Additional texts about schooling the state sector

Schooling in Great Britain is compulsory for twelve years, for all children between the ages of 5-16. Children may attend either state-funded or fee paying independent schools. Nine-ten­ths of all children are educated in state schools. Compulsory education begins at 5, although some provision is made for children under school age, and many pupils remain at school beyond the minimum leaving age.

Three-and four-year-olds can receive education in nursery schools or classes or in infants' classes in primary schools. In addition, some children attend pre-school playgrounds, most of which are organized by parents.

The division between primary and secondary education is at the age of II when almost all children in the state system change schools. At the age of 16 about two-thirds of pupils leave school and get jobs. About one-third stay at school until the age of 18.

Primary Schools

Children attend a primary school for six years ( from 5 to 11). Primary School may be housed in a single building. Within this single school there are usually two departments: Infant and Junior. Primary education may take place in two separate schools. Infants (from 5 to 7 ) and Juniors (from 8 to 11 ) in different buildings.

Infant schools are largely informal. Children are encouraged to read, write and make use of numbers ( the three R's - reading, writing, 'rithmetic) and to develop their creative abilities. Subject teaching is rare. The work is based upon the pupils' interest as far as possible. Primary children do all their work with the same class teacher, except for physical education and music, which are often taught by specialist teachers.

The junior stage extends over 4 years. Teaching is often more formal than it is in infant schools. In junior schools children have set periods of Arithmetic, Reading, Composition, History, Geography, Natural Study and other subjects. The usual age of transfer from primary to secondary school is 11.

Secondary Schools

Secondary school lasts either until the end of the compulsory attendance cycle (16), or includes the two final years of secondary education (18), generally known in Britain as the 'sixth form'.

Between 1945 and 1965, secondary education in the United Kingdom was largely selective. At the age of 11, most pupils took a test called the eleven-plus examination. Those who passed went on to grammar schools, which offered a predominantly academic education. Those who did not pass went on to technical or secondary modern schools, where the education was more practical.

In 1965, the Labour Government began abolishing selection at 11 and establishing comprehensive schools. These are non-selective secondary schools which take pupils ( boy and girls) of mixed abilities and which offer both academic and practical subjects.

At present in most areas the secondary schools are comprehensive and roughly 90 per cent of children receive their secondary education at 'comprehensive' schools.