School and Education

Published: 21.09.2023

School and Education

Schools in the UK

In the UK, full time education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16 (18 in England). The National Curriculum provides framework for education in England and Wales. There are separate systems of education for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the government of each country is responsible for each school system.

Nursery - for age 4 
Reception - for age 5

Infant School - Reception and Year 1 and 2, from age 5 to 7

     Primary School - for ages 5 to 11, includes Infant School and Junior School, provides with fundamental skills and establishes a solid foundation for learning

First School - from Reception to Year 4, for age 5 to 9

Junior School - for age 8 to 11, from Year 3 to 6

Middle School - for age 10 to 13, for Year 8

Comprehensive School or Secondary School with Sixth Form - for ages 11/12 to 18 

     Secondary School or High School - for age 12 to 16, for Year 7 to 11, a more subject-oriented curriculum, prepares for employment or tertiary education

Upper School - for age 14 to 18, for Year 9 to 13

Sixth Form or FE College - for age 17 and 18, for Year 12 (Lower Sixth) and Year 13 (Upper Sixth) 

School leaving age - 17

GCSE - General Certificate of Secondary Education, in a particular subject

Sixth Form - 2 years post-GCSE academic education to prepare for A-Levels

A-Level (GCE Advanced Level) - subject based qualification for completing secondary or pre-university education

Public School - a fee-charging school, originally only for boys, boarding school

Higher education is offered by universities, colleges, institutes and academies. There are degree programmes (bachelor's, master's and doctoral) and non-degree programmes that lead to a vocational qualification (certificate, diploma). The prestige of British higher education comes from its world renowned institutions, ist quality and rigorous academic standards are valued around the world. The ancient universities are British mediaval universities founded before the year 1600, there are 7 such institutions (Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin).

          The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford. It was established in 1096 and it is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest university in continuous operation. It operates the oldest university museum in the world, the largest library system mationwide and Oxford University Press is the largest in the world

          The University of Cambridge is a collegiate research university in Cambridge. Founded in 1209, it is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. Cambridge University Press is the oldest university press in the world.

          The University of St Andrews is a public university in Scotland, the oldest in Scotland and the third-oldest in the UK. It was founded in 1413 and it is one of the best universities in the world.

          There are also several research universities in London. Imperial College London is a public research university. It was established in 1907 by royal charter. The college focuses exclusively on science, technology, medicine and business. University College London is a major public research university. It was established in 1829 and it is the largest university in the UK by total enrolment. King's College London is a public research university established in 1829. It is the largest European centre for graduate and post-graduate medical teaching and biomedical research and it includes the first nursing schoool in the world, the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.

Schools in the US

In the US, education is compulsory at the very least between the ages of 8 and 16, depending on each state. There is a large variety of schools, depending on each state. The US spends more per student on education than any other country.

Pre-Kindergarten - for age 3 to 5

     Elementary (Primary) School - for ages 5 to 11, primary education focusing on academic learning and socialization skills, basic subjects and a broad range of knowledge and skills

     Secondary Education - for age 11 to 17, from 6th grade to 12th grade, a choice of vocational or college prep curriculum and core areas, some courses are elective

Middle Schools and Junior High Schools - varied in different states, can be 3 or 4 grades

High School - for age 14 to 18, final stage of secondary education, subject-based classes, 4 grades with special names

GPA - Grade Point Average, one of the factors controlling college admission

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test, a college admission test with scores from 400 to 1600

ACT - American College Test, a college admission test with scores 1 to 36

Higher education in the US is offered by colleges and universities. Community colleges are two-year public institutions that offer diplomas, certificates and remedial education for lower tuition fees. Liberal arts colleges are four-year undergraduate and mostly-private institutions that focus of general intelectual capacities. The American university system is largely decentralized and public universities are administerd by individual states and territories. Many private universities exist, some secular and some religious.

          Harvard University is a private Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1636, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the US. The Harvard Library is the largest academic library system in the world. Harvard has more alumni, faculty and researcher who won Nobel Prizes (161) than any other university in the world.

          Stanford University is a private research university in California, founded in 1885. Today, it is a top university in the world, attracts funding for start-ups and the alma mater of 74 living billionaires.

          MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1861 in response to the increasing industrialization and adopted a European polytechnic university model. It focuses on laboratory instruction in applied science and engineering.

          Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in New Jersey. Founded in 1746, it is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the US.

          Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754, it is one of the nine colonial colleges founded prior to the Declaration of Independence.

          CalTech (California Institute of Technology) is a private research university in California. Founded in 1891, it is one among a small group of institutes of technology devoted to the instruction of pure and applied sciences.
           Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in Connecticut. Founded in 1701, Yale offers a wide variety of fine arts and humanities to focus on.