Education
The education system is slightly different in different parts of the UK. And children are required to receive compulsory schooling and education at different ages too. Click on the country to find out about education in your area.
General Differences
School Types: Schools can be academies, private schools, and can be run by faith-based groups as well.
Uniforms: Some schools have uniforms they require the pupils to wear. It is not a requirement for every school to wear a uniform. Get in touch with the school for information. And you can also get in touch with local parent groups for information about second hand school uniforms too.
Cost: Not all schools are free and not all schools are paid. Get in touch with the school to get more information.
Home Schooling: Children are allowed to receive schooling at home, rather than going to a school. But you must notify the authority / the school your children are currently attending, if you want to teach your children at home. You can find out more here.
Special Schools: These are state-funded special educational schools that cater for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). There is a long process for school places in these because each situation needs to be evaluated by specialists and they can only be accessed with Local Authority support.
If you know your children need SEND support at their mainstream schools, you can talk to their teachers. If your children are under 4 or 5 years old but not in a nursery, you can talk to a doctor or health adviser. If your children are in primary or secondary schools, you can talk to the teacher or the SEN coordinator.
For advice, you can contact your local IAS service (England) / SNAP Cymru (Wales) / Enquire (Scotland) / The Special Educational Needs Advice Centre (SENAC) (Northern Ireland).
Additional Clubs: Many schools and nurseries have options to pay for additional hours with breakfast clubs, lunch clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs. There may be occasions when you are not able to pick up your children on time due to work commitments, so you can arrange an after-school club for them.
England and Wales
In England and Wales, education begins at age 3-4 with Nursery. And children aged 5-16 must be in full-time schooling (known as “compulsory schooling”). Children will enter primary school at age 4-5, then secondary school at age 11-12.
Children in Wales can choose to leave school after 16. But children in England are legally required to receive education from 5 to 18 years of age (known as “compulsory education”), so they must attend a college, enter an apprenticeship or traineeship, or stay in part-time education or training while working or volunteering until they are 18.
To Apply for School places
You have to apply through local councils for state primary school and secondary school places. To find out about your local council and how to apply, visit:
You only need to apply directly to the schools for:
a place at a private school
a 6th form place at a school or college
If you are applying for a school place after the start of the school year, contact your local council directly. Your council will help you to apply.
THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM
Almost all schools in England and Wales follow the National Curriculum (with Foundation Phase in Wales). You can view this here.
5-16 years old - The legal requirement for children to receive schooling in Wales
5-18 years old - The legal requirement for children to receive schooling and education in England
In England and Wales, the academic year is calculated as of the 1st of September. Therefore the age of a child on 1 September determines when they need to start school.
STAGES OF SCHOOLING IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Nurseries (3-4 years old): All 3 and 4 year olds and some 2 year olds can get up to 15 hours of free early education and childcare each week for 38 weeks of the year. If you work, your 3 or 4 year old could get another 15 hours of childcare.
Primary schools (4-11 years old): Most children go to primary school in September when they are 4 years old. If you do not think your children are ready to start full-time schooling at 4 years old, they can start when they turn 5. You will still need to apply for school places for them when they are 4 though. And you should apply with a request for your children’s later start.
Search for schools and check their performance here: England / WalesSecondary schools (11-16 years old): Search for secondary schools and check their performance here: England / Wales
College / Apprenticeship / Leaving school (16-18 years old): Search for schools and check their performance here: England / Wales. Check here for options for students after their GCSEs.
Scotland
Nurseries, primary and secondary schools in Scotland follow the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Private / independent schools may follow the English curriculum or the International Baccalaureate.
In Scotland, children usually start school at the age of 5. Though depending on when their birthdays fall, some children start school at 4.* Therefore a child can be 15-16 or 16-17** years old when they are studying S5. If you are unsure when your children should start school in Scotland, you can find out more at Parentzone Scotland.
To Apply for School places
You have to apply through local councils for state primary school and secondary school places. To find out about your local council and how to apply, visit:
You only need to apply directly to the schools for:
a place at a private school
THE CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE (CfE)
5-16 years old - The legal requirement for children to receive full-time education in Scotland
Click here to view the Curriculum
STAGES OF SCHOOLING IN SCOTLAND
Nurseries (3-4 years old): All 3 and 4 year olds and some 2 year olds can get up to 30 hours of free early learning and childcare (ELC) each week for 38 weeks of the year. Details and how to apply for child care: Scotland. And you can find a nursery or childcare place in Scotland here.
Primary schools (4-11 years old): Most children go to primary school in September when they are 5 years old, but some might start when they are 4. You can check when your children should start schooling in Scotland here. You can choose to delay their entry to primary school by a year if they are due to start school at 4. Check with your local councils about how to apply for deferred entry and an additional year of funded ELC.
Search for schools and check their performance here: School Information Dashboard - Primary. And for more information about primary school education in Scotland, see here.
Secondary schools (11-16 years old): For information about secondary school education in Scotland, see here. Search for secondary schools and check their performance here: School Information Dashboard - Secondary
Sixth year / Leaving school / other forms of education (16-17 years old): While it is more common for students to study S6 and take further Highers or Advanced Highers before entering universities, in Scotland students can go to university after S5, if their Highers results meet the Scottish universities’ admission criteria.
This is because universities in Scotland have 4 year university terms (instead of 3 in English universities). But if students would like to enter universities outside of Scotland, studying for S6 may be a prerequisite.
See here for options for students after S5.
Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland is similar to that in England and Wales, but with a few differences. Northern Ireland has its own Northern Ireland Curriculum, and in Northern Ireland, the age of a child on 1 July determines when they start school.
To Apply for School places
You have to apply through the Education Authority’s online portal for state primary school and secondary school places:
On the Portal, you can also find:
the admission guides to primary and secondary schools;
the schools’ admission criteria
a search tool to find schools in your area
You can list 4 of the schools you prefer in the application form. To increase the chances of getting a place from your preferred school, you should read the schools’ admission criteria first. If you are applying outside of the school application periods, contact the Admissions Help Desk directly to inquire about late applications.
For more information on how to apply for schools in Northern Ireland, check here.
You only need to apply directly to the schools for:
a place at a private school
a 6th form place at a school (that is not the school you studied at at Year 12), or a place at Further Education colleges
THE NORTHERN IRELAND CURRICULUM
4-16 years old - The legal requirement for children to receive full time education in Northern Ireland. Click here to view the curriculum.
STAGES OF SCHOOLING IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Nurseries (3-4 years old): There are different types of childcare available in Northern Ireland, like nurseries, playgroups, or childminders. You can find out how to choose the most suitable type of childcare for your children here. And you may also be eligible for childcare benefits.
Primary schools (4-11 years old): Most children go to primary school in September when they reach 4 years old on or before 1 July in the same year. But those who turn 4 on 2 July to 31 August will start primary school next year, when they reach 5 years old. If you do not think your children are ready to start full-time schooling at 4 years old, or if your children’s birthdays fall on 2 July to 31 August and you prefer them to start schooling at 4 years old, you can apply for them to commerce schooling early or defer for a year. You can search for primary schools through the Education Authority Online Portal or through the Northern Ireland School Directory.
Post-primary (11-16 years old): You can search for post-primary schools through the Education Authority Online Portal or through the Northern Ireland School Directory.
College / Apprenticeship / Leaving school (16-18 years old): You can have a look at options available to students after Year 12, or chat with a career adviser here.
A new education system can be very confusing. Which schools should I pick? Which club to sign up for your children? Where can you buy the school uniforms? Why not get in touch with a helpful local church volunteer so that they can help you and share with you their local insights? Connect to a local church here.