UK Boarding Schools

The high academic standards of the British education are renowned worldwide. A level, IB and Foundation courses are offered in the UK as the main qualification to gain entry to a British university.

The standard academic year begins in September and is made up of three terms.

Approximately 7% of school children in England attend privately run, fee-charging private schools. Some independent schools for 13–18-year-olds are known for historical reasons as ‘public schools’ and for 8–13-year-olds as ‘prep schools’.
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The British education system is divided into three stages:

• Primary Education: consisting of Early Years stage (age 3 to 5), Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) from age 5 to 7, and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) from age 7 to 11.
• Secondary Education consists of:
  • Lower School: Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9), from age 11 to 14.
  • Upper School: Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11) from age 14 to 16.
    Students normally take external examinations in Year 11. In most cases these are GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
• Sixth form college or Further education college: Years 12 & 13, from age 16 to 18 leading to qualifications such as A-Levels, BTEC and IB.

In the UK, GCSE students will generally take 9 – 10 subjects, with English, Maths and Science being mandatory subjects. Students are assessed by an end of Year 11 exams. Some subjects will also be assessed by coursework or practical work. When choosing their GCSE subjects, students should consider subjects they enjoy and are good at but also take into account their future aspirations.

It should be noted that GCSE grades count towards further studies and university application, with most UK universities expecting a minimum of 5 GCSEs with at least grade 5 and above.

In the UK, A-Levels are the most widely recognised qualification for entry to UK university. Most students will take 3 or 4 A-Level subjects over a duration of 2 years.