E

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Notes• This presentation focuses on England with some

reference to Scotland and Northern Ireland

• LEAs (Local Education Authorities) which are mentioned in your handouts are now called LAs (Local Authorities)

• 1870: The Education Act

• Prior to this all schools were charitable or private

• The 1902 Education Act allowed local authorities to create secondary schools

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

EDUCATION

GOVERNMENT

3 government departments:

England & WalesScotlandNorthern Ireland

LEA: Local Education Authority:

Takes most of the decisions.

The Academic Year (Schools)

•Begins at the end of summer (September)•October half-term (1 week)•Christmas holidays (2 weeks)•February half-term (1 week)•Easter holidays (2 weeks)•May half-term•Summer holidays (Start in July) and last

approx. 6 weeks

Types of School

•State schools•Grammar (Selective)•Comprehensive (Open to all)•Private (Sometimes public)•Boarding (Residential) •Academies (2000)•Faith schools•Single sex schools

Public vs. Private

•Not all private schools are public•Public schools tend to be older, more

expensive and more prestigious and generally educate children between the ages of 13 & 18.

•They are generally boarding schools but most now admit day pupils

Academies• Academies are publicly-funded independent schools

that provide a first-class education.• Academies benefit from greater freedoms such as:• freedom from local authority control• the ability to set their own pay and conditions for staff• freedoms around the delivery of the curriculum• the ability to change the lengths of terms and school

days.• Some academies, generally those set up to replace

underperforming schools, will have a sponsor. Sponsors come from a wide range of backgrounds including successful schools, businesses, universities, charities and faith bodies.

School Age• Full-time education is compulsory for all children

aged between 5 and 17 (and up to 18 from 2015)

• The National Curriculum defines four Key Stages:

• Early Years (Nursery)•Key Stage 1: Years 1 and 2 (up to age 7)•Key Stage 2: Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 (age 7 to 11)•Key Stage 3: Years 7, 8 and 9 (age 11 to 14)•Key Stage 4: Years 10 and 11 (age 14 to 16)

The National Curriculum• The National Curriculum consists of a set of core and

foundation subjects.

• The core subjects are:• English, maths & science

• The foundation subjects are:• Design & technology, information & communication

technology (ICT), history, geography, art & design, music, physical education, modern foreign languages (KS3 only) and citizenship (KS3 & 4 only).

• Religious education is taught according to agreed local syllabus.

But please note…• The term “National Curriculum” refers to

England & Wales only.

• In Northern Ireland there is a common• curriculum, and in Scotland the nearest

equivalent is the 5-14 programme

SATs• Standard Assessment Tests are given at the end

of years 2 & 6

• In year 9 (aged 14) students must take teacher set tests which assess their progress

Secondary School

•Most state schools do not require an exam to enter

•An optional entrance exam known as the 11-plus may be taken in some counties to gain access to certain grammar schools

•Other schools may choose to set their own in-house exam used to select their pupils

The School Day•Starts around 9 o’clock

• Finishes between 3 and 4 o’clock

•Almost everybody eats lunch at school (school dinners or a packed lunch)

• In secondary schools, pupils change classrooms and each classroom is generally specifically equipped for the subject it houses

OFSTED•Office for Standards in Education

• Carries out school inspections to ensure quality

• Produces publically available reports

Exams•General Certificate of Secondary Education

(GCSEs) usually taken at the age of 16 (8-12 subjects)

•GCSEs are not actually compulsory but the majority of students take them before leaving school

• These exams are not set by the government but by various examination boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR etc.)

Exams• EBAC (English Baccalaureate) is not a

standalone qualification in itself but a performance indicator measuring the percentage of students in a school who achieve grades A*-C in English, maths, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography.

• BTEC (Business & Technology Education Council) is a vocational exam for untraditional, less academic subjects

•National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) are work based awards (SVQ in Scotland)

Sixth-Form• The Sixth-Form (Years 12 & 13) is further

education which bridges the gap between school and university. Many schools have their own sixth-forms but there are also separate sixth-form colleges

• Students usually study 3-4 subjects (5 in exceptional circumstances) which tend to be related and connected to the subject they intend to pursue at university level

• At the end of the course, Sixth-form students take Advanced Levels (A-Levels)

Applying to University• Students apply to university using UCAS which requires them to

write a personal statement outlining why they wish to study their chosen course* and what skills and qualities they possess which make them a desirable addition to the institute. A person may apply up to 5 universities.

• A reference must also be provided by a third party, usually a teacher

• Some courses (particularly competitive ones e.g. medicine) require the candidate to attend an interview and may require additional such as work experience or evidence of a long-standing interest in the chosen field

• Successful candidates are typically given a conditional offer which states they will be admitted provided they achieve a certain set of results in their exams Carrera = Course

The Application Process

• Registration• Personal details• Additional information (UK applicants only)• Student finance• Choices• Education• Employment• Personal statement• Reference• View all details• Declaration• Pay and send

Oxbridge

•Oxbridge is the collective name used to refer to the universities of Cambridge & Oxford

• Applicants still apply through UCAS but additional requirements may be necessary (essays, a separate application form, interviews)

• The deadline for applying is earlier than for most other universities

•With one exception, all universities are state funded but English & Welsh students must pay annual tuition fees of up to £9,000

• This was recently raised from £3,375

• Scottish students studying in Scotland are not required to pay for their education

Universities

Maximum annual

tuition fees for 2013 entry

£9, 000 = Approx. $63, 000 (pesos)

How can we afford it?• Student Loans which cover the entire cost of

the course and which students do not have to pay back until they are earning a certain amount

•Maintenance Loans which help towards living costs, equipment etc.

•Grants for students from low income backgrounds

Learning for its own sake

• “But what’s your actual degree?!

• “Learning for its own sake, rather than for any particular practical purpose, has traditionally been given a comparatively high value in Britain.”

Universities•Many students move to different cities to study

•Most undergraduate courses in England last 3 years (some, such as Languages, last 4)

• A PGCE is a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and is the qualification required to become a teacher (in England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

• It is taken after an undergraduate degree and may last 1 year (full-time) or 2 years (part-time)

Terminology•Uni: short for university• College is an American term and is not a

synonym of university in Britain• Fresher: a first year student•Halls (of residence): specialist student

accommodation, generally similar to flats & often with communal kitchens, bathrooms & lounges

• Freshers Fair: an event which takes place during the introductory week (often called freshers week) which provides freebies, information and the ability to join clubs (known as societies)

•Undergraduate: first level of university study• Postgraduate: degrees taken after an UG

degree

Open University

•Distance learning

• Established in 1969 (First students 1971)

• The Open University's mission is to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.

• Students’ previous academic achievements are generally not taken into account for entry

Some TV programmes which show…

•School life:Waterloo RoadThe InbetweenersSkins

•University LifeCampusFresh Meat