EDUCATION in BRITAIN British children

are required by law to have an education

until they are 16 years old. That means that education is compulsory, but school is not, children are not required to attend school. They can be educated at home. (Home schooling)

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Education is free for all children from 5 to 16.

Full-time education is compulsory for all children across England. This can be

provided by state schools, independent schools, or home schooling.

All government-run schools (state schools) follow the same National

Curriculum.

The School Year• The school year runs from

September to July and is 39 weeks long.

• When do kids start school?• Children normally start

primary school at the age of four or five, but many schools now have a reception year for four-year-olds.

• Children normally leave at the age of 11, moving on to secondary school (High school).

• At the age of 16, students take an examination called the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Study of GSCE subjects begins at the start of Year 10 (age 14-15), and final examinations are then taken at the end of Year 11 (age 15-16).

• After completing the GCSE, some students leave school, others go onto technical college, while others continue at high school for two more years and take a further set of standardized exams, known as A levels, in three or four subjectsthree or four subjects. These exams determine whether a student is eligible for university.

• Children attend primary school for seven years, where they study:

English, mathematics, science, religious education, history, geography, music, art and crafts, physical education (PE), information technology (IT) and a foreign language.

•Most schools in England require children to wear a school uniform.

Secondary School SubjectsSubjects

• Maths• English• Science• IT• Drama

• Music• Art• PE• Humanities (History,

Geography, and Religion)

• French or Spanish

Children attend school from Monday to Friday, from 08:55 - 15:15.

• Lunch break is from 12.15 noon to 1.15 p.m. and children may have a school meal or bring a packed lunch.

• There are also two 20-minute breaks.

School holidaysThe main school holidays are:• Christmas- 2 weeks • Spring (Easter) - 2 weeks • Summer - 6 weeks There are also one week holidays:

– At the end of October– In mid February– end of May

Total school days per year:195 School days

In other countries• American students: 180 days• Australian students: 198 days• Israeli students: 216 days • German students: 220 days • Japanese students: 243 days• Spanish students: 17175 days

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