Published on Eurydice (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice) This chapter covers the organisation and structure of educational provision for young people aged 11 to 18/19 years. For the purpose of this description, this provision is divided into: general lower secondary education [1] (for ages 11–16) general upper secondary education [2] (for ages 16–18/19) vocational upper secondary education [3] (for ages 16–18/19).* * In terms of International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) [4] categorisation, education for ages 11-14, is classified as ISCED 2; education for ages 14-18/19 as ISCED 3. There are no programmes categorised as post-secondary non-tertiary education (ISCED 4). For 16- to 18/19-year olds, there is a well-established tradition of subject specialisation, with the possibility of combining single subject general and vocational qualifications. More recently, the Government has introduced a policy on study programmes that applies across general and vocational education. For these reasons, the introduction to this chapter provides a combined description of general and vocational upper secondary education. General lower secondary education, ages 11-16 Young people enter secondary education at the age of 11 and, under Section 8 of the Education Act 1996 [5], full-time education is then compulsory up until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they reach the age of 16. Secondary schools cater for pupils from age 11 to either 16 or to 18/19. Study programmes Lower secondary education is divided into two key stages of the national curriculum [6]: Key Stage 3 - for pupils aged 11 to 14, ISCED 2 Key Stage 4 - for pupils aged 14 to 16, ISCED 3. In Key Stage 4, pupils work towards external qualifications. In most cases, these are single subject GCSEs [7] taken at age 16. The national curriculum key stages are determined by Section 82 of the Education Act 2002 [8]. (Key Stages 1 and 2 (5- to 11-year-olds) apply to primary education.) Although the national curriculum is compulsory only for maintained schools [9], academies [10] (see below) generally adhere to the same key stage structure for organising the curriculum. Types of provider Publicly funded secondary schools fall into different categories, reflecting differences in their constitution and governance. There is a major distinction between: maintained schools, funded through the local authority [11] academies, which have individual funding agreements with the Secretary of State. [12] There are other, cross-cutting differences between secondary schools. They can be either mixed or single sex. In a few areas, there are selective schools (grammar schools [13]) which admit pupils on the basis of high academic ability. Some schools, often known as faith schools [14], are designated as having a religious character. A small number of schools have a curriculum specialisation. These include university technical colleges [15] and studio schools [16] which are types of academy. Further education colleges [17] and sixth-form colleges [18] may also provide for young people in Key Stage 4 (aged 14 to 16) in specialist centres. General and vocational upper secondary education, ages 16–18/19 Under the Education and Skills Act 2008 [19], young people aged 16-18 must be in full- or part-time education or training. Provisional statistics for the end of 2018 show the participation rates at ages 16 and 17 (age at the beginning of the academic year): % of age % of age 16 17 Full-time education 87.9 78.4 Part-time education 3.0 3.0 Apprenticeships (work-based learning) 3.3 6.5 Education and apprenticeships 94.1 87.6 Education and training 96.1 91.9 NEET (not in emplyment, education or 3.2 4.3 training) Source: Participation in Education, Training and Employment: 2018 [20] (Main Text, Table A, p.4; and Table D, p.10). Although most post-16 programmes are intended to be of a maximum two years’ duration, the funding framework applies up to age 19. For this reason, the age range 16–18/19 is adopted throughout this description. Study programmes All full-time students are expected to follow a 16-19 study programme, which includes one or more ‘substantial’ qualifications. The qualifications can be general or vocational. They must stretch the student and link clearly to training, employment or higher education [21]. Qualifications that count as substantial include: A Levels [22] - Level 3 [23] qualifications (on the Regulated Qualifications Framework [24]), which provide the most common route for young entrants into higher education technical and applied qualifications at Level 3 (such as Applied General Qualifications [25]) and Level 2 [26] (such as Technical Certificates [27]). Other qualifications may also be studied alongside the substantial qualification(s). For example, core maths is a type of Level 3 maths qualification. It is aimed at students who achieved a higher grade GCSE [7] but who are not taking an A Level or AS Level [28] in maths. Study programmes should also include: meaningful work experience (in line with the Government’s 2017 careers strategy [29]), or other non-qualification activity the continued study of English and / or maths for students who did not achieve a high grade GCSE in one or both of these subjects. For those students who are not ready for study at Level 2 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework, a study programme should include a traineeship [30] or extended work experience. Types of provider Depending on the local offer and their own preferences, young people aged 16+ who wish to remain in full-time education may: continue at the same maintained school [9] or academy [10] (see the section on ‘General lower secondary education’ above), in the sixth form [31] transfer to another school sixth form or 16-19 academy transfer to a sixth-form college [18] or further education (FE) college. [17] The different providers may offer many of the same programmes, although FE colleges offer a wider choice of vocational programmes. Provisional statistics for the end of 2018 show participation at ages 16-17 by institution type and mode of study: % full time % part-time education education Publicly-funded schools (maintained 35.3 0.0 schools and academies) Special schools 1.0 0.0 Independent (fee paying schools) 6.7 0.0 Sixth form colleges 9.0 0.1 Further education, tertiary and 30.6 2.8 specialist colleges Higher education institutions [32] 0.6 0.0 Total 83.1 3.0 Source: Participation in Education, Training and Employment: 2018 [20] (Main Text, Table B, p.5). Legal framework Although the age groups they cater for and the programmes they provide overlap, schools and further education and sixth-form colleges operate under different legal frameworks. Post-16 education provided full- or part-time in further education colleges, or in sixth-form colleges, is considered to be further education [33]. Education provided full-time in the sixth form of a school is considered to be secondary education and is subject to schools regulations. This distinction is not based on the programmes offered. Schools There is no single framework Act for secondary education. Most schools legislation applies to both primary and secondary maintained schools but not to academies, which are governed by individual contractual funding agreements with the Secretary of State [12]. Maintained schools and academies can include mixed or single sex schools, grammar schools, and faith schools. Studio schools and university technical colleges are types of academy. Key aspects of compulsory education, school structures, and curriculum and assessment are underpinned by the Acts of Parliament summarised briefly below. For a fuller list, with brief notes, of the Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments that provide the legal framework for education in England, see the Legislation chapter [34]. (More detailed information on the legal framework for particular aspects of education is also provided in the various articles within this chapter.) Section 2 of the Education Act 1996 [5] defines secondary education, while Section 7 sets the requirement for full-time compulsory education, by placing the following duty on parents: 'The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable— 1. to his age, ability and aptitude, and 2. to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.' Under Section 8 of the Act, full-time education is compulsory up until the last Friday in June of the school year in which a pupil reaches the age of 16. In addition, the provisions of the Education and Skills Act 2008 [19] made participation in full- or part- time education and training compulsory for all young people aged 16-18 from September 2015. The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 [35] established the current framework for maintained schools, categorising them as community [36], voluntary aided [37], voluntary controlled [38] or foundation schools [39]. It also clarified the procedures for opening, closing and altering maintained schools, and placed local authorities (LAs) [11] under a duty to promote high standards of education. In addition, it extended LAs’ power to intervene in failing schools and also simplified the roles and responsibilities of school governing bodies [40] in maintained schools. The Education Act 2002 [41] made provision for academies, which were previously known as city academies, to be set up in any area, not just in urban areas. The Academies Act 2010 [42] later enabled all schools to apply to become an academy. The 2002 Act also introduced a modernised framework for teachers’ pay and conditions, along with a more flexible system for the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools. In addition, it included provisions relating to the curriculum for maintained schools in England.