Stages of school education in England. Vocational education in the UK

The UK education system is a product that has taken centuries to perfect. In the 21st century, it is considered a reference. It was this system that provided the core for the teaching lines of states. Both before and now teenagers go to England to get a competitive education.

System higher education in the UK - these are 4 periods:

• Training;
• General;
• Afterschool;
• Higher.

The stages of education in England are also post-graduate courses.

Compulsory education in the UK is eleven years. As the name implies, this is the minimum that is inevitable for the passage. It has a couple of steps:

• Initial;
• General.

preparatory education

The process of learning in foggy Albion arises from the earliest nails. Toddlers literally from the age of two already begin to gnaw at the granite of science. Primary education in the UK is performed through:

• nursery;
• Kindergartens (Nursery School);
• primary schools;
• Full cycle institutes (from two to 18 years).

As we can see, even kindergartens are not called kindergartens, but schools. And their programs are special. The emphasis is not on the fact that the baby could be sent somewhere while the parents are at work, but on the fact that the baby could early years learn elementary learning materials.

Secondary education

System school education in the UK, this is not only a school direction. In Britain, there are also institutions of a different format. What are they needed for? Everything is aimed at ensuring that the parent can choose education in harmony with personal conditions. If a university is planned, one school is chosen, if parents want special educational schemes, another school is chosen:

• Boarding school. Status studies aimed at enrolling in universities. Specificity: a teenager lives there all year. Separate boarding schools are in demand in the country. Russians can also enter the establishments;
• Private schools. Specificity: personal approach, detailed study of the material, availability of all tools and equipment in the school. The doors of commercial schools are also open to Russians;
• Public Schools. Only an Englishman can learn in them without spending money.

Colleges in England for Russians, schools where teachers communicate in the language of the Russian Federation, have not been created. Education is only English language.

There are types of schools with specifics:

• Grammar. This is a path to the development of academic knowledge. Such schools are relevant if a teenager plans to try himself as a university representative;
• Modern. Emphasis on applied learning. Schools of this specificity become relevant when a person plans to start mastering work qualifications;
• Standard. Training according to the standard, in which the load is uniform. These are general establishments.

Transnational colleges are a chance for a high school diploma. They enter at the age of 14-18 years. Colleges have programs for admission to a university. Their passage is a guarantee of admission to the university without introductory tests.

Exams in the UK catch up with teenagers at the end of school. They contain the change of 6-8 items. If a person sees himself as a university student in the future, he will need to pass mathematics, a foreign language, natural sciences, and English.

Video about British schools

Post-secondary education

Places for the development of professional programs (Tertiary College) is an analogue of schools with an emphasis on preparation for enrolling in the university. What does vocational education in the UK provide? This is an offer for teenagers who decide not to pursue higher education, but at the same time want to be competitive in the job market. The issued diploma is a pass to work in the chosen field.

Post-secondary education will take 2 years. The main goal is to pass the A-Level exam.

Its specifics:

• The student must expect exams after each year, as in regular studies;
• In the first year, a person chooses 4-5 disciplines;
• In the second year, a person stops his choice in 3-4 directions;
• Subjects are not chosen randomly. It is expected that the teenager has already understood what he wants to become. In accordance with its purpose, lessons are selected.

Post-secondary education is given over to the implementation of institutions:

• colleges;
• Institutes, lessons in which are sharpened both for university programs and for professional places of study;
• In institutions.

Most often, for Russians, the A-Level program is the first step on the way to education in foggy Albion. Russians can switch to the Foundation program. Its specificity:

• Election of 1-2 disciplines;
• Learning the language of the state.

Through the efforts of representatives of educational structures and employers, a different version of the Foundation program was created. Its specificity:

• Duration of passage: 12 months;
• This is an option for teenagers and adults who work. These programs are for busy people.

Higher education

The primary education of universities is called undergraduate. In the UK, there is a two-level training scheme. If in our country such a scheme appeared only in 2002, then in England it was perfected centuries ago.

