Lecture Education in Britain edited

EDUCATION IN BRITAIN


British educational terms
Primary school or Elementary
school?


British educational terms


Secondary or High school


British educational terms


Form or grade?


British educational terms


headmaster or principal?


British educational
terms






Department for Education and Skills
or Department for Education or
Department for Education and
Training?
DFES
www.dfes.gov.uk


Match the age milestones with
educational events of a British
child
Age 5

Entering secondary school

Age 11

May take a voluntary 2-year
schooling option

Age 16

Starting primary school

Age 18

Entering a college/university/
vocational school

Name this place
Oxford Skyline Panorama from St Mary's Church - Oct 2006

Oxford University was founded before 1167


Name this place
Oxford
University

The Lord is my Light

OU
Motto
Overview
Overvie


Name this place
Cambridge University, founded in 1209


Cambridge
University

CU Shield
Overview

CU Press


EDUCATION IN
BRITAIN






The system
Organization
Style
School life
Recent developments


5
LEVE
L

NATUR
E

EXAMS
&
QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATIONAL

SYSTEM
11

Primary school

16

Secondary school

Compulsory
Education and Skills Act 2008: Up to 18
The change will take effect in 2013 for 17 yrs
old
and 2015 for 18 yrs
GCSE/SCE
old

General Certificate of
Secondary Education

18

Age

Further &
higher
education
Voluntary

-enter labour force

-study 2 more yrs for higher e

A
Levels

GNVQ

Bachelor’s
Scottish Certificate of
Degree
Advanced Levels
Education
Master’s
General National Vocational
Degree
Qualification
Doctorate


A-Levels Exam


5

EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM
11

6

16

State schools >< Public schools
Infant school

SCHOOL
TYPE

Junior school
(often in the
same
building)

- grammar schools
(fairly rare)
-secondary modern
schools
- comprehensive
schools

18

Age
Receive
grants from
central gov

further:
vocationa
l training

- higher:
colleges
and
universiti
es


Grammar school vs.
Secondary modern school




Grammar school: type of secondary
school providing academic courses
Secondary modern school: type of
secondary school providing
technical courses

Grammar school: schools in the medieval times
set up to teach the basis of Latin grammar

Latin was an important language of government
and religion


Grammar school

Northampton Grammar School, one among 164
existing state-run grammar schools in the U.K.

Secondary modern
school

Amesbury Secondary modern school


Comprehensive school




a large secondary school where
children of all abilities are taught
non-selective


Comprehensive school


5

EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM

Subjects: Art,

CURRICULUM

Analysis, Drama,
English, Geography,
History, Math,
Scottish Gaelic (in
Scotland) & Science
(taught by a single
teacher)

Assessment:
Tests but no exams

11

16

18

Age

Subjects:

Subject Subjects &
English, Modern s: 2-3
assessmen
Foreign
t: Subject to
Assess- universities,
Languages,
ment: courses,
Geography,

Exam (A
History, Social
Level)
Education,
Religion,
Cooking, Music,
Physical
Education, and
Greek & Latin
(in Public
schools)

Assessment:

majors, etc.


5
CLASS
TIME

11

9 a.m. to 3 p.m

16

(usually) from 8:45
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

18

Age

varied


Public schools:
traditional images



No
longer
fits the
facts









Are for boys (from 13 upward) from upper
and upper-middle class families
Take mainly fee-paying pupils
Are boarding schools
Are divided into houses looked after by

housemasters  disciplines
Select ‘prefects’ (among senior boys) and
‘fags’ (among youngest ones)
Emphasize team sports
Enforce rules with the use of physical
punishment
Are famous for lots of homosexual activities
Are not at all luxurious or comfortable


Eton – A famous public
school
Traditionally referred to as “the chief nurse
of England’s statesmen”; the most famous
public school in the world


Eton college

Eton College
has been
teaching the
sons of the
great, good and
plain rich for
the past 565
years.