English state-funded schools, commonly known as state schools, provide education to pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 without charge. Approximately 93% of English schoolchildren attend such 24,000 schools.[1] Since 2008 about 75% have attained "academy status", which essentially gives them a higher budget per pupil from the Department for Education.[2]
There are a number of categories of English state-funded schools including academy schools, community schools, faith schools, foundation schools, grammar schools, free schools (including studio schools, maths schools and university technical colleges), and a small number of state boarding schools and City Technology Colleges.
About one third of English state-funded schools are faith schools;[3] i.e. affiliated with religious groups, most often from the Church of England (approximately 2/3 of faith schools), or the Roman Catholic Church (around 3/10). There are also schools affiliated to other religions; in 2011, there were 42 Jewish, 12 Muslim, 3 Sikh and 1 Hindu faith schools.[4] These faith schools include sub-categories such as faith-academy schools, voluntary aided schools, and voluntary controlled schools: most voluntary controlled schools are faith schools.
All of these are funded through national and local taxation. A number of state-funded secondary schools are specialist schools, receiving extra funding to develop one or more subjects in which the school specialises, such as Cirencester Deer Park School which currently has 5 specialisms. State schools may request payment from parents for extracurricular activities such as swimming lessons and field trips, provided these charges are voluntary.
See also: History of education in England.
Until 1870 all schools were charitable or private institutions, but in that year the Elementary Education Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 75) permitted local governments to complement the existing elementary schools, to fill up any gaps. The Education Act 1902 allowed local authorities to create secondary schools. The Education Act 1918 abolished fees for elementary schools.
This table gives a simplified overview of how the compulsory provision of education by the state (yellow) and compulsory education (purple) developed since 1870, and also how the types of schools used for this purpose evolved. Use some caution with this table which gives a simplified view based on changing policies and legislation, the reality on the ground changed more slowly and is more complex.
| Year / Age | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary school | Schools must be provided by local authorities | ||||||||||||||
| Elementary school | Compulsory education from ages of 5 to 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 1893 | Elementary school | Compulsory education raised to 11 | |||||||||||||
| 1899 | Elementary school | Compulsory education raised to 13 | |||||||||||||
| 1900 | Elementary school | Higher elementary school | Distinct higher elementary schools created | ||||||||||||
| 1902 | Primary school Infant school Junior school | Secondary school | Local education authorities created, and new Primary schools | ||||||||||||
| Primary school | Responsibility for secondary schools passed to the state | ||||||||||||||
| Primary school | Secondary modern, grammar school, Secondary Technical School | Tripartite System and Eleven-Plus exam | |||||||||||||
| 1960s | First school | Middle school | Upper school, grammar school | Strong move towards comprehensive schools | |||||||||||
| 1973 | Primary school | Comprehensive school, grammar school | Phasing out of middle schools | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | Primary school | Comprehensive school, grammar school | School leaving age increased to 17. Some three-tier areas still exist | ||||||||||||
Since 1998, there have been six main types of maintained school in England:[5] [6] [7]
In addition, 3 of the 15 City Technology Colleges established in the 1980s still remain, the rest having converted to academies. These are state-funded all-ability secondary schools which charge no fees but which are independent of local authority control. There are also a small number of state-funded boarding schools.
Nearly 90% of state-funded secondary schools are specialist schools, receiving extra funding to develop one or more subjects which the school specialises excellence in, which can select up to 10% of their intake for aptitude in the specialism. In areas children can enter a prestigious grammar school; there are also a number of isolated fully selective grammar schools and a few dozen partially selective schools.[10] A significant minority of state-funded schools are faith schools, which are attached to religious groups, most often the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.
All state-funded schools are regularly inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, often known simply as Ofsted. Ofsted publish reports on the quality of education, learning outcomes, management, and safety and behaviour of young people at a particular school on a regular basis. School inspection reports are published online and directly sent to parents and guardians.
Children are normally placed in year groups determined by the age they will attain at their birthday during the school year.[11] In most cases progression from one year group to another is based purely on chronological age, although it is possible in some circumstances for a student to repeat or skip a year. Repetition may be due to a lack of attendance, for example from a long illness, and especially in Years requiring standard tests. A child significantly more advanced than their classmates may be forwarded one or more years.
State-funded nursery education is available from the age of 3, and may be full-time or part-time, though this is not compulsory. If registered with a state school, attendance is compulsory beginning with the term following the child's fifth birthday. Children can be enrolled in the reception year in September of that school year, thus beginning school at age 4 or 4.5, but parents of children born between April and August may choose to delay school admission until the September following their child's fifth birthday.[12] Unless the student chooses to stay within the education system, compulsory school attendance ends on the last Friday in June during the academic year in which a student attains the age of 16.[13]
In the vast majority of cases, pupils progress from primary to secondary levels at age 11; in some areas either or both of the primary and secondary levels are further subdivided. A few areas have three-tier education systems with an intermediate middle level from age 9 to 13. Years 12 and 13 are often referred to as "lower sixth form" and "upper sixth form" respectively, reflecting their distinct, voluntary nature as the A-level years. While most secondary schools enter their pupils for A-levels, some state schools have joined the independent sector in offering the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge Pre-U qualifications instead.