Higher education in the UK is implemented through:

• State Universities;
• Prof. colleges;
• Private universities;
• Commercial colleges;
• State. colleges.

In Britain there are degrees:

• By art;
• in economic sciences;
• By architecture;
• For accounting;
• By engineering.

You have to pay money for it. But the British can achieve and budget places. Russians and other foreign citizens cannot apply for the budget. Only a teenager or an adult who has received a post-secondary education can enter them. The device is asking for the following data:

• Scores already acquired in exams or expected scores;
• A compact essay on goals, justification of why a teenager chose a particular area;
• List of universities desirable for admission;
• Characteristics from the school.

Secondary education in the Russian Federation will not become a pass to universities in England. What to do? You need to unlearn two years at a Russian university, pass the IELTS test, which will “tell” about the mastery of the language.

For studying in England, the legalization of a diploma of the Russian Federation is relevant: its translation into English, a meeting with a notary. It is necessary to confirm the authenticity of the diploma.

A student who graduates from a university becomes a bachelor.

The higher education system in England will take 3-4 years. The exact dates depend on the chosen future work.

Video about higher education in England

Postgraduate education

Postgraduate education in England is postgraduate and doctoral studies. There are four study programs in England that make up the post-graduate category:

• Schemes for the passage to the magistracy. Will take from six months to a year;
• Programs in specialties, through a number of which one can obtain a master's degree;
• Academic and research programs, through which one can acquire a master's degree;
• Doctorate. Will take 5-8 years.

There is one more difference from the domestic educational scheme - in Britain, the magistracy is an autonomous institution. This is not a transformation of the bachelor's level, as is customary in Russian reality.

Master's degree will take a year of time. The learning process is short but very intense. Requests to students are tough.

How to get into the magistracy? A bachelor's degree is the entry ticket. If a person has received the status of a master, he can choose to continue post-graduate studies with doctoral studies. You need to pass a test and an interview. Foreigners need to provide an IELTS certificate confirming the required level of knowledge of the official language of Britain.

Grading system

The grading system in the UK is not unified. That is, it, unlike our fatherland, is diverse. Based on these factors, the evaluation structure is selected:

• Region;
• The specifics of training.

There are two grading systems:

Holidays in the UK

Studying in England in the summer for children, as a rule, is aimed at learning the language. However, for teenagers there are also courses:

• By art;
• By design;
• Acting and others.

They help you learn new skills. Since the training is associated with intensive communication with the British, the bonus is the pumping of English proficiency.

Getting an education for Russians

Education in England for Russians is ideally done when the child is very young. To implement this, a commercial school is selected. In this option, the teenager will have time to adapt to English standards, master the language, get used to the environment. How much does it cost to study in England? Institutional policy is the center of decisions. The estimated price for commercial schools in the country will be 4-5 thousand pounds per trimester.

This is relevant only for those students who are eager to go to Cambridge or other status universities. If the ambitions of a teenager and his parents are not so great, you can prefer small private schools, the price of education in which is, plus or minus, 2 thousand pounds.

Can education in England be free? Unfortunately, Russians have virtually no access to education, for which they will not have to pay money. However, nevertheless, you can acquire an education without paying money for it, according to the following schemes:

• Registration of citizenship, which will make it possible to apply for budget places;
• Participation in international programs;
• Exchange trips, if the Russian university has established contacts with local universities;
• Grants for study in England;
• Scholarships from the Russian Federation or from universities in Britain.

By the way, some people are so obsessed with studying in foggy Albion that they try to get to their dream by very extravagant methods. For example, applying for refugee status. But this is a laborious path, since refugee status with all its privileges is not granted to everyone.

To solve the problem of tuition fees, it is better to contact directly the representative of the educational institution in which the teenager dreams of enrolling. In a personal case, a reduction in the cost of training is possible.

In conclusion, it can be noted that the majority, when it comes to education, is stopped by the significant price and the fact that foreigners have to pay for education. However, ways to solve the financial problem are possible. To search for them, it is recommended to contact representatives of institutions directly, since information about grants and programs is not advertised extensively.

