Overview
As education is devolved, the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for education policy and education systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.
Across the UK there are five stages of education: early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE).
Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16. In England, young people must also do one of the following until they are 18: stay in full-time education; start an apprenticeship or traineeship; work or volunteer while in part-time education or training.
FE is not compulsory and covers education that can be taken at further (including tertiary) education colleges and HE providers (HEPs). The fifth stage, HE, which is also not compulsory, is study beyond A levels and their equivalent which, for most full-time students, takes place in universities and other HEPs and colleges.
Early Years Education
England
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 2 years old are entitled to 15 hours per week of funded early year provision and childcare for 38 weeks a year, this will go up to 30 hours in September 2025. Some 2 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are entitled to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year. All 3 and 4 year-olds are entitled to 15 hours per week of funded early years provision and childcare for 38 weeks of the year. Working parents of 3 and 4 year-olds are entitled to a further 15 hours per week (totalling 30 hours) for 38 weeks.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a single regulatory and quality framework for the provision of learning, development and care for children in all registered early years settings between birth and the academic year in which they turn 5.
Further information on early years education in England can be found at:
Early years: detailed information (opens in a new tab)
Scotland
All 3 and 4 year-olds and some 2-year olds are entitled to up to 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) per year, from the relevant start date. This can be taken year round or during school term-time.
The National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare (opens in a new tab) is the national policy for ensuring high quality provision across all providers of funded ELC. Scottish Government provide local authorities with statutory guidance (opens in a new tab) on their duties in relation to funded ELC.
‘Realising the Ambition: Being Me’ (opens in a new tab) is the early years national practice guidance for Scotland. It covers from birth to end of the ‘early level’ of Curriculum for Excellence (opens in a new tab) (CfE). It presents key information about the characteristics of child development based on research and evidence.
More information on funded ELC can be found here:
Funded early learning and childcare - mygov.scot (opens in a new tab)
Wales
All children are entitled to funded nursery education (opens in a new tab) from the term after their third birthday until they enter statutory education, for a minimum of 10 hours per week during the academic year. Eligible parents of 3 and 4 year-olds are entitled to up to 30 hours per week of funded provision through the Childcare Offer for Wales (opens in a new tab), for up to 48 weeks of the year. The 30 hours is made up of the minimum 10 hours of nursery education a week and a maximum 20 hours a week of childcare.
Nursery education forms part of the Curriculum for Wales (opens in a new tab) and can be delivered in schools and settings.
Welsh Government has developed through co-construction by practitioners, for practitioners, A Curriculum for funded non-maintained nursery settings (opens in a new tab) to support those who work with children in settings, along with Enabling learning guidance (opens in a new tab) - to support those designing their own curricula, in the planning, designing and implementing of a pedagogically appropriate curriculum for all learners. These two documents provide the firm foundations that all learners need to support development, at their own pace.
In Wales, the Early Childhood Play Learning and Care (ECPLC) (opens in a new tab) approach means developing and delivering a consistent approach to nurturing, learning and development, through the provision of high-quality play-based education and childcare opportunities, for all babies and young children aged 0-5 years old. Wales has co-produced with practitioners resources to support practitioners in providing quality early childhood play, learning and care.
Flying Start was launched in 2006 and improves the life chances of children under 4 years of age in disadvantaged areas of Wales. It includes four core elements: these being fully funded quality childcare, parenting support, intensive health visitor support, and support for speech, language and communication.
Further information on early years education in Wales can be found at:
Education and skills (opens in a new tab)
Northern Ireland
All children are entitled to one year of funded pre-school education in the year before the child starts compulsory school. Funded pre-school places are available in statutory nursery schools and units and in those voluntary and private settings participating in the Pre-School Education Programme (PSEP). Places in the voluntary/private sector are part-time whilst both full-time and part-time places are available in the statutory nursery sector.
Sure Start, introduced in 2000, provides support for families with children under 4 years old in (at least) the 25% most disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland; the programme aims to enhance children’s ability to learn, health and social development.
Further information on early years education in Northern Ireland can be found at:
Primary and Secondary Education
The major goals of primary education are achieving basic literacy and numeracy amongst all pupils, as well as establishing foundations in science, mathematics and other subjects. The major goal of secondary education is to prepare pupils for higher education or to enter the labour market.
England
All schools are legally required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and all maintained schools must teach the national curriculum for 5-16 year-olds.
Primary schools generally cater for 4-11 year-olds and it is usual to transfer straight to secondary school at age 11. Children are assessed at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. At the end of secondary education, pupils are normally entered for a range of external examinations. Most frequently, these are GCSEs (General Certificate of
Secondary Education).
Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A) level qualifications are the traditional academic qualifications offered by schools and colleges. Many students take AS and A level qualifications in years 12 and 13 after completing their GCSEs and their primary purpose is to prepare students for degree-level study.
