeter Mathematics School.

In addition, three of the fifteen City Technology Colleges established in the 1980s still remain; the rest having converted to academies. These are state-funded all-ability secondary schools which charge no fees but which are independent of local authority control. There are also a small number of state-funded boarding schools.

English state-funded primary schools are almost all local schools with a small catchment area. More than half are owned by the Local Authority, though many are (nominally) voluntary controlled and some are voluntary aided. Some schools just include infants (aged 4 to 7) and some just juniors (aged 7 to 11). Some are linked, with automatic progression from the infant school to the junior school, and some are not. A few areas still have first schools for ages around 4 to 8 and middle schools for ages 8 or 9 to 12 or 13.

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, arts, 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 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 publishes 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 uniforms are defined by individual schools, within the constraint that uniform regulations must not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief. Schools may choose to permit trousers for girls or religious dress. Pupils aged five to seven in state-funded schools (including those in reception class) are entitled to free school meals and fruit. Pupils aged seven to 16 from low income families are eligible for free school meals. All school meals must follow the government's healthy eating standards and promote a healthy diet.

State-funded schools are encouraged to provide childcare outside of school hours, including breakfast clubs and after school curriculum activities (drama, computing, food preparation, arts, crafts, sports, science, etc.).

Private schools

Approximately 7% of school children in England attend privately run, fee-charging private schools. 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 (ISI) regularly publishes reports on the quality of education in independent schools that are members of the Independent Schools Council, while other independent schools in England are inspected by Ofsted.

Education by means other than schooling

The Education Act 1944 stated that parents are responsible for the education of their children, "by regular attendance at school or otherwise", which allows children to be educated at home. Officially referred to as "Elective Home Education", teaching ranges from structured homeschooling (using a school-style curriculum) to less-structured unschooling. Education Otherwise has supported parents who wished to educate their children outside school since the 1970s. The state provides no financial support to parents who choose to educate their children outside of school.

Stages of compulsory education

Early years

In the early years foundation stage, the curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

National curriculum

The national curriculum covers pupils in primary school (ages 5 to 11; key stages 1 and 2) and secondary school (ages 11 to 16; key stages 3 and 4). It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

State-funded schools in England are required to offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based, which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and which prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

State-funded schools are obliged to teach thirteen subjects, including the core English, Mathematics and Science. The structure of the National Curriculum is:

Schools must provide Relationship and Sex Education and Personal, Social, Health and Economic education.

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 a modern language.

Post-16 education

Compulsory schooling ends on the last Friday of June for pupils who will turn 16 before the start of the next school year. Most pupils at both state schools and independent schools will typically take GCSE examinations at the end of their last year of compulsory schooling.

After this, young people are mandated to continue in education until age 18, but need not attend a school. They can pursue further education, which includes technical education, in the sixth form of a school, in a specialised sixth form or further education college. Alternatively, they can take an apprenticeship or traineeship, or can volunteer for 20 or more hours a week while undertaking part-time education or training. Types of colleges that focus on education after sixteen include:

• Further education colleges
• Sixth form colleges
• Tertiary colleges
• Art, design and performing art colleges

Sixth form colleges / further education colleges

Students over 16 typically study in the sixth form of a school (sixth form is a historical term for Years 12–13), in a separate sixth form college or further education college. Courses at FE colleges (referred to as further education courses) can also be studied by adults over 18. Colleges can offer a wide range of options for study, including apprenticeships and national qualifications such as:

• A-levels
• Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC)
• City and Guilds qualifications
• Cambridge International
• Cambridge Technicals
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)
• T Levels
• V Levels
• WJEC Eduqas qualifications
• Functional Skills qualifications
• Skills for Life courses

Apprenticeships and traineeships

The National Apprenticeship Service helps people 16 or more years of age enter apprenticeships in order to learn a skilled trade. Traineeships are also overseen by the National Apprenticeship Service, and are education and a training programmes that are combined with work experience to give trainees the skills needed to get an apprenticeship.

T Levels are technical qualifications introduced in 2020, developed in collaboration with businesses and education providers to prepare students for skilled employment, apprenticeships and higher study. Every T Level includes an industry placement with an employer focused on developing the practical and technical skills required for an occupation.

Higher education

Higher education in England is provided by Higher Education (HE) colleges, university colleges, universities and private colleges. Students normally enter higher education as undergraduates from age 18 onwards, and can study for a wide variety of vocational and academic qualifications, including certificates of higher education and higher national certificates at level 4, diplomas of higher education, higher national diplomas and foundation degrees at level 5, bachelor's degrees (normally with honours) at level 6, and integrated master's degrees and degrees in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science at level 7.

Historically, undergraduate education outside a small number of private colleges and universities has been largely state-financed since the 1960s, with a contribution from top-up fees introduced in October 1998, however fees of up to £9,000 per annum have been charged from October 2012. There is a perceived hierarchy among universities, with the Russell Group seen as being composed of the country's more prestigious universities. League tables of universities are produced by private companies and generally cover the whole UK.

