Primary education in the UK is compulsory between ages 4-11. Students study core subjects like math, science, English, and more. Secondary school continues compulsory education until age 16, with GCSE exams in all subjects taken at the end. Some students continue on to A-Levels for two years, choosing 4 subjects to focus on, which are needed to attend university. University in the UK costs around £9,000 per year for tuition, and students can take out government loans to cover fees and living expenses. Alternatives to university include apprenticeships that combine work, training, and education in a field.

1. Primary
School
Secondary
School
and
A-Levels
University
Fees and
Student
Loans
Accommo
-dation at
University
Apprentic-
eships
OR
Vocational
Education

2. Primary School
• Compulsory Education begins at 4-years-old.
• Primary School is for children between 4 and
11-years-old.
• There is a school uniform.

3. Primary School
• Students study all subjects at this age.
Literacy, Maths, Science, Design and
Technology (DT), History, Geography, Art
and Design, Music, Drama, Physical
Education (PE), Religious Education (RE),
InformationTechnology (IT), PSE and 1
modern foreign language.

4. Primary School
Infants
• Ages 4-7
• Learn through play
• Have longer breaks than
Juniors
• No homework
Juniors
• Ages 7-11
• School becomes more
serious
• Fewer and shorter breaks
• Homework 

5. Secondary School
• This continues compulsory education in the
UK until age 16.
• Pupils can drop some subjects at age 14.
• At 16, students must take their General
Certificate of Education exams in every
subject. GCSEs for short!
• Pupils still have to wear
school uniform.

6. Dropouts
• The school dropout rate
in the UK is rising.
• 9.6% of teenages leave school without
prospects.
• Known as ‘NEETs’ – not in employment,
education or training.
• Most jobs require at least 3 ´Cs´ in Maths,
English and Science.

7. • “Advanced Level”
qualification.
• 2 years to complete.
• Students choose 4 subjects
to focus on, they can drop 1
in their second year.
• A-Levels are the
qualifications needed to
study at University, so these
subjects are often related to
the students´ future
degrees.
They can choose from:
• Maths, Biology, Chemistry,
Physics, English Language,
English Literature, History,
Geography, Classics,
Psychology, Business,
Economics, Law,
Government and Politcs,
French, German, Spanish,
DT, Art, Music, IT, RE,
Theatre, Food Studies, to
name a few.

8. Private and State Secondary Schools
Private/Independent Schools
• Fees range between £3,000
and £30,000 per year.
• The average cost is £13,194
per year.
• Many independent schools
are single sex.
• Pupils at these schools can
choose between day school,
half-board and full-board.
State Schools
• Pupils don´t pay for
anything, everything is
supplied by the school,
apart from school uniform.

9. University Fees
• Per year, univeristy costs each student £9,000,
(€10,493 or $11,315) no matter what the degree
is.
• Most degrees are 3 years long, so in total the
degree costs £27,000 (€31,456 or $33,955).
• Stundents can apply for a government “Student
Loan” to cover the university fees.
• They can also apply for a “Maintenance Loan” to
help with paying for accomodation, £3,000 per
year.
• Students must begin paying this back when they
earn over £15,000.

10. Student Accommodation
• Second year students rent a house with other
students.
• Most third year students stay in the same
house, but some move into a different house.
• First year students live in student halls.

11. • They combine work, training, and study, letting you
'earn while you learn'.
• You need to be 16-years-old and have 5 A*-C GCSEs.
• You can study anything from Accounting to
Engineering, Health to IT.
“Apprenticeships”
are for pupils who
wish to continue
education but
who do not want
to go to
University.