The UK education system in four parts: primary, secondary, higher and higher education.
A child is required by law to attend primary and secondary education between the ages of 5 and 15.
It is also divided into “key stages” and is as follows:– Key stage 1 – 5 to 7 years old, Years 1 to 2– Key stage 2 – 7 to 11 years old, Years 3 to 6– Key stage 3 – 11 to 14 years old, Years 7 to 9– Key stage 4 – 14 – 16 years old, Years 10 to 11
SATs Key Stage 2After EYFS are the SATs. This is done in the 6th grade when the children are 10-11 years old. The SATs cover math, science and English.
GCSEsGCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) are taken at age 15/16 (10/11 school years) and mark the end of compulsory education in the UK.
AS LevelsAS levels are taken as a standalone grade in the optional sixth grade or as the first level of an A-level course the following year, but as of 2017 they no longer count towards A-level.
A LevelsAbitur serves as a university entrance qualification and is the final exam that 18-year-olds take in the 12th grade.
Scottish HighersScotland has a slightly different grading system to the rest of the UK. The Scottish Higher Exams are the equivalent of A-levels and are used to enter university.