U.K. Education System

The Government provides compulsory education to students between the ages of five and sixteen.  The minimum school leaving age is sixteen, and students usually take GCSE exams before leaving school. They can further their education with A-Levels or leave school for work.  A-levels usually last for two years and are the standard entry qualification for assessing the students’ academic level for entering universities.

The UK education system consists of two distinct systems of courses and qualifications which are compatible with each other. One system is followed by England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the other is adopted by Scotland.

The UK education system is made up of the following levels:

Pre- schooland primary education

At school level there are two types of schools which are state schools and independent/private schools. Pre-school is generally for 3-4 year olds; primary is from 5 to 11.

Secondary education

There are government-funded schools and private schools in the UK.  Course fees of public schools are relatively affordable with a wide range of subject options.  Private schools provide a more customized education and quality service.  Generally public schools do not accept international students below the age of sixteen.  There are approximately 2500 private schools providing the secondary school curriculum to international students aged thirteen or above.  Most private schools offer student dormitory accomodation and most of them are funded by tuition fees and donations.

The minimum school leaving age is sixteen, and students usually take GCSE exams before leaving school. They can further their education with A-Levels or leave school for work.  A-levels usually last for two years and are the standard entry qualification for assessing the students’ academic level for entering universities.

GCSE’s

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) courses are taken in Year 10 and Year 11 as compulsory subjects in secondary schools.  GCSE courses are taken in a variety of subjects, which are usually decided by the students themselves.  Students can choose five to ten subjects according to their ability.  Students are required to sit for GCSE exams and apply for A-level courses.  Hong Kong students can enter GCSE courses after the completion of junior secondary school.

A-Levels

A-Level (General Certificate of Education Advanced Level) is a 2-year preparatory programme taken before entering a university.  The first year is AS Level where students can choose four to five subjects according to their preference and career plan.  Students may reduce the number of subjects to three or four at A2 (2nd year) level in order to concentrate on less subjects for the exams.  The examination results of the A-Levels determine if a student is good enough to enter a university or college.  Most universities require students to have three passes in A-Levels. Hong Kong students can take the A-level curriculum after completion of Form 5(old academic structure), but some secondary schools may have an age restriction.

Pre A-Level

Pre A-Level programs are mainly established by some private schools to prepare international students for A-level study.  The programs introduce parts of the A-Level syllabus and English language to students (most international students) who have completed junior secondary school or with comparatively lower academic results.

Private schools

There are several different types of private schools, including:

- Boarding schools

Boarding schools in the UK have a thousand years of history and have religious origins.  The schools were principally established for the development of members of the  ruling and upper classes. However nowadays boarding schools also accept students from all walks of life.  Boarding schools offer better facilities and education quality.  Students from boarding schools generally obtain better academic achievement.

- Sixth Form Colleges

Sixth form colleges are institutions for students at Years 12 and 13 who typically study for A-Level qualifications.  Private Sixth form colleges,with lower student-teacher ratios have better education quality than their public sixth form college counterparts.

Undergraduate qualifications

Undergraduate degrees are usually taught at universities and colleges of further and higher education. Most of these degrees are 3 years except for Scotland where the degrees are 4 years.

There are over a hundred government universities in Britain.  A  bachelor’s degree with honours course  usually lasts for three years. A sandwich degree course and a degree in Scotland will normally last for four years, while an honours degree in Medicine  lasts for five years. There are over 5,000 courses offered by universities and colleges in the UK. Students must apply through UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service).

Apart from the general bachelor’s degree with honours, universities in the UK also offer Joint Honours Degrees, Sandwich Courses and Year Three Abroad programmes.

Postgraduate qualifications

 Postgraduate degrees include master’s degree (course-based or research-based) and doctorate degrees.

Course-based master’s degrees are usually one-year courses and applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or relevant professional qualification for admission to a master's program.  If applicants do not meet the mentioned requirements, they should take a pre-master course or enrol on a bachelor’s degree course in advance.  Research-based master’s degrees, are mainly devoted to research and typically take one to two years to complete.  MPhil (two-year courses) and MRes (one-year courses) are common research based master’s degrees.

A doctorate degree requires at least three years of full-time study.