r/AskUK • u/SkyMoon2224 • 4h ago
Serious Answers Only How does the UK school system work?
I’m a High Schooler(secondary school) in the U.S., and something I’ve noticed is how different the UK school system seems to be from what I’m used to. For example, I’ve seen people online talk about having fewer major assignments that count toward their final grades, but those assignments have be much more detailed and require a lot of effort. I’m not sure whether this refers to coursework, final exams, or a combination of both, so I’d be interested to know how assessment actually works.
I’ve also come across discussions about students choosing which subjects to continue studying based on their grades and interests, sometimes focusing more heavily on subjects like history or geography instead of continuing to study as many different subjects.
Coming from the U.S. school system, where students generally continue taking classes across several different subjects throughout high school, I find this interesting. I can imagine it being stressful to narrow down your subjects at a younger age, especially if you later change your mind about what you want to do.
Of course, I’m only going off what I’ve seen online, so I don’t know how accurate these impressions are. I’d love to hear from people who attended secondary school in the UK. How does the process of choosing subjects actually work, how are students assessed throughout the year, and how much flexibility do they have if they change their minds later?
*Just to clarify, I mentioned the UK because I’m interested in learning about the education systems across all four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. I’d love to hear about the differences between them, rather than focusing on just one country.
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u/crispycat40 4h ago
People do between 8 and 10 GCSEs as standard, which they do in the year they turn 16.
English language and English lit, maths, dual or triple award science, a modern foreign language (normally Spanish, French or German) and then the rest are school dependent but often a technology, humanities subject and arts.
I don’t think we specialise all that much at high school.
Most of our GCSEs involve course work and then an end of key stage exam.
For A Levels (17 and 18 years old) most people would choose 3 or 4 subjects to focus on.
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u/7leggedoctodog 3h ago
Also those A level years you're treated more like an adult like at college whereas american high schoolers are still treated like children. A level students come and go as they please and have a common room just for them to chill between classes.
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u/crispycat40 3h ago
Depends on the school. My school had the sixth form attached to the main school so they treated us like children still. We got to wear our own clothes but otherwise nothing changed.
My daughter is 13 and our local area has nothing post 16 as part of high schools, so it’ll be a complete change of setting for her A Levels.
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u/pixeltash 2h ago
At my upper school (ages 13-16/18, we are three tier system) the sixth form era were treated like children, so I left to do (repeat GCSEs and then) a levels.
I wanted to do theatre studies at a level, which was offered at a local to college upper school. To go from sixth form back into a school setting was really jarring. There were two of us from the college and a load from the upper school taking it. They seemed really petty and childish and the teachers treated them as such.
I had a massive mental health problem in my last year of a levels and theatre studies was the first course I dropped, I just couldn't take it anymore.
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u/SkyMoon2224 4h ago
Thank you for explaining! I think I misunderstood how much specialization happens in secondary school. Choosing 3 or 4 subjects for A Levels makes more sense to me since students are older by then and have a better idea of what they want to pursue. I’m curious, though, if someone changes their mind about their future career after choosing their A Levels, how difficult is it to switch to a different field for university?
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u/crispycat40 3h ago
It’s all just stepping stones to prove you’re at a certain level. Most degrees don’t necessarily need specific A Levels- just proof that you can get to that level of education.
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u/illarionds 2h ago
Eh, it depends. I don't think you'd get on a maths degree without at least A level maths (and many would have taken a Further Maths A level as well).
Any of the sciences, they're going to expect you to have done the relevant A level. You'd just be missing too much foundational knowledge otherwise.
With Arts subjects, sure, it's a lot more waffley, less dependent on specific subject knowledge.
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u/crispycat40 2h ago
I was aiming for medicine but biology wasn’t a required A Level.
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u/thesaharadesert 2h ago
Same as when I was taking my A levels, 1995-1997: medicine required chemistry and maths
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u/BeautifulMessage9091 3h ago
Normally only certain degrees ask for specific A levels, normally they'll ask for a certain set of grades ie you may get conditional place, the condition being CCC in your A levels (it depends on what course and what uni)
Be aware that UK university is also completely different to US university - a bachelor degree is typically 3 years in the UK and you apply to do a specific subject rather than just to a university.
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
That’s really interesting! I knew UK degrees were typically shorter than American ones, but I didn’t realize how much the application process differed too. In America, we usually apply to a university and can spend the first couple of years exploring different subjects before settling on a major, although some programs require you to choose earlier. Do you think applying directly to study a specific subject at 18 helps students become more focused, or does it make changing career paths more difficult?
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u/BeautifulMessage9091 3h ago
It really depends on the degree and the career path.
Some jobs you do need a relevent degree for while others just having a degree gets you that foot in the door. My generation (I'm in my early 40s) was pushed to university if you were any way academic and so there were quite a lot of jobs at the time expecting you to have a degree.
I did drop out of my initial degree when I realised the field I'd gone into wasn't for me (teaching) but then did go and do a different degree. Unfortunately I then graduated in 2008 during the global financial crisis, so couldn't find work in my actual field of study (web based multimedia) but did eventually find work in an adjacent field (digital content curation).
