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NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > Types of school
EDUCATION
Types of school
The main groupings of state schools are shown diagrammatically in Appendix 5 and the various categories of schools described in Appendix 20. The following is a summary.
Teaching in state-maintained schools up to the age of 11 years is often separated into infants (5-7 year olds) and junior (8-11 year olds) schools, which may or may not be combined local as primary schools. In addition, pre-school/nursery provision may be state or non-state and entitlement to state funding is being increased
Conventionally, at the age of 11 years, pupils transfer to secondary schools which may be variously traditionally termed, secondary, comprehensive, grammar, technical etc., according to local policies. In some areas, middle schools intervene between primary and secondary.
In many areas, students of about 16 years or over transfer to 'sixth form' or other Further Education Colleges which may offer courses in AS/A levels as well as vocational subjects.
Special schools cater for students with particular learning difficulties or behavioural problems. It is now government policy to integrate as many pupils as possible from special schools into mainstream schools.
Special schools should be differentiated from specialist schools. It is the government's intention that most secondary schools will become specialist schools (often titled 'colleges'), i.e. secondary schools which particularly focus upon one or two key subjects (out of ten subjects sanctioned so far), in addition to teaching the whole National Curriculum (NC) range (see section on NC).
Virtually all of the above are directly or indirectly state maintained. There is also a complicated terminology in the titles of schools which are either entirely private (independent) or semi-state maintained. Various religious groups also run faith schools at primary and secondary level which may or may not be state funded.