Schooling in the UK

In the UK, education is compulsory between the age of 5 and 16 years. Most children of this age group attend school, although a small minority is educated by private tuition or by their parents/carers at home.

After the age of 16, when education is no longer compulsory, approximately 70% of young people stay in education, either at school (usually known as sixth-form education) or at further education colleges.

Many children under five attend state nursery schools or nursery classes attached to primary schools; others may attend playgroups in the voluntary sector in privately run nurseries.  In the UK many primary schools operate an early admission policy where they admit children under five into reception classes.

Over 90% of pupils go to publicly funded state schools.  In most areas, children aged 5 to 10 attend primary schools, moving on to secondary schools at aged 11 for education up to the age of 16 and beyond.  Primary schools usually have both boys and girls as pupils; secondary schools may be either single-sex or co-educational. 

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