INCA Education around the world
INCA Summary Profile - Education in England
1. Control and organisation
Although overall responsibility for publicly-funded education lies with the national government and two central departments - the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), education in England is generally decentralized. Many responsibilities are delegated to local authorities (LAs), churches and other voluntary bodies, the governing bodies of educational institutions and the teaching profession.
2. Public sector/private sector education
Most publicly-funded schools receive the vast majority of their funding via the LA.
Private sector education is provided in schools which are not funded by their LA, and receive most of their income from tuition fees paid by parents. There is private provision at all levels of education. Generally known as independent schools, private schools must be registered with the DfE and are subject to school inspections.
In January 2010, there were 576,810 students in independent schools; this represented seven per cent of the total number of school students.
3. Language of instruction
The official language by custom and practice is English, which is the language of instruction.
4. Compulsory education
Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 years. Although children must start school in the term following their fifth birthday, most start a little earlier.
Parents have a duty to ensure that children of compulsory school age receive full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs (SEN) they may have. They may decide to satisfy these requirements by educating their children at home.
Compulsory education is organised in two phases - primary and secondary education - and four key stages as follows:
| Phases | Age range and key stages | Year of compulsory education |
| Primary education | 5 - 11 years | |
|
Key stage 1, 5 - 7 years |
Years 1 and 2 of compulsory education | |
|
Key stage 2, 7 - 11 years |
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of compulsory education | |
| Secondary education | 11 - 16 years | |
|
Key stage 3, 11 - 14 years |
Years 7, 8 and 9 of compulsory education | |
|
Key stage 4, 14 - 16 years |
Years 10 and 11 of compulsory education |
5. Pre-compulsory education
Participation in pre-school education is voluntary. Over recent years, the Government has set targets to expand and develop government-funded pre-school education and childcare and all three- and four-year-olds are now entitled to free part-time pre-school places. Free part-time places are also available for some two-year-olds in deprived areas.
This education and care can be provided in LA-funded nursery schools or classes, in the reception classes of local primary schools, or in nursery schools, day nurseries or schools run by the private and voluntary sectors, which generally receive some government funding for this purpose.
Pre-compulsory provision for the majority of children under the age of 3 is usually provided by the private and voluntary sectors and paid for by parents.
Education and care for 0-to 5-year-olds is delivered through the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The EYFS, which was introduced in September 2008, provides a single, statutory framework covering care, learning and development for children in all early years settings. It brings together and builds on previous curriculum guidance and national standards for children of this age. The EYFS framework contains 'early learning goals' for the phase which cover six key areas of development: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development.
6. Post-compulsory education
Full-time, post-compulsory upper secondary education for 16- to 18-year-olds is offered in the sixth form of many secondary schools and in sixth form colleges. Further education or tertiary colleges also provide full- or part-time education and training for students over compulsory school age (16+).
Students at this level can take either vocational or academic courses or a combination of both, selected from the range offered by the school or further education institution. The curriculum is determined by this choice of courses; there is no compulsory core curriculum during this phase. Further education or tertiary colleges generally offer more vocational course options than schools or sixth form colleges.
Post-compulsory education is free of charge up to the age of 19. Students may apply to any institution offering their choice of course.
7. Special needs education
Children are identified as having special educational needs (SEN) if they have "a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made" for them. Wherever possible, this provision should be in ordinary mainstream schools alongside their peers. Where this is not possible, the usual alternatives are special classes or units in mainstream schools, special school provision, or education at home.
In January 2010, of the 7.9 million children in schools in England, just over one per cent were attending special schools.
In legislation, gifted students are not identified as having SEN, although some LAs do cater for this situation in their special education provision.
8. School year
The school year usually runs from September to July and is divided into three terms with a long summer break of around six weeks in July and August, shorter breaks of around two weeks at Christmas and Easter, and one week in the middle of each term. Some schools are currently piloting a six-term year.
The school year consists of 380 half-day sessions; one in the morning between around 9am and 12 noon, the other in the afternoon usually between 1pm and 3:30 pm. There is no fixed number of lessons per week.