The education system in the UK is based on its own thousand-year tradition of educating the younger generation and is considered the world standard of education. Many universities and private schools in the United Kingdom are renowned for their rich history and quality of knowledge of graduates. The oldest of the existing private schools in England to this day, King’s School in Kentenbury, is 1420 years old, and the years of foundation of the “youngest” private educational institutions are no later than 1699.

Modern English system education includes four stages:

• Primary education - from 5 to 11 years old.
• The average- from 11 to 16 years old.
• Afterschool- from 16 to 18 years old.
• Higher- from 18 years old.

UK school education

In the UK school system, there are the following types educational institutions:

• unified schools where education is conducted according to the standard program;
• grammar schools - their main goal is preparation for entering a university;
• modern schools are focused on getting practical knowledge in different professions.

Before going to school, the child must take a course of preschool preparation, during which they do not particularly load knowledge, but devote more time to education and educational games.

At the age of 5, children are enrolled in primary school, where they study until the age of 11 and pass only three subjects - native language, foundations of mathematics and one by choice. The level of mastered knowledge is checked at intermediate exams.

With the transition to secondary school, a course of exact sciences and additional subjects are added to the program:

• history;
• geography;
• foundations of religion and art;
• music;
• foreign language.

At the end of secondary school at the age of sixteen, students take a compulsory final exam and receive a diploma of secondary education, but this does not entitle them to enter higher educational institutions.

To qualify for admission to universities in the UK, you must have an A-Level certificate, which is obtained at the end of schools preparing for universities - the so-called Six Form. Education in them lasts two years, during this period 4-6 selected subjects are deeply studied. At the end, an exam is taken, which gives the right to receive higher education.

Academic year in English schools is divided into trimesters. Holidays for Easter and Christmas last for two weeks, in the summer - six. There is a seven-day break in the middle of each trimester.

There are quite a lot of schools in England for children with mental or physical disabilities. The program in them is much simpler and takes into account the characteristics of the pupils. The training process includes special physiotherapy and work with a psychologist.

Private schools in the UK

Almost all public schools (as private schools are called in English) are educational organizations full, less often partial boarding. Closed educational institutions, in which pupils receive full support, are a tradition and a striking feature of British private education.

From public institutions private schools in england better side differ in the level of education. Statistics show that a graduate private school higher chances of getting into university. This is explained big amount subjects studied, the qualifications of the teaching staff and a strong material base.

If desired, parents can teach their child at home, but for this you need to obtain official permission from the Board of Education.

The school system in the UK is characterized by the strictest discipline: students can be expelled for poor performance and absenteeism.

Higher education in England

One of distinguishing features education system in England - democracy. In universities, there are many different courses of study, among which you can always choose the right one, and if you wish, change the list of selected items.

The higher education system in the UK is represented by universities and colleges.

In total, there are more than 180 universities in the United Kingdom, and most of them are public universities.

Formation educational policy the British government leaves it to the discretion of higher education institutions, the state controls only the quality of teaching.

Universities are:

• collegiate, the structure of which includes colleges (Universities of Cambridge and Oxford);
• unitary with faculties and departments as subdivisions.

Colleges are divided into three types:

• Classic. These educational institutions have been accredited and have the right to issue a bachelor's degree.
• Technical. The education program in them is narrowly focused and provides basic practical training in a working specialty.
• Further learning. They provide special vocational education (design, mechanical engineering, gardening, etc.).

Higher education institutions in England issue diplomas in the following categories:

• bachelor - training usually lasts three years, for those wishing to receive a diploma with honors - four;
• master- two years;
• doctor- three years.

The learning process in British universities takes place in the form of lectures, seminars and practical laboratory work. There are also tutorials - additional classes with a teacher in a small group (from two to ten people).

All students of English universities have access to modern libraries and scientific laboratories. Students can visit a large number of electives. Educational programs in Britain are very flexible and allow you to get not one, but two degrees in different directions at the end of your studies.

