UK Education Systems There Are Four Education Systems Across England and the NB Schools in Northern Ireland May, Devolved Administrations

A Guide for Service Families UK Education Systems There are four education systems across England and the NB Schools in Northern Ireland may, devolved administrations. Service-induced mobility for Service on a discretionary basis relating to the maturity/needs of the children concerned families with children presents a range of challenges, not least in and the availability of space in the schools relation to their children’s education. approached, make early admissions of Service children with July and August birthdays if they have come from outside Moving within England or one of the devolved administrations can and/or are likely to return to locations be difficult but moving across national boundaries within the UK outside Northern Ireland. can be particularly confusing. Year Groups Set out below are some of the most frequent areas of confusion arising for Service parents when crossing UK national boundaries: The differences between the four UK administrations referred to above have knock on effects for mobile Service children of all ages moving between them. Parents have no statutory right to determine the year group into Starting school for the first time which their child is admitted other than the one which is chronologically England and Wales Term (mid-August) or if they will reach appropriate under the terms of the Children are entitled to enrol, on a this age by the subsequent 1st March. locally applicable legislation. Northern part-time or full time basis in the first Parents who want to enrol their child in Ireland is the only administration which year of their statutory education from school at an earlier age than this must makes, within its regulatory framework, the beginning of the academic year consult the local authority responsible explicit discretionary arrangements (as (September) after their fourth birthdays. for the receiving school. noted above) regarding placements in Once they have secured a school place for year groups for mobile Service children. their child, parents are advised to discuss Northern Ireland However, Service parents concerned with the headteacher of the receiving Children may start school for the about this issue when their children school the most appropriate time for their first time at the beginning of the move into other administrations in the child to start school. Children are legally Autumn Term (September), provided UK should discuss their concerns with the required to start full time schooling from, they have reached the age of four receiving school and/or local authority; at the latest, the beginning of the term before the previous 2nd July. Children receiving schools and local authorities, after their fifth birthdays. whose birthdays fall between 2nd subject to the availability of places in July in one year and 1st July in the relevant year groups and the needs of Scotland following year are legally required to the children concerned, may be prepared Children are considered to have reached start school on a full time basis from to place children in year groups above ‘school age’ if they are five when they start the beginning of the Autumn Term or below their chronologically school at the beginning of the Autumn after their fifth birthdays. appropriate ones.