Recommended minimum weekly lesson times (excluding breaks) are 21 hours for 5- to 7-year-olds; 23.5 hours for 7- to 11-year-olds; 24 hours for 11- to 14-year-olds; and 25 hours for 14- to 16-year-olds.
9. Statutory curricula
There is a statutory national curriculum for compulsory phase education (5- to 16-year-olds) and a linked national system of assessment. Independent schools may or may not choose to follow these.
Compulsory subjects at primary level include:
- the core subjects: English, mathematics and science; and
- the foundation subjects: design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), history, geography, art and design, music and physical education (PE).
At key stage 3, the compulsory National Curriculum subjects include:
- the core subjects: English, mathematics and science; and
- the foundation subjects: design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), history, geography, art and design, a foreign language, citizenship, music and physical education (PE).
There are fewer compulsory subjects for 14- to 16-year-olds in key stage 4. Students must follow courses in English, mathematics, science, ICT, PE, citizenship education, careers education and guidance, and sex education. In addition, schools must offer students some work-related learning during this phase. They must also offer courses in the arts, design and technology, the humanities and modern foreign languages to all students who wish to follow courses in these subjects. This is a recent change to curriculum provision for this phase; the objective of which was to enable schools to offer an increasing range of vocational and other alternative subject options and qualifications at this level.
The secondary curriculum (key stages 3 and 4) has recently been revised and changes began to be introduced in September 2008, with full implementation due in September 2010. Compulsory subjects have not changed, but new features include: less prescribed subject content; greater emphasis on the key concepts and processes underlying each subject; more opportunities for cross-curricular links and activities promoting cultural understanding and enterprise and diversity; and a greater focus on literacy, numeracy and personal, learning and thinking skills.
10. Religious education
Religious education (RE) and collective worship must be provided by publicly-funded schools. Although RE is an additional statutory subject requirement throughout compulsory education, parents have the right to withdraw their children from collective worship and from RE lessons.
11. Citizenship education, personal, social and health education, work related education or careers education
Citizenship education was introduced as a statutory curriculum subject in compulsory secondary education (11- to 16-year-olds) in September 2002. Children in primary education are expected to follow a non-statutory framework for citizenship and personal, social and health education (PSHE). Students in compulsory secondary education are also expected to follow a non-statutory PSHE framework.
All students in compulsory secondary education must be provided with careers education and guidance, and sex education. Work-related learning was also introduced as a statutory curriculum area for 14- to 16-year-olds in September 2004.
12. Textbooks
Textbooks are commercially produced, not approved by government and selected for classroom use by teachers. Although, in general, compulsory booklists do not exist, there are some prescribed texts which students must study at secondary level to meet the requirements of examination syllabuses. Publicly-funded schools provide textbooks for students during compulsory phase education.
13. Statutory system of assessment
Statutory assessment (teacher assessment and, at the end of key stage 2, externally set tests) takes place on completion of the each key stage (at age 5, 7, 11 and 14 years respectively). Results do not normally affect children's progress through school. Teachers must provide at least one written report for each student in each academic year and, where students have taken part in statutory assessment, parents must be informed of their child's results.
14. Examinations and certification
Assessment on completion of compulsory education (at age 16) usually involves the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination. Traditionally taken in academic subjects, and increasingly available in a range of applied or vocational subject areas, GCSE qualifications are usually required for access to further study.
'Entry-level awards' are also available for students who, on reaching compulsory school leaving age, are judged not to be ready for GCSEs or similar qualifications.
The main qualifications offered in post-compulsory education in schools are GCE 'A' Levels, GCE Advanced Subsidiary qualifications and GCE 'A' Levels in Applied Subjects. Success in these qualifications is usually required for university entrance.
Other institutions providing post-compulsory education offer a vast range of general, academic, vocational and recreational courses and qualifications.
15. Initial teacher training
There are national standards governing teaching qualifications and the standards can be achieved through various training routes. Whilst initial teacher training is usually provided in higher education institutions, some training routes are entirely school based. The main routes are the 'concurrent route' (three or four years full-time, leading to the Bachelor of Education degree) and the 'consecutive route' (one year of full-time postgraduate study leading to the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education, PGCE).