Elite education is widely developed in the British education system. High-ranking parents from different countries world seek to arrange their children in prestigious British universities or schools. In them, students not only receive deep knowledge and master secular manners, but also acquire connections in the field of politics and business.

The practice of distance learning is widespread in the UK. These are independent lessons based on specially designed educational packages and the opportunity to receive advice from teachers online or by e-mail.

Higher education in England is quite expensive, but there are various scholarships and grants in the country. Specially gifted students can get them.

Diplomas from English universities are considered the most prestigious in the world. The modern British education system was completely adopted by Australia and Canada.

According to UNESCO and the OECD, there were more than 3.5 million students in the United Kingdom in 2012, 428,000 of whom are foreigners.

A detailed diagram of the higher education system in England (Great Britain) looks like this:

• kids 5 - 7 years old study at a preparatory school;
• children 8 - 13 years old - in elementary;
• young people 13 - 16 years old - in the middle;
• at 16 - 18 years old - receive a complete secondary education;
• at 18 - 21 years old - they graduate from high school;
• at 21 - 22 students receive a bachelor's, master's and postgraduate diploma.

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It is impossible to imagine the UK developed in all spheres without a clear educational process verified over the years. Despite some conservatism in the educational field, one cannot but admit that it is one of the best in the modern world.
Speaking about education in the United Kingdom, it should be understood that in fact there are 2 different systems- one in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the other in Scotland. Both of these systems are thoroughly developed and fully meet the needs of society.

Features of the educational system

For more than 70 years, the education system in the UK has been governed by the Education Act, signed in 1944. This important document is more about school education, but it also notes many aspects of the entire educational system as a whole.

Education in the UK is divided into 5 stages:

• preschool - for children 3-4 years old;
• primary - for students 5-11 years old;
• secondary - for students aged 11-16;
• after school - for students aged 16-18;
• higher - for students from 18 years.

Education for children aged 5 to 16 is compulsory. Whether it is worth studying for a child under 5 years old, his parents decide, and whether it is necessary to get an education after 16 years old, the citizen himself decides. The system is designed in such a way that students can complete some educational levels in one educational institution, while others require training in specialized institutions.

Preschool education

Pre-school education in the UK is an integral part of the full cycle educational school, and often kindergartens are part of primary schools. Children aged 3-4 years can attend kindergartens or nurseries at the request of their parents. There, kids are taught to write, read and count, they develop them comprehensively with the help of games. There are public and private preschool institutions.
British pre-school education is limited to ages 2-7, but in fact most children are in a nursery from 2 to 4 years old, after which they are sent to primary school.
For services kindergarten with a full-time job, you must pay or give the child to a free nursery, but they are designed for only 2-3 hours a day. average cost British preschool education is significantly higher than in other European countries, so the country provides parents with special loan programs.

Primary School

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, primary school education can start at different ages:

• from 4 to 11 years old (Primary School) with a 7-year period of study;
• from 7 to 13 years old (Junior School) with a 6-year period of study.

In Scotland, primary school entry policy is somewhat different in that the formation school groups depends on what month of what year the child was born:

• children born from March to August go to school from 5-5.5 years old;
• children born between September and February go to school at 4 years - 4 years and 11 months.

Experts believe that the Scottish system of forming school groups is more flexible.
Primary school teaches geography, history, mathematics, English, music, art and industrial technologies. All these subjects in elementary school are chosen by parents for their children.
Pupils in UK schools study for 6 semesters or terms, starting classes in September and ending in July. The academic year lasts 38 weeks, there are also holidays of 2-3 weeks for Christmas and Easter holidays, as well as 6 weeks in the summer. In the middle of each trimester, children are given another 1 week break. In most cases, education in schools is 5 days.
Schools have their own examination systems. In the Primary School, this is SATS, which is held 2 times: one 2 years after the start of training and another one at the end of the educational stage. The Junior School conducts an exam "11+" - it is the final one for training. Both of these exams are required for the transition from primary to secondary school.