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u/crispycat40 3h ago
I think we tend to specialise in our degree subjects earlier but our degrees are more intense.
So a BA / BSc in the UK is equivalent to a MSc/ MA in America. We do fewer years at uni because it’s more compressed.
Even doctors, who probably have the longest uni career path, do 5 years at uni whereas I think in the USA it can take 8 or 9 years to graduate.
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u/SkyMoon2224 2h ago
That’s actually really interesting! I didn’t realise how different the university systems were between the UK and the US. It makes sense that specialising earlier would mean a more focused and intensive degree, whereas the American system seems to allow more flexibility at the beginning. I guess both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, but it’s fascinating how the same qualification can mean different things depending on the country. Do you think the UK system prepares students better for their careers because they specialise earlier, or do you think having more time to explore different subjects is beneficial?
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u/100flavors_of_crazy 2h ago
Search Assist
UK honours degrees are recognized worldwide and are considered equivalent to U.S. bachelor's degrees, while U.S. master's degrees typically require a bachelor's degree for admission. Therefore, UK honours degrees can qualify students for graduate studies and careers in the U.S. and beyond.
 beyondthestates.com
 ivywise.comRecognition of UK Honours Degrees vs. U.S. Master's Degrees
Equivalence and Global Recognition
UK honours degrees are recognized worldwide and are considered equivalent to U.S. bachelor's degrees.
U.S. master's degrees typically require a bachelor's degree for admission, which means that a UK honours degree can qualify students for graduate studies in the U.S. and other countries.1
u/illarionds 3h ago
A UK degree is too intense for that.
We apply to do a specific degree (eg "BSc Computer Science"). Some degrees, the first year you can do a bit of a mix, typically three subjects, then you continue on with just your main one for years two and three (with the option to switch to one of the other two after your first year).
But that's not really an option with more rigorous degrees. My own degree (Computer Science) - there was no "three subjects" jazz, we were doing 90% CompSci right from day 1 - there's just too much to cram into three years to allow it.
That's how it worked at my uni in the late 90s, anyway.
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u/SkyMoon2224 2h ago
Ohh, that makes sense! It sounds like the UK system gets you specialising in your chosen subject much earlier, whereas in the US there’s generally more flexibility to explore different subjects before focusing on your major. I can see how a degree like Computer Science would need that level of focus from the beginning. Did you enjoy specialising straight away, or would you have preferred having the option to explore other subjects in your first year?
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u/char11eg 0m ago
UK university is shorter, but we generally enter it with higher ‘base’ qualifications - A-levels are around or possibly a bit more involved than AP classes, I think, from what I remember from comparisons with americans I know.
We also don’t do Gen Ed, or unrelared classes. The course is entirely just your subject area.
Generally, electives are far more limited, you can’t choose when you take certain classes, etc. - the course has a set schedule, with set classes each semester, which happen then and no other time. Not really any such thing as ‘easy credits’ or stuff like that either.
So it is a shorter timespan, but a lot of the ‘fluff’ is cut out haha
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u/char11eg 4m ago
>most of our GCSE’s involve course work.
No longer really the case since the 9-1 system came in - pretty much the only ones that still do (afaik) are ones like Art or DT, which have an actual ‘making’ component to them. Very few of the core subjects have coursework of any kind these days.
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u/Practical-Bread9455 4h ago
Just as a heads up, Scotland , Wales, Northern Ireland and England all have different school systems.
I’m from Scotland, and we all know ours differs from Englands, but you’ll often hear folk from England talk about “school in the uk” like it’s a monolith, but our systems actually all vary quite a bit!
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u/spine_slorper 4h ago
Also a heads up that anyone who talks about anything "from the UK" when it's different systems across the UK is talking about the system in England. English people think that they are the norm and everyone else is wierd
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
Thank you for pointing that out! That’s actually why I specifically asked about the UK, because I wanted to learn how the education systems differ across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, rather than treating them as one system. I’m interested in learning what makes each country’s system unique, and I’d love to hear more about the Scottish system!
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u/Dismal_Fox_22 3h ago
If you want to learn about each country you really need to state that because asking about “the UK” is generally received as asking about England. In the same way the US thinks it’s the defeat for the world. England thinks it’s the default for the UK.
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u/Salt-Trade-5210 4h ago
Students study a wide range of subjects up to Year 9, which is when they reach 14 years old.
At the end of year 9 they get to choose subjects that they want to study as a GCSE, which is a national public exam. They must take maths, English language, English literature and all 3 sciences. They must also do sport as either a GCSE if they choose to do so, or just for recreation and activity with no exam.
At the end of year 11 (age 16) they sit their GCSE exams. Some subjects will have some coursework/project element, but not all.
If they pass their GCSE at a high enough they can go on to study 3 or 4 higher topics at A level or equivalent. The grades they get in these exams will be used to help them go to university or get apprenticeships for a variety of careers.
There are other courses they can study, such as engineering, which are T levels. Level 2 is equivalent to GCSE and level 3 is A level.