Some independent schools still refer to Years 7 to 11 as "first form" to "fifth form", reflecting earlier usage.Historically, this arose from the system in public schools, where all forms were divided into Lower, Upper, and sometimes Middle sections. Year 7 is equivalent to "Upper Third Form", Year 8 would have been known as "Lower Fourth", and so on. Some independent schools still employ this method of labelling Year groups.
The table below describes the most common patterns for schooling in the state sector in England:
| Age at birthday during school year | Year | Curriculum Stage | State Schools | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Nursery | Foundation Stage | Nursery School | ||
| 5 | Reception | Infant School | Primary School | First School | |
| 6 | Key Stage 1 | ||||
| 7 | Year 2 | ||||
| 8 | Key Stage 2 | Junior School | |||
| 9 | Year 4 | ||||
| 10 | Year 5 | Middle School | |||
| 11 | Year 6 | ||||
| 12 | Key Stage 3 | Secondary School or High School | Secondary School with Sixth Form | ||
| 13 | Year 8 | ||||
| 14 | Year 9 | Upper School | |||
| 15 | Key Stage 4GCSE | ||||
| 16 | Year 11 | ||||
| 17 | Year 12 (Lower Sixth) | Key Stage 5 / Sixth Form A-level, BTEC, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Pre-U, etc. | Sixth Form/FE College | ||
| 18 | Year 13 (Upper Sixth) | ||||
See main article: National Curriculum for England. All maintained schools in England are required to follow the National Curriculum, which is made up of thirteen subjects.[14] Under the National Curriculum, all pupils undergo National Curriculum Tests towards the end of Key Stage 2 at Year 6 in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science. Pupils normally take GCSE exams in the last two years of Key Stage 4 at Year 11, but may also choose to work towards the attainment of alternative qualifications.
The core subjects—English, Mathematics and Science—are compulsory for all students aged 5 to 16. A range of other subjects, known as foundation subjects, are compulsory in each Key Stage:
In addition to the compulsory subjects, students at Key Stage 4 have a statutory entitlement to be able to study at least one subject from the arts (comprising art and design, music, photography, dance, media studies, film studies, drama and media arts), design and technology (comprising design and technology, electronics, engineering, food preparation and nutrition), the humanities (comprising geography and history), business and enterprise (comprising business studies and economics) and one modern language.[15]
Other subjects with a non-statutory programme of study in the National Curriculum are also taught, including Religious education in all Key Stages, Sex education from Key Stage 2, and Career education and Work-related learning in Key Stages 3 and 4.[14] Religious education within schools may be withdrawn for individual pupils with parental consent. Similarly, parents of children in schools may choose to opt their child out of some or all sex education lessons.
There is concern that some types of discipline are harsh and can harm pupils. Prolonged periods of isolation are criticised as are excessive suspensions. There is concern that schools, especially academies are choosing punishments that cost less to administer.[16]
All state-funded schools are regularly inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, often known simply as Ofsted. Ofsted publish reports on the quality of education at a particular school on a regular basis. Schools judged by Ofsted to be providing an inadequate standard of education may be subject to special measures, which could include replacing the governing body and senior staff. Test and inspection results for schools are published, and are an important measure of their performance.[17] [18]
English secondary schools are mostly comprehensive, except in many areas that retain a form of the previous selective system (with students selected for grammar school). There are also a number of isolated fully selective grammar schools, and a few dozen partially selective schools. Specialist schools may also select up to 10% of their intake for aptitude in their specialism (performing arts, art and design, humanities, languages, business studies, science, technology, etc). They are not permitted to select on academic ability generally.[19] The intake of comprehensive schools can vary widely, especially in urban areas with several local schools.[20]
Sir Peter Newsam, Chief Schools Adjudicator 1999–2002, has argued that English schools can be divided into 8 types (with some overlap), based on the ability range of their intake:[21] [22]
This ranking is reflected in performance tables, and thus the schools' attractiveness to parents. Thus, although schools may use the phrase "Comprehensive" in their prospectus or name, the schools at the higher end of the spectrum are not comprehensive in intake. Indeed, the variation in the social groupings in school intake, and the differences in academic performance, are enormous, and there are wider variations between supposedly mixed-ability comprehensive schools at the higher and lower end of this scale, than between some grammars and secondary moderns.
Almost all state-funded schools in England are maintained schools, which receive their funding from local authorities, and are required to follow the National Curriculum. In such schools, all teachers are employed under the nationally agreed School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document.