secondary school

General Features

At the age of 11-13, children go to secondary school and study there until the age of 17. This period of study is also compulsory for all UK citizens. Upon graduation, students receive GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) - a certificate of secondary education. There are also schools in the country that issue GNVQ (General National Vocational Qualification) - a certificate of professional qualification.
Immigrant children are also enrolled in secondary schools from the age of 11-13, but most often they are assigned to boarding schools.
After 2 years of high school, all students take the 13+ Common Entrance Examination or Common Entrance Examinations in subjects such as:

• English (British and international);
• mathematics (calculation in the mind, with and without a calculator);
• geography, history;
• Latin and Greek writing;
• chemistry, physics or biology;
• Irish and Welsh (for Northern Ireland and Wales respectively);
• foreign languages to choose from.

Based on the results of the exam, students receive a pass to further education in secondary school. In the period of 14-17 years, students prepare for the General Certificate of Secondary Education exams - this is the final test for obtaining a certificate of secondary education. The list of examination subjects is repeated by analogy with "13+" with the addition of several more disciplines.
School education in the UK is characterized by strict discipline, for example, for absenteeism or poor academic performance, a student can be expelled from school.
If parents wish to homeschool their child, they must obtain official permission from the Board of Education.

Private schools

Private schools in the UK are called public schools - these are educational organizations of full or partial boarding, which is less common. They are closed institutions of an educational type, where students are fully supported, that is, they study and live there. These schools have become traditional in the United Kingdom and are a prominent feature of British private education.
Private schools undoubtedly have advantages over state ones - they have more subjects to study, a strong material base, and the teaching staff is highly qualified. All this has led to the fact that graduates of private British schools are more likely to enter a higher educational institution.

Secondary special education

In addition to schools, in the United Kingdom there are institutions called Tertiary Colleges, where students can receive vocational education, that is, a specific profession (the English equivalent of our vocational schools). Education in such institutions is an alternative to the A-Levels programs, which will be discussed later, but unlike them, Tertiary Colleges involve subsequent professional activities, that is, a less flexible approach to further possible training.
For institutions of this type, a private change in educational programs is typical.

Post-secondary education

After graduating from high school, every Briton has two paths to choose from: either go to work or continue their studies at a college or university. If a person chooses the second, then he must receive additional preparatory education, that is, take two-year A-Levels courses. They represent the study of profile 4-5 disciplines in the first year and another 3-4 disciplines in the second year. The student himself chooses which disciplines to study, since they determine his future specialization.
Every year, students must take exams, but they are not clearly regulated, the student himself can choose those subjects that he wants from the total number of proposed disciplines.
If a foreigner comes to the UK for higher education, then his journey begins with A-Levels courses. For foreigners, a more simplified, but more intensive option (only for 1 year) is possible under the Foundation program. Its peculiarity is that the student pays his attention to only 1-2 specialized subjects and in-depth study of the language in order to understand academic English university vocabulary in the future.

Higher education

General information

The last stage of students is higher education, which students become at the age of 18. It starts at the bachelor's level, which lasts 3-4 years (in the field of medicine - 6 years). If a bachelor's degree takes 4 years of a student's time, then in the 4th year they offer knowledge for the first level of a master's degree.
Anyone who has received a bachelor's degree can continue their education at the following educational levels:

• Master (1-2 years of study).
• Postgraduate (3 years of study).

Colleges in the United Kingdom are of three types:

• Classical (they are accredited and can issue a bachelor's degree).
• Technical (have a narrowly focused training program and provide practical basic training in a specific working specialty).
• Further education (gives special professional education, for example, in the field of mechanical engineering, design).

There are two types of universities in the UK:

• Unitary (they include faculties and departments).
• Collegiate (several dozen colleges are united in them), for example, Cambridge and Oxford universities.