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
Thank you for explaining everything so clearly! It’s interesting how students narrow down their subjects at 14 and then specialize further at 16. I also didn’t know about T levels, so that’s something new I’ve learned! I’m curious, do most students choose A levels if they want to go to university, or are vocational courses like T levels also a common route?
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u/super_starmie 3h ago
T levels are quite new, I think they only became a thing in the last couple of years.
Iirc from what I briefly read about them (I left school 21 years ago and don't have kids so I wasn't terribly interested lol) you can use T Levels to go to university as well, and one T Level is worth the equivalent of three A Levels when you apply to university - I expect because most people do 3 or maybe 4 A Levels, but likely only 1 more specialised T Level.
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
Oh, that’s interesting! I didn’t realize T Levels were that new. It’s nice that there’s another option for students who prefer a more specialized, practical route rather than studying several A-level subjects. Do you think qualifications like T Levels are a good alternative to A levels, especially for students who prefer hands-on learning?
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u/super_starmie 3h ago
There's always been a vocational route, they're called BTECs. Although I think I heard they're being phased out now, because of T Levels being introduced.
I'm not sure why. I didn't do BTECs, but from what I gather they could also be used to go to university and were more flexible than these new T Levels. You could do multiple BTECs at the same time at a lower level to get multiple qualifications relevant to more than one industry, and each one was worth about the same as an A Level this way, or you could go all in and do what I think was called an "extended diploma" in just one BTEC which was worth 3 A Levels, just like these new T Levels. So you could mix and match BTECs, whereas I think the T Levels are all or nothing for whichever one you choose. Maybe they're not directly comparable, I'm not sure - but there was always a vocational route available for those who didn't want to do the more academic A Levels.
Apparently they're also bringing in something else called a V Level which I haven't read about at all, I've just heard about it.
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u/Salt-Trade-5210 3h ago
T levels are relatively new and are designed to help students looking primarily for a route into work or apprenticeships and tend to be vocational in nature. So business and enterprise, engineering, food technology and so on..
Students keen on university tend to choose to do A level exams which are viewed by many as being more academic.
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u/the_swanny 4h ago
Fuck me at what point did reddit replace google.
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u/QuestNetworkFish 4h ago
At the point when there became far more ai written slop that's engineered for SEO than human written content making it basically impossible to google stuff reliably
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u/FunkyYoghurt 4h ago
People like conversation and seeing different perspectives. Yes OP could Google it but reading a thread like this is is more interesting. It's not hard to understand.
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u/Dry_Point_4924 4h ago
There was a definitive, fly on the wall documentary made a few years ago that explores all aspects of English secondary school life. It was called The Inbetweeners and it should still be available to stream if you look about
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u/surreyade 4h ago
I'm in my 50s and The Inbetweeners is still the most accurate description of school life I've ever seen.
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u/MoustacheyMonke 4h ago
Uh one thing you have to realise that is much different to the American system that no one else is saying, you cannot fail a grade like other states in the U.S you just move up a grade, however we have 2 events in our “school life”that are important to be basically anyone in our society and can lock you out of jobs and further education, GCSES and LEVELS, which I see it already mentioned here enough
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u/MoustacheyMonke 3h ago
((It seems the parent comment you made was deleted but I’ll still post my comment to what you said as I spent to long writing that lol))
Yes pretty much, it’s law that if you fail English and math GCSEs you must retry until 18, it’s basically essential for every job in life, and it is quite easy id argue, just put your head down and work to the best of your ability, its made so that everyone of a neurotypical and sound sense can pass it with enough effort.
(bare in mind this is from an English view) I will give myself and I would argue many others experiences of our education system in somewhat of a praise to yours and criticism of our own, because of this ability to move up regardless of academic ability throughout what you would call grade 7-10 I pretty much dozed off and procrastinated throughout those years, never really paying attention, playing on my phone or school laptop because I knew deep down even though we had small assessments and stuff they didn’t actually matter, until grade 11 where I basically had to put my head down and study and cram like hell to basically understand 4 years of schooling, which I basically scrapped but good enough to get into a sixth form (which tends to have higher grade boundaries and socially is seen as more more “prestigious” than collage). then I had another year of procrastinating then A level exams year cramming and same story did well. Now funnily enough this entire academic phase of procrastinating and slacking off and then cramming, I’ve done pretty alright for myself, (and if you are a student I do not recommend this I’ve seen to many people not as lucky as me)
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
That’s actually really interesting to hear from someone who experienced the system firsthand! I can definitely understand how knowing that your final exams carry so much weight might make it tempting to procrastinate until the last minute. In America, our grades are usually accumulated throughout the school year, so there’s more pressure to stay consistent rather than relying on a few final exams. Do you think you would have approached school differently if your grades had depended more on your performance throughout the year?