1 2 You may find the following table useful in understanding the relationship between the Transition between phases of education year groups across the UK: Not only are there differences between • Secondary/High schools (generally 11 Corresponding Grades across UK Countries the administrations about when children to 16 or 11 to 18 but, in areas with middle according to years in compulsory education start school for the first time but also when schools, the starting ages for these schools they move between phases of education may be 12, 13 or 14) (eg primary to secondary). England has the • Studio schools: for students aged Year in school England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland most complex patterns of school provision. 14-19 who require an education based Differences between local authorities on the world of work which promotes 1st Reception Primary 1 Reception Primary 1 in England result in children of a wide employability and citizenship (4 - 5) (4.5 - 5.5) (4 - 5) (4 - 5) variety of ages having to change schools at • Sixth form colleges (16 to 18) different stages. Service parents moving to • State boarding schools: most of these 2nd Year 1 (Y1) Primary 2 Year 1 (Y1) Primary 2 a different local authority should always try make provision only in the ages ranges (5 - 6) (5 - 6) (5 - 6) (5 - 6) to obtain a clear understanding of the age served by secondary/high schools but two 3rd Year 2 (Y2) Primary 3 Year 2 (Y2) Primary 3 ranges of local schools in the part of the offer primary provision as well (7 to 18 and (6 - 7) (6 - 7) (6 - 7) (6 - 7) authority in which they will be located. 4 to 16) NB Patterns of provision, in respect of • Special schools offer provision for 4th Year 3 (Y3) Primary 4 Year 3 (Y3) Primary 4 transfer ages, can differ between different those children with more complex and (7-8) (7 - 8) (7 - 8) (7 - 8) parts of one authority, as well as between long term special educational needs. 5th Year 4 (Y4) Primary 5 Year 4 (Y4) Primary 5 authorities. Children placed permanently in special (8 - 9) (8 - 9) (8 - 9) (8 - 9) schools must have a Statement. Age England ranges vary. 6th Year 5 (Y5) Primary 6 Year 5 (Y5) Primary 6 The age ranges of schools in England, for • Academies are state schools (9 - 10) (9- 10) (9 - 10) (9 - 10) children of statutory school age (ie 4+ to funded direct by central government, 16), will be as follows: often established in collaboration with 7th Year 6 (Y6) Primary 7 Year 6 (Y6) Primary 7 independent sponsors. They offer (10 - 11) (10 - 11) (10 - 11) (10 - 11) • Infant schools (4+ to 7) provision for any or several age ranges 8th Year 7 (Y7) S1 Year 7 (Y7) Year 8 • Junior schools (7+ to 11) in both the main stream and special (11 - 12) (11 - 12) (11 - 12) (11 -12) • Primary schools (4+ to 11) school sectors. • Middle schools: the table overleaf sets • Free schools are established, subject 9th Year 8 (Y8) S2 Year 8 (Y8) Year 9 out the age ranges and numbers of middle to the approval of the Secretary of State (12 - 13) (12 - 13) (12 -13) (12 - 13) schools in local authority locations in for Education, by any interested group(s) 10th Year 9 (Y9) S3 Year 9 (Y9) Year 10 England. Please note that a ’middle school of people who believe that a new school, (13 - 14) (13 - 14) (13 - 14) (13 - 14) deemed primary’ offers a primary style funded direct by central government, will curriculum and a ‘middle school deemed better meet local needs in their area. 11th Year 10 (Y10) S4 Year 10 (Y10) Year 10 secondary’ offers a secondary style (14 - 15) (14 - 15) (14 - 15) (14 - 15) curriculum. It is quite possible that the The age ranges provided for by schools local authorities listed below will also offer in England are becoming more varied. 12th Year 11 (Y11) Year 11 (Y11) Year 12 provision in schools with other age ranges Some academies are now offering an all (15 - 16) (15 - 16) (15 - 16) (eg infant, junior, primary, secondary). through education from the first year

3 4 Age ranges and numbers of middle schools in local authority locations in England of statutory education through to 18 and some schools in different phases of education are federated, which means they remain separate but under one LEA 4 - 12 4 - 13 8 - 12 9 - 12 9 - 13 10 - 13 10 - 14 overall management structure. Bedford 14 Scotland Cambridgeshire 1 There are three kinds of state maintained schools in Scotland: Central Bedfordshire 1 23 • Primary (4.5 to 12) Dorset 14 • Secondary (12 to 16+ and 12 to 18) Hertfordshire 6 • Special (Age ranges vary)

Kirklees 4 2 Wales The educational system in Wales is currently Leicestershire 8 configured identically to the one in England Newcastle-upon-Tyne 3 but there are no middle schools in Wales and there is only one state boarding school. North Tyneside 4 Further information about state boarding North Yorkshire 2 schools in England and Wales is obtainable Northamptonshire 2 from CEAS, whose contact details can be found at the foot of this document or the Northumberland 31 web site for the State Boarding Schools’ Poole 6 8 1 Association: http://www.sbsa.org.uk

Somerset 9 Northern Ireland For children of compulsory school age, the Staffordshire 14 different types of school are: Suffolk 28 • Primary (4+ to 11) West Sussex 3 5 1 • Post-primary (11 to 16 or 11 to 18) NB Voluntary Grammar Schools, which are Windsor and Maidenhead 4 selective, charge Capital Fees which parents Worcestershire 1 4 12 4 pay to the schools towards the capital cost of running them. The fee varies from school TOTALS 10 1 13 4 170 9 8 to school. Other secondary schools do not make this charge. 215 Schools 28 deemed Primary 187 deemed Secondary • Special (age ranges vary)