Higher education for all residents of the UK, including foreigners, is paid. However, citizens of the country have some privileges in payment, while foreign students must pay the full cost of study. There is support for students in the country in the form of scholarships and grants, which can be received by especially gifted students.
The start time of classes in higher educational institutions is the month of October. The academic year is divided into trimesters, which in turn last for 8-10 weeks. The main forms of work in colleges are lectures, seminars and laboratory works. In addition, there are also tutorials for groups of students of 2-10 people, for which the teacher (tutor) conducts his own classes. Holidays for students last from June 1 to September 30.

Features of higher education in the UK

More than 600 UK colleges (both public and private) offer young people vocational training in a variety of fields. Prospective students can choose between studying at an institute, a university or a polytechnic college (here it is supposed to receive an academic or doctoral degree). Doctoral degrees are awarded to students for an invaluable and outstanding contribution to science or for special inventions, research for practical applications.
University students are offered a choice of a large number of electives, they have access to scientific laboratories and modern libraries. And the educational program is so flexible that, as a result of successfully completed training, you can immediately get 2 degrees different directions.
In the United Kingdom, extramural studies are also encouraged in higher education institutions. In this case, the student learns on his own, focusing on specially designed educational packages. At the same time, he has the opportunity to communicate with teachers and consult with them by e-mail or online.
Education in the UK can be called elite, so many high-ranking parents from around the world are trying to help their children enter British universities. Despite the high cost of education, students gain in-depth knowledge, master secular manners, and, most importantly, acquire valuable contacts in business and politics. Diplomas of universities in the UK are the most prestigious in the world, every year up to 3.5 million students study here, of which more than 400 thousand are foreigners.
The success of the developed educational system in Great Britain is also evidenced by the fact that its principles were adopted in Canada and Australia.

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British school education is one of the most multi-layered and prestigious in Europe. Children (and parents) are offered a lot of options: private school, public school, separate education, co-education, choice of subjects, choice of profession. From the side school system resembles the Lernean twelve-headed hydra, the more strange its description looks in the Russian English textbook: Primary school, Secondary school, College, University. Let's figure out what's what.

Primary School: All for One

Primary school begins at age 5 and is divided into two levels. In the two-year pre-preparatory school, children are not yet studying, but rather preparing for the lower grades - primary school (aka preparatory school and elementary school). Education at the next level is the main subjects: languages, elementary mathematics, history, natural science, physical education, music. Very common in lower grades project work- Students work in groups and work on common tasks together. In general, the principle of "together" in the English school is very developed, if not cultivated. Teachers in most cases know all the children by name (and many parents) and help the children make friends with each other, approve the initiative of the elders in relation to the younger ones. Much attention is paid to the relationship between schoolchildren: aggression is punished severely, up to and including expulsion from school.

Secondary school: education, upbringing, traditions

From 11-12 years old, the second stage begins - Secondary school, high school. It can be a general education school, a grammar school, a selective school, or a church school. Church schools are schools formed at parishes, selective ones involve high marks in basic subjects, that is, successful testing before entering school, gymnasiums focus on mathematics.

At this stage, many students move from public to private schools, although there are, of course, private primary schools in the UK. The British private school is the same visiting card of the country as the monarchy, theatrical art and rock music. Today there are almost four thousand private schools in the UK, and the first of them appeared here many centuries ago at the monasteries. True, now they have a very indirect relationship to monasteries. Independent school - this is how they are also called, meaning independence from state funding and the state educational program. Although the training basis for the systems is the same.

Photo: bedfordschool.org.uk

However, it is believed that a private school pays more attention to students and provides more high level education. Another reason to study in an independent school is to be part of history and keep up the tradition, something that has always been very important for the British. Many English families generation after generation go to the same school and don't even consider any other options solely because of keeping up the tradition.

