Educational System in England and Wales

A quick look at the stages of the English and Welsh schools.

Foundation Stage 1
*Part-time Foundation stage
*Age 3 to 4
*Also known as nursery

Foundation Stage 2
*Full-time
*In an Infant school, First school or a Primary school.

Key 1 stage.
*Year 1 and 2
*Age 5 to 7
*Infant school, First school or Primay school

Key 2 stage
*Year 3 to 6
* Age 7 to 11
* Junior, Middle or Primary school

Key 3 stage
*Year 7 to 9
*Age 11 to 14
*Secondary School

Key 4 stage
*Year 10 and 11
*Age 14 to 16
*Also known as the GCSE years

The optional sixth form
*Year 12 and 13
            *Age 16 to 18
*Also known as the A-level years


National Curriulum

The national curriculum was introduced in 1988 as the educational reform act for primary and secondary state schools. This Curriculum does not count for the indenpendent schools across England and Wales because they are allowed to set their own curriculum.
This Reform act states that all state students are to be tought a basic curriculum of religious and national curriculum. It also stands for certain principal aims and purposes.
Aim 1: Give students a chance to learn to achive in school.
Aim 2: Help with the development of the student in a Spiritual, Moral, Social and cultural kind of way.
Purpose 1: Make sure the pupils gain a title.
Purpose 2: Make sure the pupils have standards.
Purpose 3: Promote Continuety and coherence.
Purpose 4: Promote public understanding.

During the 1990s there some addtions made to the eductional act of 1988
In example in 1996 there was an educational act for the secondary schools.
They had to give lessons in Sex education, this including what HIV, AIDS and other STDs are.
An other example was the educational act of 1997 that pupils between the age of eleven and sixteen were to get carreers education to give them an idea what kind of job suits there intrest.
And my last example is the Educational act of 2002. This educational act is of great importance for the GCSE levels that we now know. It stated that all state schools must provide at least one extra course on top of the lesson package for pupils that were intressted in taking up an extra course. These courses were the following: The Arts, Design of Technology, Humanities and a modern foreign language. All of these have a hand full of classes a student can choose from.

The difference between a public school and a private school

Public schools:
*The parent(s) pay the school fees through tax.
*They admit all children becuase they have to by law.
*They must follow the national curriculum.
*The teachers must be certified or at least working for certification.
*Due to law the school must meet to the students needs. i.e. special education or dyslexis.

Private Schools
*Although the parent(s) pay tax a private school will cost extra.
*Have a selection procedure on pupils, admission can be competitive.
*Are allowed to design and use there own curriculum.
*Teachers don’t need certain cerification or subject area expertise.
*Do not have to accept children with special needs.



GCSEs and A-levels

GCSE: General Certificat of Secondary Education
This is the name of an academic qualification given to the student if he passes on a specific subject at the age of 14 to 16.
Under normal surcumstances all students take GCSEs in English, Mathematics and Science although alot of schools instruct students to take up English literature as well as a modern language and at least a subject from the education act of 2002. Religious education and ICT are also required by some of the schools.
The grading is quite easy to understand. You have 2 different levels, level 1 or level 2.
Level 1 says that you got a D-G grade for your exam while level 2 says you got a A*-C grade for your exam wich means you have past. If you get a level 1 you are given a U what stands for unclassified. The result is that it wil not stand on your certificate. A student can also get an X-grade this means that the student has partially past the course.
Get 5 level 2s and you can go on to get your A-levels!

A-level: Advanced learning level.
You can go to sixth form at your secondary school or if your secondary school doesn’t require this the student can get his or her A-level at a sixth form college or at a further education college.
Getting your A-levels means you can be admitted to a University but you will need a minimum of grade C in mathematics and English.