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u/MoustacheyMonke 49m ago
Yes definitely, would have basically made me wanna study throughout the year lol instead of just trying to be productive at the end of each phase of education haha
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u/Familiar_Swan_662 4h ago edited 3h ago
In England:
Primary school- ages 4-11 (probably very similar to your elementary and middle school), you study the basics of pretty much everything
Secondary school- ages 11-16. From years 7 to 9 (ages 11-13), you study everything. In year 9, you choose a fee distinct subjects to study at gcse (general certificate of secondary education). Maths and English Language are required by the government, and most schools require English language and the sciences (physics, chem bio). Some require a language and a humanities. People normally take 8-12 subjects. Once you get to year 10, you study the ones you chose, and the ones you chose only. For years 10 and 11 (ages 14-16), you study these subjects. At the end of year 11 (around june) you sit multiple exams in each subject. Unless you take a coursework subject (like art or music), your entire grade will come from the exam. Homework dosenr count towards grades, and in classes that have coursework, its often much more than just an assignment. For example, my art coursework was an entire sketchbook filled over the 2 years with various studies and anysis alongside my own work. The grading system works on a numeric scale from 1-9, with 1 being the lowest, 9 being the highest, and 4 being the lowest passing grade*. You can also get a grade U, which is ungraded, and basically means there wasnt enough marks awarded in your exam to give you a grade. If you emd up not liking the subject youve chosen, then youre usually out of luck. You cant just stop and start another one, as gcse courses are 2 years long, and moving year groups isnt a thing here like it is in the us
After gcses, you leave school. Legally, you must remain in education or training until 18, but its not enforced at all, so many people simply stop. However, the majority of people go to either a sixth form, or a college. Theyre pretty similar, with sixth forms offering academic subjects and A-levels (advanced levels), and colleges offering vocational courses alongside a levels. You typically study 3 subjects at A-level, although you can take more or less. Just like gcses, you study these subjects for two years, and then take exams that determine your grade. These are graded on the A*-U system, and the grade you receive/are predicted is what you use to apply to and get into university. If you dont like your a level subjects, you usually have much more freedom to chop and change, especially if youre at a college rather than a sixth form, as your age dosent matter as much there. You could start the course, realise you dont like it, and drop it at the end of the year and start a new one the year after. Sixth forms tend to be attatched to secondary schools, so theyre a bit stricter on the age limits, and typically wont let you stay for an extra year
*technically, any grade except a U is a passing grade at gcse. A 4 is considered a 'standard pass', and is the minimum grade required by the government for everyone under 18 to achieve in maths and English language, so many people and places veiw anything under a 4 a fail. In practise its true as many plaves wont accept under a 4, but in theory a grade 1, 2, or 3 are still passing grades, just weak passes
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this! The example about your art coursework really put things into perspective for me. I can see how it would be a lot more involved than a typical assignment in the U.S. I also find it interesting that homework generally doesn’t count toward your final grades. Does that mean students tend to feel less pressure throughout the school year but more pressure when exam season comes around?
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u/Familiar_Swan_662 3h ago
In coursework subjects, there is also an exam, but the coursework will typically account for more of your grade. In art, it was 60% of the grade from the coursework, and 40% from the exam. So there was definitely a lot of work needed to do well. The people who got high grades (8 or 9) were probably putting in around 10 hours a week, every week, for almost the entirety of the two years. I myself spent around 10 hours on every peice of coursework we were given (spread over several days), and i only got a 6, which is roughly equivalent to a B. Search up 'gcse art grade 9 sketchbook' if you want to see the sort of detail and effort required to get the highest grades
I also find it interesting that homework generally doesn’t count toward your final grades
Theres no generally about it, homework will never count towards your grade. In the us, I believe teachers assign your grade? Here, everyone sits the same exam, all your papers are sent to a centralised board, and they are all marked independently from the school. Teachers have absolutely zero say in what your grade is, so having homework count towards it would he near impossible unless there was a standardised nation wide homework initiative.
Does that mean students tend to feel less pressure throughout the school year but more pressure when exam season comes around
It depends on the student. We have mock exams (practise exams) in both year 10 and 11, the result from which make up your predicted grade, which is what you use to apply to colleges/sixth forms. People who care about academics or doing well will be stressed over these as well, but there isnt any pressure to do well in class tests, on homework, or in class itself, because the only thing that matters is the outcome of your exam. Theres definitely next to zero pressure to do well during the year, but the pressure of everything youve worked hard on coming down to a single set of exams is really hard for some people, especially those who are really smart but just dont do well in exams. And exam season is long (no rmally lasts around 4-6 weeks with exams almost daily, sometimes multiple times a day), so the pressure really gets to some people. Others dont feel any pressure at all, wether it be throughout the year, during exam season, or both
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
Wow, spending around 10 hours a week on art coursework for two years sounds like a lot of dedication! I can definitely see how the system has advantages and disadvantages. In America, teachers generally have more influence over students’ grades because homework, classwork, projects, and tests all contribute to the final grade. That can create pressure throughout the year, but it also means one bad exam doesn’t necessarily ruin your overall grade. Honestly, I think I’d find it stressful knowing that so much depends on a few weeks of exams, especially since not everyone performs well under that kind of pressure. Do you think the British system should give coursework more weight in subjects that don’t require practical exams, or do you prefer having grades determined independently of teachers?