5 6 Curriculum Leaving school

England and Wales Movement between Levels can be earlier/ England, Wales and Northern Ireland provide impartial information, advice and All children in state maintained schools later for some children, depending Currently, young people in Year 11 support to Service families anywhere in (Reception - Year 11) follow the upon individual needs and aptitudes; (England) and Year 12 (Northern Ireland) the world and MOD personnel assigned National Curriculum established in each individual schools have discretion with this are able to leave compulsory education overseas with any matter relating to their administration. The content and structure movement and, inevitably, there will be settings from the last Friday in June in children’s education. are divided into four Key Stages: considerable variation between them. the school year they reach the age of 16. However, from 2015, all young people in • Early Years’ Foundation Stage - Northern Ireland England will be required to participate in Special educational from birth up to and including Reception The statutory curriculum in Northern education and/or training up to the age (the first year of compulsory education) Ireland is structured as follows: of 18. needs/additional support • Key Stage 1 - Year 1 to Year 2 needs (SEN/ASN) • Key Stage 2 - Year 3 to Year 6 • Foundation Stage - Primary 1 to Scotland • Key Stage 3 - Year 7 to Year 9 Primary 2 Currently, young people in S4 (aged 14-15) NB The term SEN is used in England, • Key Stage 4 - Year 10 to Year 11 • Key Stage 1 - Primary 3 to Primary 4 are able to leave compulsory education Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, • Key Stage 2 - Primary 5 to Primary 7 settings at the end of school year in which the term ASN is used. This difference is more Please note that, although the structures • Key Stage 3 - Year 8 to Year 10 they reach the age of 15. than semantic: the Scottish system for of the curricula in England and Wales are • Key Stage 4 - Year 11 to Year 12 responding to children’s additional needs very similar, there are clear differences encompasses a wider range of need than between them in terms of content. Despite these structures across the four Admissions to schools the systems in the other administrations and administrations, individual schools decide, operates in a markedly different way to the Scotland within year groups and Key Stages, when The admissions of Service children, other three systems. The Scottish national curriculum is called to deliver the required components of particularly those who are mobile, to state ‘Curriculum for Excellence’. As in England, each national curriculum. For mobile maintained schools can be problematic in All families who have children with SEN/ the curriculum is broken down into age Service children, this can mean that they England and, sometimes, in Wales where ASN face challenges when engaging related sections: either repeat and/or miss out parts of their an almost identical system operates. with schools, local authorities and other required studies; whilst schools must work relevant public services. These include: • Early Level - pre-school to the end with them and their families to ensure that Admission problems are, generally • Coping with the day to day of Primary 1 any gaps are properly covered, this can speaking, less evident in the systems implications of such needs • First Level - Primary 2 to Primary 4 place additional burdens on such children, operated in Scotland and Northern Ireland. • Trying to absorb and understand • Second Level - Primary 5 to P7 in addition to any emotional turmoil they the language used by professionals • Third and Fourth Levels - Secondary 1 may experience through their mobility Service families with concerns about in assessing and meeting their to Secondary 3, with the fourth level or a loved one’s deployments. Parents securing school places for their children children’s needs broadly equivalent to SCQF (Scottish Credit should always discuss any concerns with should contact the Children’s Education • In respect of those children with more and Qualifications Framework) level 4 their children’s schools and, if further Advisory Service (CEAS) whose contact complex needs, trying to understand • Senior Phase - Secondary 4 to independent information or advice is details are provided at the end of this the regulatory and legal frameworks Secondary 6, and equivalents in required, they should contact CEAS, whose document. CEAS is a service within the which govern professional practice and other settings contact details can be found on page 14. MOD’s DCYP which is established to decision making