But the separate education of boys and girls is not only a tribute to traditions, but also a reasoned common practice. Supporters and opponents of such a scheme today in the UK are approximately equal, so such schools are still popular. The motives of the adherents of separate education are by no means hypocritical. On the contrary, they believe that children should be separated into different buildings (and schools), taking into account the following reasons:

• Girls develop intellectually faster than boys - there is no need to interfere in the same class of leading and lagging behind
• Boys and girls have different criteria for success - no need to push them against each other
• "Female" and "male" duties are leveled - both boys and girls in their team learn to perform "non-female" and "non-male" work, become more independent and organized

A lot of schools, even public ones, are boarding schools. That is, the students in them not only attend classes, but also live, so all boarding houses have a large fenced area (in fact, a small campus), which houses educational, residential buildings and, of course, a sports center.

Photo: mottmac.com

By the way, about sports. Physical development, according to the British, is one of the guarantees of a harmonious personality, so here, like almost everywhere in Europe, a lot of attention is paid to sports. Private schools offer their students dozens of sections to choose from, from tennis and cricket to swimming and team rowing. In fairness, it should be noted that sports in the UK in general, and not only in schools and universities, are perceived not so much as a way to cultivate a muscular pumped up body, but as an element of good education and integration into society. The aforementioned cricket (or, for example, croquet - foreigners constantly forget that this is different games), horseback riding, golf - the choice is huge and all this is not just sports clubs, but also a reserve for the future. Many of the sporting events actually turn out to be secular, so physical education is not skipped here.

If Primary School pays great attention to community, the middle one relies on education and upbringing, and the concept of "education" includes not only training, but also skills in rhetoric, working with text and information, the ability to speak to an audience, and an understanding of art - both classical and modern. The upbringing of an English gentleman or young lady is the prerogative of the most elite schools, but the ability to behave in society is also monitored in simpler schools. It is interesting how all these principles correlate with reality: it is no secret that English teenagers are considered almost the most cocky and hooligan in Europe. At the same time, they are all trained in good manners and, at the right time, “activate” their knowledge very quickly.

Photo: repton.org.uk

Studying in high school itself begins with testing in the disciplines, it helps students decide on a further type of activity. Based on the test results, children choose subjects for study. This stage ends with a qualifying exam, which is of two types: academic and professional. A graduate who has passed a professional exam has the right to start labor activity; academic qualifications presuppose further study.

High school: preparation for high school

The A-Level certificate or its international counterpart IB (International Baccalaureate) is still a high school, but already directly preparing for university entrance. It continues for two more years. At this stage, the students again choose for themselves the subjects that they will need when entering the university.

It is unusual that in every class you different people- everyone chooses different subjects, therefore, in general, this concept of our “class”, your little herd, with which you jump back and forth around the school, is not in England. You are on your own, you live alone, you follow yourself precisely in the curriculum. At the same time, there are more friendly relations between teachers and students than in Russia, and you don’t owe anything to anyone, only to yourself.

The school has a department that helps to decide on a career (careers department). Each student is assigned a personal mentor with whom they can discuss their prospects, he also helps to choose a university.

The free choice of subjects and the school's interest in the success of its students almost abolish absenteeism - it becomes completely useless, because you yourself decided what you need to study. Lessons are built on constant discussions, discussions and search for answers.

Maria Ryabova, student of the private school Hurtwood house:

Our literature always began with a poem of the day - my teacher had a book with different poems for every day, every day she read us a new one, and we discussed it for about five minutes with the whole class. This, of course, is not prescribed by any program, just such a small warm-up, the liberty of the teacher. Then, as a rule, we discussed things from the program, sometimes we read aloud by roles, sometimes one person took this reading on himself. They were never forced to do anything, although individual questions, of course, were asked. In general, the whole class is built on an atmosphere of positive friendly discussion, which encourages voluntary participation.

You can choose 3-4, in very rare cases 5 subjects, at the end of training they pass exams, and grades become the main criterion for entering the university. Each university has its own requirements, which it is better to familiarize yourself with in advance, and here the careers department again helps.

