EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN GREAT BRITAIN

Dianna May C. Macapulay

•Most children attend primary
schools until they are eleven and
then transfer to secondary schools.
In the primary school, the subjects
are taught by the same teacher
for a year before moving in to the
next teacher and next grade level
on the next year. (Sadker, 2002)
 NATIONAL CURRICULUM
-minimum educational requirement for
compulsory school age, 5- 16 years.
- mandatory for all state schools to provide a
balanced broad- based curriculum which
promotes spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and
physical development that prepares them for
opportunities, responsibilities and experiences
of adult life
It falls into four stages:
 Pre- compulsory education (under 5
years of age)
 Compulsory education (5-16)
 Further education (16-18)
 Higher education (over 18 years of
age)
Compulsory School has 4 parts
(key stages) :

• The 1st from the age of 5 up to the age of 7

• The 2nd one from the age of 7 up to the age of
11
• The 3rd one from the age of 11 up to the age
of 14
• The 4th from the age of 14 up to the age of 16
BASIC EDUCATION
FOUNDATION STAGE
- 3 to 5 years, not yet mandatory
KEY STAGE ONE
• 5 to 7 years (grade 1-2)
• mandates core subjects and non- core
foundation subjects as design/ technology.
History, art/design, music and physical
education
• other statutory areas are religious education,
the format is decided by local education
authorities (LEA’s) or by the faith in which the
school was founded
 KEY STAGE TWO
• 7 to 11 years (grade 3-6)
• Core and non- core foundation subjects
• Addition of sex education to additional
statutory areas which is left up to the
policy of school governors (school board)
 KEY STAGE THREE
•11 to 1 years (grade 7-9)
•Same basics in stage 1 and 2
•Adds Foreign language, and information/
Communication technology
 KEY STAGE FOUR
• 14-16 (grade 10-11)
• Statutory program of study
• English, math, science, information and
communication technology ICT, and physical
education
 POST EDUCATION
• Not mandatory, students can either
continue education or enter the working
world
• If the high school does not offer these
‘SIXTH FORM’ extra years, the student
may go to a ‘ FURTHER EDUCATION
COLLEGE’ (FEC)
CERTIFICATES OR DIPLOMA AWARDED
IN THE POST 16 EDUCATION
General Certificate of Education (GCE)
- a level comprising advanced subsidiary (AS)
and A2, each of these usually containing three
assessed units
Vocational Certificate of Education (VCE)
- a level, dealing with the more applied aspects
of the subject; they are available in three, six,
and twelve unit sizes; replaced the advanced
General national vocational Qualifications
(GNVQs)
Foundation and Intermediate GNVQ
are widely used 16-19

Key skills qualifications at levels 1-4 of

the national Qualifications framework
SECONDARY SCHOOL
 11-16
Compulsory is learning foreign languages
 French, German, Spanish, Italian or Russian
in 14 they can opt for the General National
Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ)- to learn a
trade (a mechanic, a hairdresser, an
electrician)
Instead of taking GCSE at 16 the GNVQ helps
to find a job
GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary
Education)
- It is not a big exam
- They can take from 5 to 10 GCSE
- They must pass 7 GCSE to go to university
- When they have passed it, they can
choose between Sixth Form College or a
Tertiary College
Sixth Form Education
- Enable them to go to university
- They can spend here two years
- In the end they must take exam which is
called ADVANCED Level (A- LEVEL)
- They need only three A- levels to go to
university
TERTIARY COLLEGE
- Further education in a Tertiary
College enables them to learn a
job and to get one
 GRADING SYSTEM
A- excellent
B- above average
C- average
D- passing but below average
E- failure- no credit
HIGHER EDUCATION
Pre 1992 Universities- old universities
Former polytechnics- new universities
OPEN UNIVERSITY
Pioneered the way for opening
access by offering greater
flexibility for adult learners
through distance learning
programs.
Undergraduates- students
studying for their first degree

Graduate- a student who

graduated from a university
Ordinary degree programmes in the UK
universities are usually 3- year courses.

Undergraduates completing these

programmes successfully are awarded
either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) or Bachelor of
Science (B. Sc) degree but are not
permitted to place B.A or B.Sc after their
names
Honours degree programmes
are usually four- year courses.
The degree title is extended to
B.A (Hons.) and B. Sc (Hons.),
respectively.
Master’s Degree is usually
achieved after two more years
study following an Ordinary or
an Honours degree. The
students are awarded M.A or
M. Sc
A doctorate is normally awarded
after several years (three years full
time) of research under the direction
of a member of a department in the
possession of a doctorate and the
presentation of a doctoral
dissertation or thesis.
TEACHER’S REQUIREMENTS IN UK
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
1. For a post graduate teacher,
you’ll need to hold an
undergraduate degree
awarded by a higher education
provider in UK, or a recognised
equivalent qualification.
2. You’ll need to have achieved
a standard equivalent to a
grade C/4, or above, in the
GCSE examinations in English
and mathematics.
3. If you intend to teach pupils aged
3-11 (early years and primary), you
must also have achieved a standard
equivalent to a grade C/4, or
above, in a GCSE science subject
examination.
4. You’ll also need to pass the
professional skills tests in
numeracy and literacy
NOTE:

If you studied outside the UK, check the National

Academic Recognition Information Centre
(NARIC) website to find out whether your
qualifications are of an equivalent level to UK
GCSEs, A levels, and an undergraduate degree.
If you have non-UK qualifications, you will need a
Statement of Comparability from NARIC.
NON- ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
1. School experience
2. Medical fitness
3. Declaration of criminal
convictions
4. Disclosure and Barring Service
(DBS) in UK
Thank you so much! :)