| School | Stage | Year | * Age (31st August) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | KS1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 6 | ||
| KS2 | 3 | 7 | |
| 4 | 8 | ||
| 5 | 9 | ||
| 6 | 10 | ||
| Secondary | KS3 | 7 | 11 |
| 8 | 12 | ||
| 9 | 13 | ||
| KS4 | 10 | 14 | |
| 11 | 15 | ||
| College | KS5 / A Levels | 12 | 16 |
| 13 | 17 |
In the UK, students usually start at the age of 5 and enter the first year of school. Primary school is made up of 6 years. Students then go on to secondary school, where they end with their GCSE exams. Each subject is assessed separately by a series of exams leading to GCSEs or international GCSEs.
Students can then choose to go on to college, where they choose 3 subjects (sometimes 4), which are also assessed separately and form the basis of entry to university and other courses.
Colleges often also offer other qualifications, leading to students gaining employment and apprenticeships.
* Note: ‘Age (31st August)’ refers to the child’s age on 31 August before the start of the new school year in September. This date is used as the standard cut-off to determine which year group a child will enter. For example, if a child is 5 years old on 31 August, they will begin Year 1 that September.