The grading system in the UK is 100 points:

grade A - 100-70 points

grade B - 60-69 points

grade C - 50-59 points

grade D - 40-49 points

grade E - 39 points and below

Grades have very clear criteria, so you can calculate in advance how many points you need to get on the exam to get the final grade: it is the sum of all exam points, while each subject has at least one exam per year. Exams during training can almost always be retaken, except for the most recent ones. Almost all universities accept A-level and IB grades and conduct an interview - with these certificates, you do not need to take separate entrance exams.

Primary education in the UK, Primary Education, begins at 5 years old although many British schoolchildren already go to school preparation programs at the age of 3-4. Primary education lasts six years, after which, at the age of 11, students move on to secondary school. Secondary education in the UK lasts five 5 years and is compulsory for students aged 11 to 16 years old. Most of the subjects studied in an English school are compulsory.

UK school graduates receive General Certificate of Secondary Education, abbreviated GCSE- General certificate of secondary education. Under British law, school graduates can start working, enroll in a vocational college or a preparatory program at a university.

2. Preparation for a university in the UK and vocational education

For admission to further education programs, a British GSCE certificate of completion of secondary education or its equivalent is required, for example, the Russian Certificate of Complete Secondary Education.

In the UK, there are 2 types of university preparation programs: A-levels and Foundation.

A-levels university preparation programs

Upon graduation from high school, both British students and foreigners planning to receive their first higher education undergo two-year preparation programs for entering universities - A-levels. The presence of A-level programs distinguishes the British education system from the Russian one.

At A-levels, the student himself chooses subjects to study based on the requirements of the university in which he plans to enter. Upon completion of studies at A-levels, the student takes exams in 3-4 subjects studied. These exams are also university entrance exams.

University Preparation Programs International Foundation

Vocational education in the UK

Vocational programs in the UK provide the technical skills and experience needed for employment. Students can combine study and work. Many professional programs allow you to enter a British university for the first or second year of the first higher education.

Correlation with the Russian system of vocational education

British further education can be compared with vocational education in technical schools, colleges and colleges of the CIS countries. The concept of "subsequent" education includes all types of education after school, except for higher education - these are professional programs and programs of preparation for entering universities. In English, British further education is called Further Education.

3. Higher education in the UK

British Master's Degrees

Level 3: PhD - UK Postgraduate

Postgraduate study in the UK, like the master's degree, is a postgraduate level ( postgraduate). On the websites of universities, these programs are most often referred to as "Research programs" or "PhD programmes". PhD programs at British universities are, in fact, equivalent to Russian postgraduate programs. However, in terms of requirements and quality research work, these programs gravitate more towards Russian doctoral studies.

In the UK, most programs leading to a PhD degree are research projects, involving attendance at lectures and training seminars only at the beginning of the program. The supervisor, in whose laboratory or department the student prepares for the defense of the dissertation, determines the topic of scientific research for the student and provides the resources necessary for research.

It usually takes 3-4 years to complete a research program. By the end of this period, the student must publish the results and write a dissertation based on the published materials.

What kind of education is needed to enter a British graduate school

To enter the PhD program, you need a master's degree from a Russian, British or other foreign university. A specialist diploma issued by Russian universities is recognized in Britain as a diploma of the first higher education, and in most cases a specialist diploma will not be sufficient for admission to graduate school.

British Postgraduate Degrees

PhD degree, Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, assigned to the student after the successful defense of the dissertation.

Also, postgraduate education programs can lead to doctoral degrees in certain sciences, for example: Doctor of Education ( Doctor of Education, EdD) or Doctor of Business Administration ( Doctor of Business Administration, DBA).

The main difference between the Doctor of Education program and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD in Education) is that the first program allows you to cover a wider range of subjects related to education and focus on one research problem only at the end of training.

The DBA degree is also a research degree. Such programs are aimed at developing the theory and practice of business administration and management.

Educational establishments for PhD programs

With few exceptions, PhD and other research programs are offered by large multidisciplinary universities with highly qualified academic staff, extensive research facilities and significant research budgets. Read more about how to apply for a UK PhD program here.

Adapted from Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), OECD Thematic Review of Tertiary Education – Country Background Report: UK, The European Educational Directory.