Education in the UK - British Education System
- Pre-school education in England for foreign children and adolescents
Directly from a kindergarten in the UK, preparation begins for admission to a leading British school. So, children from 2 to 5 years of age acquire reading, writing, and numeracy skills. It is worth noting a small academic load of students. In the framework of teaching, attention is paid to compliance with discipline and general harmonious education.
As an interesting fact, SMAPSE experts note that financing of the state budget is assigned only 15 hours of lessons per week. In this connection, in the case of a longer period of education, the child will require an additional payment. Education in pre-schools in England is not compulsory. It is mandatory to receive secondary education for children over 5 years old and before reaching 18 years of age.
Within the British secondary education system, 4 levels are distinguished, namely:
- Primary education - focused on children from 5 to 7 years old and from 7 to 11 years old
- Secondary education - the target audience is students from 11 to 16 years old.
The age of the student determines the list of subjects to be studied. So, at the stage of primary education in England it is envisaged to teach English, mathematics, history, geography, music, art, and also, you will be simply surprised at the technology industry. Upon reaching 11 years, a foreign student begins to study the basics of chemistry, biology, and physics. As for other subjects, they are chosen independently by the student, taking into account individual preferences, goals, interests.
Immediately from the age of 14 to 16, a foreign student is preparing for the successful passing of the GCSE exam, General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is a certificate of secondary education.
Directly 2015 was marked by amendments to the British law on compulsory education. So, before the changes, the completion period of compulsory secondary education was at the age of 16 for a teenager. Thus, at the moment, British and foreign students are being studied for another two years. Pupils who are interested in early employment decide to enter English vocational colleges.
So, at the end of two years of education, graduates are awarded GNVQ's, which is a certificate of secondary specialized education, as an alternative, it is possible to obtain a BTEC's diploma of secondary technical education.
International students who plan to enter a ranking university abroad are moving on to the next Sixth form school stage. Thus, foreign students aged 16 to 18 years are preparing for the successful passing of A-levels exams in selected academic disciplines.
Classification of leading British schools in the UK
In terms of the source of funding, elite schools in England are divided into public and private. When compared with other countries, the differences between public and private schools in the UK are not so significant. So, at the state level, close monitoring of the quality level of secondary education is carried out. At the same time, these elite private schools in England are characterized by stronger and more intensive education, which is due to a more modern material and technical base, professionalism and experience of teachers, conducting classes in small classrooms. It is also worth noting that within the walls of many ranked private boarding schools, rooted traditions that have been formed for more than a decade are observed.
In the UK, a separate educational format is practiced, which is a historical tradition. So, at the moment, the best private British schools offer the attention of foreign students a separate educational format. According to many Brits, it is easier to concentrate on studying academic subjects in a separate format for teaching boys and girls. As for the leading public schools in England, they practice blended learning.
Grade system in the best UK schools
The results in academic subjects of schoolchildren are evaluated in alphabetic terms, namely, A* is an excellent mark, while U is recognized as an extremely unsatisfactory mark. It is worth noting that in the walls of advanced private schools in England it is accepted to put a second mark for the diligence of the student. That is, a ranking of 1 indicates the active work of the student and a manifestation of interest in the discipline, a score of 5 indicates the lack of diligence and diligence in the teenager.
Organization of studies in the best schools in the UK
In accordance with British legislation in the field of education, the academic year is divided into trimesters, the duration of which is 12 weeks. The age of the student determines the number of classes. At the same time, regardless of the age of the foreign student, it is mandatory to conduct creative work and sports. In addition, in the framework of teaching, the emphasis is on the general harmonious education of students. So, teachers are doing everything possible to develop leadership skills in foreign students, inquisitiveness, independence, and defend their own opinions. As an interesting fact, SMAPSE expets note that it is in the elite private boarding schools in UK regarding educational traditions that are respected and very seriously observed.
Ranked Higher Education in England
The prestige and widespread recognition among all countries of the world received the British higher education system. Thus, the international rankings of top universities testify to the elitism of English higher education. In addition, graduates of ranking universities in the UK successfully and unhindered find jobs in large international corporations.
The structure of British higher education includes:
- University colleges and classical universities, within the walls of which teachers place emphasis on research activities.
- Polytechnic institutes, as well as colleges of higher education, in which high-quality education of specialists in applied specializations is conducted.
The educational process consists of three stages, namely:
- Bachelor's program - duration of study is 3 years
- Master's program - duration of study varies from 1 year to 2years
- Doctoral studies - the duration of studies ranges from 2 to 3 years.
As for the school year, it includes 3 trimesters. The format of classes in ranking universities in the UK is the most diverse, in particular, these are lectures, seminars, independent student work, as well as team work under the guidance of a mentor.
Assessment of the student’s results and level of knowledge is carried out on the basis of the intermediate work. In particular, these are essays, term papers, projects, and, of course, scores for final exams. Directly leading university in England establishes a system of calculating the average score. The ranking system may have a format of points or percent.
The British higher education system is constantly being improved through the introduction of innovative teaching methods, as well as the use of modern technologies in the educational process. It should be noted that due to the emerging needs of market participants in the overwhelming majority of leading universities in the UK , “sandwich courses” have been developed, which are a period of production practice, the duration of which can go up to 1 year, while being part of the educational process.
In deciding to receive an elite higher education at the best universities in England, a foreign student receives strong academic education, teaching is based on traditions that have been formed over centuries. Please note that the cost of education in top English universities varies on average from 10,000 to 25,000 £.
The British government carefully monitors the quality of education. So, specifically for this task, the Office of Quality Assurance in the educational field was created, which is entrusted with the verification of academic standards and the academic quality of universities in England.
Brief Summary of the British Education System
The educational system in England harmoniously combines the observance of centuries-old traditions and the use of modern technologies in the field of education. That is, in addition to academic and linguistic knowledge, comprehensive personal and professional development is provided for, as well as a focus on acquiring new knowledge. Upon completion of education, graduates are freely employed in prestigious and large corporations.