In the ‘Further information’ section at the end of the booklet, the web sites listed first under 7 each administration contain pages with more detailed information about each curriculum. 8 It is not surprising that many such parents some local funding arrangements and the The transfer of Retention of quarters believe that they have to fight the system financial and logistical constraints on all to ensure their children obtain proper services for children. information Parents living in Service Family access to all the provision they need. on Service children Accommodation (SFA) who have concerns All such families should be aware that about the impact on their children’s Service families with such children face help is available to them in navigating Schools across the UK and those education of an impending move should further challenges, particularly those their ways through the difficulties maintained by Service Children’s contact CEAS. If there is clear, supporting affected by Service-induced mobility and referred to above. Families seeking Education (SCE) overseas are all required evidence that a child’s educational deployments. These include: information, advice or support in relation to pass on to schools admitting incoming progress or well-being is likely to be to their children’s SEN/ASN should children information about the pupils who significantly damaged by the move then • Differences between schools in contact the Children’s Education have been on their rolls. CEAS may be able to secure, for a limited approaches to and provision for meeting Advisory Service (CEAS). period of time after the serving parent has children’s SEN/ASN In England, for example, basic information started their new assignment, the tenancy • Differences between local authorities CEAS offers, for all Service families about children moving schools is of the SFA in the ‘old’ location. in England in patterns of SEN provision who have children with SEN/ASN, transferred electronically, using a DfE form and thresholds for centrally funded a registration service which called a Common Transfer File. Similar interventions (eg statutory assessments enables parents to be supported arrangements exist in the devolved and additional/alternative provision made through any education-related administrations. However, the limited through Statements) difficulties arising from their nature of the information transferred in • Staged approaches, in all four children’s needs - particularly but this way does not fully meet the needs administrations, to identifying, assessing not exclusively those difficulties of receiving schools wanting to ensure and meeting SEN/ASN; these approaches connected with Service-induced that incoming Service pupils receive, as are intended to take (reasonable periods mobility or deployments. quickly as possible, an education suitable of) time but are structured around the to their needs. needs of non-mobile children and families • Differences between all four Please note that, Added to this, some Service parents do administrations in the ways such needs for Army families with not know until a very late stage prior to are described, identified, assessed and (or even after) their move which schools met because of the different educational, such children, registration their children will attend. Consequently, regulatory and legal frameworks in each with CEAS is mandatory anything parents and sending schools • The reactive, rather than proactive, (AGAI 108 Vol 3 Ch 81 refers), can do to ensure that receiving schools approaches of receiving schools, local are supplied, as early as possible, with authorities and other public services to regardless of a family’s any information about their children’s meeting the needs of mobile Service actual or intended location educational history, progress and needs children with SEN/ASN because of, but strongly recommended will help to ensure the smoothest possible for example, difficulties around the transitions to new schools. timely transfer between schools and for RAF (AP 3392 Vol 2 local authorities of useful information, Leaflet 2411 refers) and RN the late notification of Service Family (BR3 2422 c refers) families Accommodation (SFA), the inflexibility of when overseas assignments have been proposed. 9 10 Home schooling Further information

Some parents decide that they would approach organisations like ‘Education This document is not intended to provide detailed information about all four different prefer to educate their children at home, Otherwise’ www.education-otherwise. education systems. If you require more detailed information, the following sources may outside the formal school systems. net for information and advice about this be helpful: In England, the legal term for this is option and its implications. ‘Education ‘education otherwise than at school’. Otherwise’ can put parents in touch England with support groups across the UK and • Schools and children’s services nationally It is entirely lawful for any parent to Northern Ireland. www.education.gov.uk decide to do this, provided they notify the • Local authority contact details local authority in which they are living. If consideration is being given to this http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/ However, it is not a step that should option because of difficulties encountered intercountryadoption/b0065702/intercountry-adoption---links-and-addresses/ be taken lightly or on the spur of the with any of the education systems or local-authorities-a-b moment. Service parents considering schools in the UK, Service parents are • Special educational needs this possibility are strongly advised to encouraged to contact CEAS for advice. http://www.education.gov.uk/vocabularies/educationtermsandtags/761 • Independent information about education for all parents http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/ • School and local authority inspections http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report • Boarding schools http://www.boarding.org.uk/ and http://www.sbsa.org.uk • Further (16+ outside schools) education http://www.bis.gov.uk/ • Higher education (universities) http://www.universities.co.uk/ • Careers advice http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/careersguidance/a0064111/connexions-direct • Child Care http://childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk/childcarefinder

