British+Education+System

British education system
Britain has a unique education system with a totally different structure than the more plain Norwegian education system. There are some characteristics in British school that are equivalent to Norwegian school, though, such as compulsory education till age 16 and the fact that all education, except education offered at independent schools, is state-funded through government taxation. This article has the intention of explaining and hopefully even visualizing the complex structure of the British education system.


 * **Age** || **Year** || **Curriculum stage** || **Type of school** ||
 * 3 || Nursery || Foundation Stage || Nursery school ||
 * 4 || Reception ||^  ||^   ||
 * 5 || Year 1 || Key Stage 1 || Primary school ||
 * 6 || Year 2 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 7 || Year 3 || Key Stage 2 ||^  ||
 * 8 || Year 4 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 9 || Year 5 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 10 || Year 6 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 11 || Year 7 || Key Stage 3 || Secondary school ||
 * 12 || Year 8 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 13 || Year 9 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 14 || Year 10 || Key Stage 4/GCSE ||^  ||
 * 15 || Year 11 ||^  ||^   ||
 * 16 || Year 12 (Lower Sixth form) || Sixth form or A level ||^  ||
 * 17 || Year 13 (Upper Sixth form) ||^  ||^   ||

Nursery school is the first education institution in the education pyramid, and nursery is introduced to the children as early as at age three. This type of education is not compulsory, but it is very commonly attended. The schools have certain learning goals, which are: Primary school is the first compulsory learning institution in Britain, and the primary level is often divided into infant schools and junior schools. Infant school is for children ranging from four to seven years old, while junior school is for children ranging from seven to eleven years old. Secondary school is intended for children from eleven to eighteen, or if desired, to sixteen, since education in Britain only is compulsory till age sixteen. The last two years at secondary school is called sixth form, and this period of time is used to prepare for [|A-levels] exams, which is required for university entrance. In later years, there has been set up separate colleges for the purpose of tutoring A-levels students.
 * Nursery school (from age three to five)**
 * Personal, social and emotional development
 * Language, literacy and communication
 * Mathematical development
 * Knowledge and understanding of the world
 * Physical development
 * Creative development
 * Primary school (from age four to ten)**
 * Secondary school and sixth form (from age eleven to sixteen or eighteen)**