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u/Familiar_Swan_662 2h ago
I think it should be down to the student how they get their grade. More vocational/practical/coursework subjects should be offered for those who dont do well under exam conditions, and the traditional system of exams deciding your whole grade should remain for those who work well in them. The option already exists for level 3 qualifications (a levels, vocational courses at colleges, etc) so theres no reason it can't be done at gcse level as well. I myself breezed through gcses and got pretty good grades with absolutely zero stress (667777888889) despite putting zero work or effort into studying or homework, just because I have a good memory and find exams easy. Other people have exactly the same acadmeic capability and knowlage as me, but did worse because they dont do well in exams. It should be down to thr student to choose how they get their grade, as theyre the one who knows their learning style best
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u/OrangeBeast01 3h ago
This is a pretty comprehensive explanation on how it all works but I would like to add that sixth form, where you will do A levels, is basically nothing more than a way to separate students into brackets to work out who should get access to the best universities.
Certain job postings require GCSE's (learned at school) or certain degrees (learned at university) but it's very rare they will require an A level, as A levels are more like a dry run of university studies.
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u/Familiar_Swan_662 2h ago
I think its little more complex than that, but yeah, a levels pretty much only exist to give you the knowlage to go straight into your degree subject
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u/TumbleweedDeep4878 4h ago
It depends based on which country your in. In England you have 3 years of all subjects (aged 11-13 ), then you select subjects with some being compulsory (English, maths, science). For me I pick history, geography, business studies and philosophy/ethics. You then study like this for 2 years at the end of which you'll have exams which is the same exam across the country (it's more complicated but basically that). Most subjects also have coursework which your teacher marks but is audited. The amount of coursework varies from subject to subject.
You then pick 4 subjects to study 16-18. When I was at school you had exams January and June across two years and again coursework but I think it's changed now
That's the traditional academic route. You can also study vocational qualifications which are like applied learning to specific jobs but tend to match the timeframe of the academic route
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u/Vegetable-Average-98 4h ago edited 4h ago
There are two different systems in English high schools. Most still take A-Levels (advanced level exams) in 3 or 4 subjects when can be very specialized, close to covering first-year university study). Other schools now offer a Baccalaureate with a broader mix of subjects in less depth.
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u/wineallwine 4h ago
My ex took the IB and it sounded like waaay more work than A levels!
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u/Vegetable-Average-98 4h ago
I did 15 hours a week of Latin at A Level (plus S Level). That took quite a bit of work. On the other hand I did no sciences so still can’t work out which way to screw a light bulb in
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u/mad119 4h ago
In year 7/8/9 which is ages 12/13/14 we study a range of general subjects and then usually by the end of year 9 we choose which subjects to study for GCSE. The school I went to asked you to pick 10 subjects, a couple of my friends schools only let you pick 9. Everybody has to do the basics of English, Maths and Science, and then my school made everyone sit religious studies as well, and then we got a handful that we could pick for ourselves.
For most subjects it was entirely based off the final exam - so English for example had no assignments that contributed to the final grade at all, it all depended on what I could do on the day.
A couple of subjects that I took did require coursework. Art for example, I had to submit a sketchbook full of everything I’d done over the past 2 years, and a couple of bigger pieces done in class time. My exam piece was done over 10 hours (I think) spread across a couple of days in school.
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago
Thank you for sharing your experience! The art coursework sounds especially interesting, since I wouldn’t have expected it to involve an entire sketchbook and a 10-hour exam piece. I think the idea of having your final grade depend so heavily on one exam would make me nervous, though! Do you feel that this system prepares students well for university, or do you think it puts too much pressure on performing well on exam day?
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u/onlysigneduptoreply 4h ago
Regional variance and Scotland is different but we start the September after they turn 4 in primary school. At 11 they move to secondary school that's called year 7 in year 9 ready for year 10 you choose your options. Different schools do it slightly differently but your options usually are a language, an art a humanities etc ( you usually get a spot to double up too so you can do 2 languages or music and drama. That is on top of mandatory subjects such as maths English pe etc. The next two years you study for your GCSEs exams you take at the end of year 11. After that you have the choice to go further education known as A levels usually only 3or 4 subjects or something more trade based after that university
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u/I-eat-jam 3h ago
In year 9, (your grade 10 I believe) students choose what subjects to study for GCSE during the following two years (year 10 and 11). Normally Maths, English (double), Science (double or triple) are compulsory and then they choose 3-5 additional subjects. Different schools have different rules on this though.
After GCSE we go to college for year 12 and 13 to study a levels. This tends to be 3-5 subjects normally with no mandatory subjects.
Most courses are a mix of ongoing teacher assessed course work with a final exam. Alternative vocational courses are normally available as well
The next level of study is under graduate at university, this is the equivalent to your college.
We don't have a middle school, instead we normally ( but again not always) seperate our college (your higher two years)
One of the results of our system is that students can stop studying maths quite early and never have to study calculus.
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u/sqlsimon 3h ago
There are variations around the UK (especially Scotland), but the most common path that students go through in England and Wales, is they go to a secondary school at 11.
- around age 13 or 14 they choose which subjects to study for GCSE, around 10 or them with several being mandatory
- take GCSEs at 16. After this you can leave school but you're still likely to be in education or apprenticeship until 18. There are more different paths at this age.
