In the UK, children start their school lives at the age of 4 and continue until the compulsory age of 16 - although the Government wants to change this to 18 by 2013.
Children normally finish school at 16 with GCSE examinations which help get them onto the career ladder, or qualify them to continue to A-levels and further education.
In some cases, such as in Academies and City Technical Colleges, children may instead do GNVQs (General National Vocational Qualifications) or other vocational qualifications which are designed to prepare students for a specific type of work, such as construction, catering or social care.
Education in all ‘state’ schools and ‘maintained’ schools (see below) is governed by the ‘National Curriculum’ and is set in categories of different ‘key stages’ throughout school life, where certain exams must be taken at certain points.
The ‘National Curriculum’ sets out the course that children will study through school from the age of 5 to 16. It covers the subjects which are taught, and intends to ensure that the same level of teaching is maintained throughout the UK.
This does not restrict schools to a particular way of teaching but sets out the topics, knowledge and skills that must be learnt. It also sets achievement targets, dictates how children should be assessed and how this is reported.
Schools in the UK are now inspected by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) to make sure they are following the ‘National Curriculum’ and that they are functioning effectively.
Types of schools
Children go to infant schools between the ages of 5-7 and junior schools from 7-11 (they may also go to ‘primary’ schools which incorporate both infant and junior schools within them). They then move onto high-schools to complete their compulsory education until the age of 16.
There are now all sorts of different schools in the UK – faith schools, which cater for different religious groups; City Academies, which the Government has recently introduced in an educational overhaul; private schools that charge upwards of £10,000 per year for a child’s education; community schools, and more. Education is free for everyone, unless your children go to a private (independent) school.
Dress Code
At the majority schools, children have to wear a plain school uniform especially-made for their school. Many people in the UK believe that this helps to achieve a better learning environment and stops schools from becoming fashion parades where the less well-dressed children feel socially excluded.
State Schools
Most children go to State, or state-maintained schools, which are free and must follow the ‘National Curriculum’. These are all funded by money from local councils, but there are different types, such as community schools and voluntary-controlled schools.
Some of these are owned and run by the council, whereas others are funded by the government but owned and run by an independent organisation. This might be an educational charity or a religious organisation, such as a catholic school for example.
In some areas there are also specialist schools which concentrate in one area, for example, sports. And there are new independently run ‘Academies’, the government’s flagship schools of the future, plus City Technical colleges, which specialise in sciences and technology. And there are also schools for children with specific needs, called ‘Special Educational Needs’ schools, which cater for those with physical or learning disabilities.
Private schools
Private or independent schools are not funded, and as such, charge their pupils for education fees, commonly referred to as ‘school fees’. Visit our private schools section for more information.
To find out what schools are in your area, visit the DirectGov website and do a search. You will get a list of all the schools in your area, with a description and details of how to apply. You can also read their OFSTED reports to make sure they come up to your requirements.
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‘Catchment’ areas
You normally need to live within a certain distance from a school in order to send your children there. This is called the school’s ‘catchment’ area and differs depending on numbers of residents local to the school, and numbers of children wanting to go there.
Some schools, where the number of applicants is larger than the number of places, have started operating a ‘lottery’ system, which means successful applicants are selected at random. You will need to contact the school you are interested in to find out about its admission procedure.
The school year
The school year will usually start in September and run until July. The calendar is set by the local authority (or governing body) unless your children go to a private school, which normally choose their own timetables.
There are normally three terms, broken up by ‘half-term’ holidays. Outside of these terms is holiday-time for schools. A typical English school year in 2010/11 will look something like this:
Autumn term
Schools open
4th September 2010
Half-term holiday
23nd-30th October 2010
Schools close
20st December 2010
Christmas Holidays
Spring term
Schools open
3th January 2011
Half-term holiday
21-25th February 2011
Schools close
11th April 2011
Easter holidays
Summer term
Schools open
25rd April 2011
Half-term holiday
30th May -03th June 2011
Schools close
28th July 2011
Summer holidays
Autumn term
Schools open
5th September 2011
Half-term holiday
24nd-28th October 2011
Schools close
19st December 2011
Christmas Holidays
School days and times
Children in the UK go to school between the hours of around 9-00am to 3.30pm. There will be a short break in the morning and in the afternoon for around 15 minutes, as well as a one-hour lunch break.
School Meals
Most Brits remember these with a mixture of fondness and horror. Pupils will stay in school for the lunch break at the school canteen. Parents can usually choose whether to pay for hot subsidised school meals, or they can send their child to school with food from home; this is known as taking a ‘packed lunch’.
By Matt Taylor
Education 