Further information on education in England can be found at:
Department for Education (DfE) (opens in a new tab)
Scotland
In Scotland, learning in primary schools (ages 5-11 in general) is part of the broad general education phase of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), an integrated curriculum from 3-18. Teachers will use a range of assessment methods to monitor learners’ progress, including national standardised assessments at P1, P4 and P7, and to plan next steps in learning.
Education authority secondary schools in Scotland are comprehensive in character and offer six years of secondary education, with compulsory age being 16 (S4); however, in some remote areas there are several schools which cover only some of these six years, with primary provision also sometimes offered within the same establishment. The broad general education phase of CfE is up to the end of S3, providing a strong grounding for a move to study for qualifications and awards in the senior phase (S4-S6).
Pupils tend to study qualifications at SCQF level 6 (including Highers) in their fifth year at secondary school, and in sixth year they may study more SCQF level 6 and/or SCQF level 7 qualifications (including Advanced Highers). However, there are no pre-conceived notions about which qualifications and awards should be taken when.
Further information on education in Scotland can be found at:
Education Scotland (opens in a new tab)
Wales
There are 4 categories of maintained school in Wales:
• Community schools – The local authority employs the school’s staff, owns the school’s land and buildings and is the admissions authority. Community special schools are the special school equivalent of mainstream community schools, catering wholly or mainly for children with special educational needs.
• Foundation schools – the governing body is both the employer and the admissions authority. The school’s land and buildings are either owned by the governing body or by a charitable foundation. There are also foundation special schools, which are the special school equivalent of the mainstream foundation school, catering wholly or mainly for children with special educational needs.
• Voluntary-aided schools – the governing body is the employer and the admissions authority. The school’s land and buildings (apart from playing fields which are normally vested in the local authority) will normally be owned by a charitable foundation. The governing body contributes to the capital costs of establishing the school and subsequent capital building work.
• Voluntary-controlled schools – the local authority is the employer and the admissions authority. The school’s land and buildings (apart from the playing fields which are normally vested in the local authority) will normally be owned by a charitable foundation.
Independent schools in Wales are funded largely through fees paid by parents
Schools are also categorised by language medium: Welsh medium, English medium and dual language.
Statutory education begins the term following a child’s 5th birthday, but parents can choose for their child to begin primary school at age 4 or attend nursery at age 3.
Primary schools generally have children aged 4-11 on roll (in some cases primary education is provided in an infant school for ages 4-7 and a junior school for ages 7-11. Secondary school starts at age 11. There are also a number of all-through schools in Wales with children aged 3-16 on roll.
The Curriculum for Wales (opens in a new tab) is for learners aged 3-16 years, this includes those educated in maintained nursery schools, primary and secondary schools and special schools as well as those educated other than at school (EOTAS) including in pupil referral units (PRUs). Independent schools do not have to use the Curriculum for Wales.
Personalised assessments are mandatory for learners in Years 2 to 9 in maintained schools in Wales. The assessments for Numeracy (Procedural), Numeracy (Reasoning) and Reading are available throughout the year for schools to use to support learners to make progress.
At the end of secondary education, pupils are normally entered for a range of external examinations. Most frequently, these are GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A) level qualifications are the traditional academic qualifications offered by schools and colleges. Many students take AS and A level qualifications in years 12 and 13 after completing their GCSEs.
Northern Ireland
In primary the statutory curriculum is split across 3 stages: Foundation Stage (the first two years of primary school, ages 4-6), key stage 1 (6 to 8) and key stage 2 (9 to 11). Children are assessed at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2.
It is usual for children to transfer to post-primary education at age 11. Post-primary education consists of five compulsory years and two further years if students wish to remain in school to pursue post GCSE / Level 2 courses to Level 3.
At the end of secondary education, pupils are normally entered for a range of external examinations. Most frequently, these are GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A) level qualifications are the traditional academic qualifications offered by schools and colleges. Many students take AS and A level qualifications in years 13 and 14 after completing their GCSEs and their primary purpose is to prepare students for degree-level study.
Further information on education in Northern Ireland can be found at:
Qualifications
The qualifications that pupils work towards at the end of their secondary schooling and beyond are determined by the devolved authorities in each of the four UK countries. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales all qualifications can be mapped onto the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which has nine levels from entry level to doctorate (for example, PhD) level. In Scotland all qualifications can be mapped onto the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
| NQF Level | Entry | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Qualification | Entry level awards, certificates or diplomas | GCSE grades D-G / 1-3 | GCSE grades A*-C / 4-9 | AS and A levels | Certificate of Higher Education | Diploma of Higher Education, Foundation Degree | Honours Degree | Master’s degree | Doctorate |
| SCQF Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Qualification | National 1 | National 2 | National 3 | National 4 | National 5 | Higher | Advanced Higher, Certificate of Higher Education | Diploma of Higher Education | Bachelors, Ordinary Degree | Honours Degree, Graduate Diploma | Master’s Degree | Doctorate |
Further information on qualification measures in each country can be found in the section on qualifications.