The state does not control university syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures through the Office for Students (OfS), which approves and monitors access agreements to safeguard and promote fair access to higher education. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is an independent expert quality body, with a remit to maintain and enhance the quality of teaching and learning in tertiary education in England. Unlike most degrees, the state has control over teacher training courses, and standards are monitored by Ofsted inspectors.

The typical first degree offered at English universities is the bachelor's degree with honours, which usually lasts for three years, although more vocational foundation degrees, typically lasting two years (or full-time equivalent) are also available in some institutions. Many institutions now offer integrated master's degrees, particularly in STEM subjects, as first degrees; these typically lasts for four years, the first three years running parallel to the bachelor's course in the subject. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates. The difference in fees between integrated and traditional postgraduate master's degrees (and that fees are capped at the first degree level for the former) makes taking an integrated master's degree as a first degree a more attractive option. Integrated master's degrees are often the standard route to chartered status for STEM professionals in England.

The majority of international students in the United Kingdom chose a British institution because of the country's reputation for high quality education, a far higher proportion than in Canada or Australia (just over 20 per cent) or the US (around 15 per cent). The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge rank among the top 10 of the major global rankings. At some institutions in London such as the London School of Economics and University College London, the majority of first degree students are from outside the UK. Including postgraduates, international students are also in the majority at Imperial College London and University of the Arts London.

Postgraduate education

Students who have completed a first degree can apply for postgraduate and graduate courses. These include:

• Graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, professional graduate certificate in education – level 6 courses aimed at those who have already completed a bachelor's degree, often as conversion courses.
• Postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas, postgraduate certificate in education – level 7 courses shorter than a full master's degree.
• Master's degrees (typically taken in one year, though research-based master's degrees may last for two) – taught or research degrees at level 7.
• Doctorates (typically taken in three years) – research degrees at level 8, the top level of the qualifications frameworks, often requiring a master's degree for entry. These may be purely research based (PhD/DPhil) or research and practice (professional doctorates). "New Route" PhDs, introduced in 2001, take at least 4 years and incorporate teaching at master's level.

Fees

Since October 1998, most undergraduates have paid fees repayable after graduation, contingent on attaining a certain level of income, with the state paying all fees for students from the poorest backgrounds. Only those who reach a certain salary threshold (£21,000) pay this fee through general taxation. In practice, higher education remains free at the point of entry in England for a high minority of students. English students are generally entitled to student loans for maintenance and living costs.

Students admitted from the academic year 2024-25 have paid tuition fees set at a maximum of up to £9,535 per annum. Fees for international students vary but are generally higher. Depending on the discipline and university, Master's degrees can cost between £10,000 and £35,000. 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.

The gap between rich and poor students has narrowed since the introduction of the higher fees. This may be because universities have used tuition fees to invest in bursaries and outreach schemes. In 2016, The Guardian noted that the number of disadvantaged students applying to university had increased by 72% from 2006 to 2015, a bigger rise than in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

A study by the Centre for Economic Performance found that the introduction of tuition fees had "increased funding per head, educational standards, rising enrolments, and a narrowing of the participation gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students".

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.
• A number of universities, such as the Open University, offer 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 arts & crafts, life skills and languages.

National qualifications frameworks

The two qualifications frameworks in England are the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), for qualifications regulated by Ofqual, and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) for qualifications granted by bodies with degree awarding powers, overseen by the Quality Assurance Agency. These share a common numbering scheme for their levels, which was also used for the earlier Qualifications and Credit Framework. The RQF is linked to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the FHEQ to the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA).

Standards

The Programme for International Student Assessment coordinated by the OECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of British 15-year-olds as thirteenth in the world in literacy, mathematics, and science with the average British student scoring 503.7, well above the OECD average of 493. Primary school children in England were ranked fourth in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study for reading and literacy skills in 2021.

The United Nations ranks the UK seventh in the Education Index, measuring educational attainment, GDP per capita and life expectancy, ahead most of Europe. From 1997 to 2010, the Labour government introduced city academies in areas of social and economic deprivation. More former local authority schools, deemed inadequate or requiring improvement by inspectors, transitioned to an academy trust are now rated good or outstanding.

Academies were established in most disadvantaged areas, they are the key element in the drive to raise standards; raising aspirations and creating opportunity in some of the most disadvantaged communities. By 2015, more students were in good and outstanding rated schools from all social backgrounds than 2010. This growth in the academy system coincides with the improvement across schools in England, with 88% of all schools rated good or outstanding, an improvement from 68% in August 2010.

Funding

Since 2018, English schools have been funded through a national formula. In August 2019, it was announced that the budget for schools and high needs would be increased by 6% (£2.6 billion) in 2020–21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23 respectively – plus an extra £1.5 billion per year to fund additional pensions costs for teachers. This new funding includes £780 million in 2020–21 to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).