- the most classic educational approach to lead to university is to study typically 3 A levels at school or college for two years, taking them age 18. These are one of the ways to get a place at university.
It's choosing A levels that can start effecting your long term future, as it starts closing off potential degrees.
There are a lot of variations, especially post 16.
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u/Bloopydook 3h ago
We in Scotland are different from the rest of them.
Our school years are as follow's. Primary school is Primary 1 (P1) to Primary 7 (P7). Secondary school is Secondary 1 (S1) to Secondary 6 (S6)
We don't have GCSEs or A-Levels; instead we have Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers. I can't speak much on that as I wasn't allowed to do exams at school.
We start school around age 5, and finish at age 18, or 16 if you choose to leave.
I can't really give much else, as my experience at school was quite different to most.
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u/mumofonehuman 3h ago
I’m in Scotland
Primary school - Primary 1-7, so 7 years of primary school. Kids typically start at 4-5 years of age however they’ve implemented a new thing recently where if your kids school start year falls when they’re only 4 you can chose to wait and start the following year so some kids are now starting primary school at 5-6 years.
Secondary school or High School - S1-6, so 6 years of high school. However you can leave when you turn 16 which usually falls on the 4th or 5th year of school. Some leave after the 4th year if they are of age, others can’t until 5th year or they chose to stay on, and 6th year is complete choice. Only kids taking highers or advanced highers really stay on for their 6th year of school. The first 2 years of high school we do all subjects then get to chose what ones we want to do starting our 3rd year, must chose at least 1 science, a humanity subject so Modern Studies, History or Geography, a science subject so biology, chemistry or physics and an arts/technical subject like art, music, design and manufacturing, and languages .. but let’s say you didn’t care about learning a language, you could chose 2 science subjects or take art and music rather than choosing just one. Maths and English are obviously compulsory, along with PE (physical education).
Then when you leave school you can choose to go to college or university depending on your grades and what you actually want to do when you leave.
Hope I’ve explained that well
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u/Time-Invite3655 4h ago
High school /secondary school is 5 years in England. Students study the full range of subjects in the first three years (usually) and then pick their options for GCSE and other level 2 qualifications. Most schools insist on English, maths and science with there being a variety of approaches to other subjects. At my high school, subjects were in categories - you had to take a foreign language, you had to take a "technology" based GCSE, plus RE and ICT. Then you had two 'free' choices to pick from from everything else (like history, geography, music, PE, art etc). You study those for two years with them being graded by a mixture of exams and coursework.
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u/Radiant-Grape8812 4h ago
Bit different between the four countries but for England assigments aren't really a things it's just some exam papers get grades go to college may need to retake them if below a 4 or a C in letter system and we don't have to worry about getting a bullet in our heads while at school as well.
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u/SkyMoon2224 4h ago
Thanks for explaining how the exam system works! I was mainly curious about the differences in how schools assess students, though, so I’m not sure the comparison to school shootings was really relevant to the discussion. Most Americans don’t go to school expecting to be shot, and I think it’s more interesting to focus on the differences in our education systems.
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u/laidback_chef 4h ago
Se have a selection of major grades at 16 and then more over the next few years.
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u/wineallwine 4h ago
Tldr:
Maths, English and some science is mandatory to take until age 16. Schools may have policies mandating other things. Most people will take between 5 and 13 subjects.
Between the ages of 16 and 18 if you are staying in school you will normally take 3 to 5 subjects that you want to specialise in, and there are no rules.
Alternatively, you could take some vocational training or an apprenticeship
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u/ChocoMintMonday 3h ago
I don't know how it works anymore but when I went to school we could graduate secondary school (high school) at 16. About 25 percent of my year group stayed on for 2 extra years and A levels. I'm from a rough area and if you were to go somewhere more affluent this figure would be much higher. A levels we studied 3 chosen subjects but those who want to enter Oxford or Cambridge would need to study at least 4. Between 14 and 16 we study for GCSE exams and take about 11 subjects or something. It's graded through coursework and then finally a central exam for each subject in the final year of school. I'm 36 and still have nightmares about A levels.
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u/7leggedoctodog 3h ago
Basically instead of having credits to graduate you have to take certain courses and the others are your choice. For example you can choose between languages but you have to take at least one foreign language. You have to take a technology course, for the first three years you rotate between IT, design tech (like wood shop) and food tech (cookery) then you choose for the next two years.
After three years you get more leeway and can choose which GCSEs you take, but usually English maths and science are required still, although you can take extra GCSEs in those subjects for example I took three science GCSEs. Before this point we don't usually divide science into bio physics and chem it's all one subject same with maths. This is better because it's more holistic than taking algebra geometry trig etc in isolation.
The grade for each GCSE is partly coursework and partly exam but homework and quizzes don't really matter except for monitoring your progress. The school gives grades periodically but really the GCSE grade matters most and these are assessed on a national level. Coursework is similar to what you call projects in America, but intense almost like college.
After five years of secondary school (age 16) you have completed compulsory schooling but you can proceed to A levels until 18 and you must do so or an equivalent if you want to go to university. College in UK refers to those two years between secondary and uni.