Scotland • Schools and children’s services nationally http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education • Local authority contact details http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/Latest/schoolholidays • Choosing a school (guidance for parents) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/11/10093528/0 • Additional support needs http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/parentzone/additionalneeds/index.asp www.enquire.org.uk

11 12 • Wider educational information for parents Northern Ireland http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/parentzone/index.asp • Education nationally and links to education and library board (local authority) web sites • School and college inspections http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/85-schools.htm http://www.hmie.gov.uk/ • Special educational needs • Boarding schools http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/7-special_educational_needs_pg/7-special_ http://www.scis.org.uk/ and http://www.qvs.org.uk/ (Queen Victoria School, Dunblane) needs-a_guide_for_parents_pg.htm • Further and Higher education • Access to schools and other state maintained educational provision for children http://myworldofwork.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/considering-further-and- and young people: given the unique context of accompanied service in Northern higher-education Ireland, Service parents moving there are strongly advised to seek information from • Careers advice the Children’s Education Support Officer (CESO)for Northern Ireland on 028 92266347 http://www.careers-scotland.org.uk/home/home.asp or at [email protected]. Although the CESO works within the Army Welfare • Child Care Service (AWS), she provides information, advice and support to Service parents on a http://www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk/ tri-Service basis. • Inspections of educational provision Wales http://www.etini.gov.uk/ • Education nationally • Boarding schools http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/?lang=en http://www.northernirelandboarding.org/index.php • Local authority contact details • Further and higher education http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/localgovernment/localauthorities/?lang=en http://www.delni.gov.uk/index/further-and-higher-education.htm • School admissions • Careers advice http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/publications/guidance/ https://www.careersserviceni.com/Cultures/en-GB/Homepage.htm schooladmission/?lang=en • Pre-school education • Additional educational needs http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/pre-school-education-pg/16-pre-school-education- http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/schoolshome/ whatparentsneedtoknow-pg.htm curriculuminwales/additionaleducationalneeds/?lang=en • Inclusion and Diversity Service (including the provision of interpreters for parents and • School and local authority inspections the translation of some documents in some minority languages) http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/ http://www.education-support.org.uk/ • Boarding schools http://www.independentschools.com/wales/boarding.php and http://stb.d-wdl.net/ (St Brigid’s, a Roman Catholic State Boarding School) Service parents or education professionals wanting • Further education information, advice or support about any issue http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/learningproviders/ regarding the education of Service children, in the furthereducationinstitutions/FEIcontactdetails/?lang=en UK or elsewhere in the world, should contact: • Higher education http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/highereducation/;jsessionid= The Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS), V3n1TWnGp4fYjrKGMv3ls9LP2dW5nnKQy0YgHmBxvQhD1lGBv69w!981825250?la Trenchard Lines, Upavon, Pewsey, ng=en Wiltshire SN9 6BE • Careers advice http://www.careerswales.com/server.php?show=nav.5334&outputLang= Tel: +44 (0)1980 618244 (Civilian) • Child Care 94344 8244 (Military) http://www.earlyyearsonline.co.uk/directory/Wales/ Email: [email protected] www.mod.uk/ceas

13 14 Produced by CEAS, on behalf of the MOD’s Directorate for Children and Young People. If you have any comments on this document, CEAS would be pleased to hear from you. MMP 158 January 2013