Further Education (FE)
Further Education in a general sense covers all courses taken after the period of compulsory education between the ages of 16 to 18. This may be at any level from basic skills training to higher vocational education.
A distinction is usually made between FE and HE. HE is education at a higher level than secondary school and is usually provided in distinct institutions such as universities. FE in the United Kingdom includes education for people over 16, usually excluding universities and covers vocational education at various levels. It is primarily taught in FE colleges, work-based learning, and adult and community learning institutions, although some HEPs are involved in some FE provision. This includes post-16 courses similar to those taught at schools and sub-degree courses similar to those taught at HE colleges (which also teach degree-level courses) and at some universities. Most FE Colleges offer HE qualifications including undergraduate and/or postgraduate level courses often referred to as “HE in FE”.
England
Colleges that are regarded as part of the FE sector include general further education colleges (GFEC) and tertiary colleges, sixth form colleges, specialist colleges (mainly colleges of agriculture and horticulture, and colleges of drama and dance), National Colleges, Institutes of Technology and adult education institutes. In addition, FE courses may be offered in the school sector, both in sixth form (16-19) schools, or, more commonly, sixth forms within secondary schools. The scope of provision in Further Education Institutions also includes Higher Education.
T Levels, launched in September 2020, are taken after GCSEs and are broadly equivalent to 3 A levels. Courses are 2-years long and have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study. Students are required to undertake both a technical qualification and an industry placement with an employer.
Further information on FE in England is available at:
Further education courses and funding (opens in a new tab)
More information on T Levels can be found at:
Scotland
The college sector delivers a significant percentage of undergraduate entrants at the HE level. Higher National Certificate's (HNC) and Higher National Diploma's (HND) make up the majority of the HE courses at college and are at SCQF level 7 and 8. Colleges run FE courses from SCQF levels 1 to 6 including most apprenticeship training programmes.
School pupils are also able to study at college as part of their curriculum. This can be for National qualifications such as Highers but also vocational subjects such as construction or engineering. Some of these pupils will study HNC qualifications that are at the HE level. In contrast to other parts of the UK, Scottish colleges deliver more HE courses alongside their FE level provision.
More information on FE in Scotland can be found at:
Education Scotland (opens in a new tab)
Wales
FE is considered part of a wider post-16 sector that includes work-based learning and adult community learning. Two FE institutions are part of wider group structures with HE institutions; there is one sixth form college and one adult learning specialist institution. The sector sits alongside sixth form provision within schools. Under the Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure 2009, learners are entitled to 30 subject choices, of which at least five must be vocational.
More information on FE in Wales can be found at:
Post-16 education and skills (opens in a new tab)
Northern Ireland
Post-16 learners in schools are entitled to access to at least 21 courses, of which at least one third must be general subjects, and one third applied subjects; courses may be offered in the child’s own school or may be accessed in another school or FE college.
FE is defined as post-statutory education that is not delivered in a school and is not HE. It therefore encompasses professional and technical education and training for full-time learners who left school at 16, apprenticeships, adult education (including part-time learners and continuing education for people in employment) and leisure courses to support lifelong learning.
Most of the focus of FE in Northern Ireland is on delivering regulated vocational qualifications to learners at levels 2 and 3 (European Qualifications Framework levels 3 and 4, respectively), but a number of providers also deliver qualifications at higher levels, as well as more general qualifications such as essential skills or A levels.
More information on FE in Northern Ireland can be found at:
Higher Education (HE)
Higher education in the UK is defined as any course that is of a standard that is higher than GCE A level, the Higher Grade of the SCE/National Qualification, GNVQ/NVQ level 3 or the Edexcel (formerly BTEC) or SQA National Certificate/Diploma.
There are three main levels of HE course:
- Undergraduate courses - first degrees (honours and ordinary), first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma, and intercalated first degrees (where first degree students, usually in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, interrupt their studies to complete a one-year course of advanced studies in a related topic).
- Postgraduate courses leading to higher degrees - diplomas and certificates (including Doctorate, Masters (research and taught), Postgraduate diplomas and certificates as well as postgraduate certificates of education
(PGCE) and professional qualifications) which usually require a first degree as entry qualification. - Other undergraduate courses that include all other HE courses - for example Diploma (HNC/D level for diploma and degree holders), HND (or equivalent), HNC (or equivalent), Diplomas in HE and SVQ or NVQ: Levels 4 and 5.