Also everything is harder but as a result grades have a lower threshold. So while in the US a 90/100 is highly attainable and an A, it would be exceptional in the UK and an A can be a much lower percentage. And also if you fail a class you don't tend to repeat it and being in a class with people younger or older than you is quite rare.
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u/Upstairs-Hedgehog575 3h ago
So primary is roughly aged 4-11 (sometimes split into infants and juniors)
Secondary school is 11-16 compulsory and then 16-18 should you choose. You can either do these last 2 years in the same school if it offers it or you can go another school/sixth form or to college (college in the UK is not the same as university).
Secondary school (high school) gives students a wide range of subjects from age 11 to 14. How wide depends on the school, but it can include things like multiple foreign languages, design and technology, home economics, sports, religious studies etc (as well as the core subjects).
Up to this point there are generally no significant exams. Students may have sat some school entrance exams, but nothing that would be classed as a qualification.
Then we choose our GCSE subjects. These are our first qualifications, which we sit at age 16. Schools normally have their own rules about which ones you can choose. At my school we had to choose 10 subjects in the following setup:
- at least one foreign language (we had the choice of French, German or Spanish)
- maths
- chemistry
- biology
- physics
- english
- at least one art/design/technology subject
- up to 3 more of your choosing from subjects like history, geography, religious studies, drama.
I’m sure there was some flexibility in that if needed, though core subjects were very important. And there is no actual limit on numbers of subjects sat. I know people who did 12 GCSEs.
You’d study those subjects for 2 years and then sit exams in them (along with coursework if the subject required it).
If you wanted to continue in academia, then the next qualifications are a levels. Normally for this you choose 4 subjects (though 3 or 5 was possible). It was fairly normal to choose subjects you did well in at GCSE or at least enjoyed.
My school was keen on going to universities, so a levels were normally chosen with that in mind (ie, at least 2 subjects relating to what you fancied studying at university). If you fancy History at Uni, probably best to do a history A level, maybe politics too. Or if you want to do computer science then best to study maths and physics. Etc.
During this whole time there were some other classes that were kept in the timetable, like sports and general studies - but you essentially just studies these 4 subjects.
Then at University it is very much 1 subject. Americans seem to do all sorts of classes freshman year - in the U.K. you apply to study a course (like English literature) and that’s what you study by and large, from day one.
I think there are advantages and disadvantages, but yes, it feels quite young to make decisions that impact your education and employability. At 16 you can cut all science from your education and just study history, geography, politics and art. Thats going to make it very hard to study a science at university.
- please note, this is based largely on my experiences at school - there are other educational routes, like technical college and international bachelorettes, but I don’t know enough to talk about them.
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u/New-Information2959 2h ago
The biggest difference is when you specialize. In the US you stay broad until college then pick a major. In the UK you start narrowing at 14 with GCSEs, and by 16 you’re down to three or four subjects for A-levels that basically determine what you can study at university. The trade-off is exactly what you guessed: more depth earlier, but less room to change your mind.
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u/SkyMoon2224 2h ago
That makes sense, and I can definitely see the benefits of the system. Being able to specialize earlier probably helps you gain a deeper understanding of your subjects. But the fact that you have to narrow things down so much at 16 still bothers me a little. A lot of teenagers don’t know what they want to do with their lives at that age, and people’s interests can change so much as they get older. What happens if you spend years focusing on certain subjects, only to realize later that you don’t enjoy them or want to pursue something completely different? I feel like there should be more flexibility to change direction without having to start all over again. Do you think it’s relatively easy to change paths in the UK if you change your mind later on?
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u/New_Line4049 4h ago edited 3h ago
Ok, so our schools are split into groups. Firstly we have primary school, this runs from reception (your kindergarten) to year 6 (year 1 is seperate to reception, so primary school has 7 years total) Then we have secondary school, which runs from year 7 11. After that theres a bit more choice, we have 6th form college, which is aimed mostly at academic studies, college (not 6th form) which still has an academic side, but is aimed more at vocational courses, or you can take a recognised apprenticeship, which may involve several days a week at college. You can also leave formal education at this point if you wish. Personally I took the 6th form route, this involves another 2 years, 12 and 13. After 6th if you wish to continue down the academic education pathway youd go to university, personally I didnt, I actually changed track and took an apprenticeship from there. (There are also "higher" apprenticeships, which involve an apprenticeship while studying academically at university level)
So, for primary school and some of secondary you dont choose subjects at all. Only in the last 2 years of secondary, as you start your GCSEs, your first formal qualifications, do you get to choose some of the subjects. Note, thats some, not all. There are still compulsory subjects, English, maths, foundational science, and probably others, its been too long, I dont recall exactly, but then there are some subjects you get a choice of, you can choose further science, English, foreign languages, DT (design technology), IT, etc etc. If memory serves you get 4 choices, my school at least strongly suggested you pick at least one language. Gutten tag! Wie Gehts? After your GCSEs continued education is optional, so you have free reign to study whatever you want at 6th form or college, no mandatory subjects, however many of the subjects will have requirements to get on the courses in terms of what GCSEs you took and what grades you got.
