If you want to enroll your children in a school with a British or American curriculum, you must know in detail how the educational system works.
From buscarcole.com we help you to do it.
Main characteristics of the British education system
The education is mainly focused on offering each student the necessary tools to develop their skills and enhance their learning, always giving them the freedom to be creative and, at the same time, the necessary support to give the best of themselves.
The British education system is a very structured system and is divided into several stages depending on the age of the student.
In the United Kingdom, compulsory education ranges from 5 to 18 years of age. The classes are usually very small so that the students have a more personalized attention. Class attendance is compulsory. They are really strict in this matter, and parents can be fined if their son or daughter misses a certain number of classes without the corresponding justification.
An example of the British methodology, where quality in the classroom is a priority, is that every week the teachers present the plan of classes and activities. In addition, they work a lot on the concept of "target" to motivate students: they set academic objectives that must be achieved before the end of the course.
Satges and school levels
The following table provides a good clarification of the equivalences:
| AGE | COURS | SATGE | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | Nursery | Foundation Satge | Nursery School |
| 4 years | Reception | Foundation Stage | Infant School (Primary School) |
| 5 years | Year 1 | Key Stage 1 | Infant School (Primary School) |
| 6 years | Year 2 | Key Stage 1 | Infant School (Primary School) |
| 7 years | Year 3 | Key Stage 2 | Junior School (Primary School) |
| 8 years | Year 4 | Key Stage 2 | Junior School (Primary School) |
| 9 years | Year 5 | Key Stage 2 | Junior School (Primary School) |
| 10 years | Year 6 | Key Stage 2 | Junior School (Primary School) |
| 11 years | Year 7 | Key Stage 3 | Secondary School |
| 12 years | Year 8 | Key Stage 3 | Secondary School |
| 13 years | Year 9 | Key Stage 3 | Secondary School |
| 14 years | Year 10 | Key Stage 4 - GCSE | Secondary School |
| 15 years | Year 11 | Key Stage 4 - GCSE | Secondary School |
| 16 years | Year 12 | Sixth Form 7 A'Level | Sixth Form College |
| 17 years | Year 13 | Sixth Form 7 A'Level | Sixth Form College |
At the end of each of these stages, students are evaluated with different tests in order to continue to the next stage.
Main characteristics of the American educational system
The American school year is shorter than the British one and is organized in two semesters: one from September to January and the other from January to the end of May (beginning of June).
The following table also shows the equivalences:
| AGE | COURS | STAGE |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | Kindergarten | |
| 4 years | Kindergarten | |
| 5 years | Kindergarten | |
| 6 years | Grade 1 | Elementary School |
| 7 years | Grade 2 | Elementary School |
| 8 years | Grade 3 | Elementary School |
| 9 years | Grade 4 | Junior High School (Middle School) |
| 10 years | Grade 5 | Junior High School (Middle School) |
| 11 years | Grade 6 | Junior High School (Middle School) |
| 12 years | Grade 7 | Junior High School (Middle School) |
| 13 years | Grade 8 | Junior High School (Middle School) |
| 14 years | Grade 9 | Junior High School (Middle School) |
| 15 years | Grade 10 | Senior High School |
| 16 years | Grade 11 | Senior High School |
| 17 years | Grade 12 | Senior High School |
In the blog of buscarcole.com we offer you information about the advantages of choosing an international school.
In our search engine you will find schools with the British and American curriculum.