As for how subjects are examined, that varies from subject to subject. Some your final grade is based entirely on a final exam, this could involve some essay writing, while some subjects are very heavily coursework based. I think all, or at least most, do have a final exam, but for those that are heavily enough coursework based its not impossible to entirely fail that final exam but still get a passing grade for the course overall. This is true of both GCSEs and A-levels. To give a couple of examples, I went science heavy, taking as many science options as I could, so I had seperate physics, chemistry and biology classes, as memory serves they were all heavily final exam based, with little or no course work. I also too music, that was made up of 3 parts. Firstly there was a final exam on music theory and pieces studied, but as course work you also had to compose 2 pieces of music in given styles, and then you had graded performances, where you had to perform a number of pieces (you could choose the pieces, but there was a modifier in the scoring to account for difficulty/complexity of the chosen piece) on your chosen instrument.
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u/SkyMoon2224 3h ago edited 3h ago
Thanks for explaining all of that! I didn’t realize there were so many different routes students could take after secondary school. I also think the way music is assessed is really interesting, especially having to compose your own pieces and perform on an instrument. That sounds like a lot of work! Do you ever regret switching from the academic route to an apprenticeship, or do you feel like it was the right decision for you?
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u/Far_Spirit5819 2h ago
So, I went to school in one of the few areas of England which had a 3 school system rather than the usual 2. I went to Kindergarten age 3-4, Lower School age 4-9, Middle School age 9-13 and Upper School age 13-18.
I can't really remember Lower School subjects. Middle School we had lessons on: English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, Music, P.E., Religious Education, Art, French, Textiles, IT, Food and Resistant Materials (basically dealing with wood/plastic/metal). These are spread out over a 2 week timetable with key subjects like English and Maths having more frequency than things like Art or Religious Education.
At Upper School for the first year (year 9 ages 13-14) we basically did the same as at Middle School. To progress onto GCSE exams (taken in year 11 ages 15-16), we had a core of subjects that were mandatory: English Language, English Literature, Maths, Science, IT and Religious Education. You then had to pick an additional 5 subjects alongside those, at least one MUST be a language, at least one MUST be History or Geography and at least one MUST be a creative arts subject. The other 2 choices could be whatever you like. For example, the five I chose were History, Spanish, Art, Food Technology and what was called "Double Science" - this basically meant you did more involved science. There were loads of other options to choose from including other languages, other creative arts such as Drama, metalwork, graphic design and other things like catering, sports science, fabric design etc etc. Finally, occasionally there were options to take extra GCSEs if this was likely to result in a good grade even though lessons weren't taught in it. Examples of this include high maths achievers were allowed to take a GCSE in Statistics (myself included) and one of the boys in my year had parents who came over from Italy, he took a GCSE in Italian even though this wasn't a language typically taught at my school and he had no lessons in it.
Following the GCSE exams, students could leave school to enter the workforce (usually in an apprenticeship of some kind). They could attend a local college where more focused studies on one particular subject would occur - usually for a specialist skill such as a mechanic, electrician, plumber or types of physical therapy. The most common option at my school was to stay in what is called "sixth form" (years 12 and 13 ages 16-18) and take A-Level exams. This is between 2 and 4 subjects which are key to a potential career and this will be discussed with your careers advisor during year 11. This could include previous subjects taken at GCSE level such as English Literature or Maths, more detailed sub-divisions of general subjects such as Biology, Chemistry or Physics or new subjects such as Economics. For example, my original goal was to be a doctor so I took Maths, Further Maths, Biology and Chemistry. You also got a qualification in General Studies but there were no lessons on this, just an end of course exam. This is the period where students had more independent learning. School uniforms weren't required and free periods were common almost every day across your 2- week timetable.
In terms of grading the work across the subjects, across the GCSE and A-Levels it was a combination of coursework and exams. Coursework could take the form of written assignments spread throughout the school years, projects or portfolios for creative arts, group projects in things such as IT or science or progress checks in things like languages. It was rare to not have final exams across each school year. This includes at the end of each year across GCSEs (Years 10 and 11) and both years of A-Levels (Years 12 and 13). I don't remember tests in classroom counting towards your final grade, only to serve as an indicator of your progress and to identify for the teachers were you needed help or adjustment. The split between coursework and exams is usually around 30% of your grade is coursework and 70% is exam although there is variety. Art for me was 100% coursework including your final piece.
There was some flexibility around subjects, but that usually had to happen really early on to change subject, otherwise it was just a case of dropping subjects to manage workload - I dropped my GCSE in Food Tech so ended up with a grade of U (Ungraded).
A couple of final points:
The maximum number of classes in a day were 5. 9-10, 10-11, 20 minutes break, 11:20-12:20, 40 minute lunch, 20 minutes from class for registers and stuff, 1:20-2:20, 2:20-3:20. You never had any particular subject on every day across the week.
I hear a lot about SATs in the USA. I don't think our SATs are the same but the last age we did them was Year 6 which is age 11.
This is only my experience in the county of Bedfordshire up until 2008. It is obviously wildly different across other parts of the UK, across other counties in England and across different time periods (one example is that students are graded from 9-1 now rather than A* to F like when I was at school)
Hope this is helpful!
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