School curriculum and exams
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A guide to Oxbridge entrance
For many A level students and their parents, Oxbridge is the sine qua non of a university education - a golden ticket to fame and fortune. But Oxbridge is certainly not for everyone, even some of the brightest, and certainly doesn’t guarantee riches, or even a job. Critics say that Oxford and Cambridge are too focused on academic ability.
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English primary schools and the National Curriculum
The national curriculum in primary schools is a set of subjects and standards that aim to ensure all state-funded schools offer the same education, which is balanced, broadly based and prepares pupils for their move to secondary education and later life.
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English secondary schools and the National Curriculum
The national curriculum starts in English state primary schools and continues into state secondary education, which your child moves into age 11+. As with the primary years, the aim is to provide a balanced and broadly based education that’s consistent across the country.
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EPQ (Extended Project Qualification)
An EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) is a sixth-form qualification that involves students choosing a topic, carrying out research, creating a report (or ‘product’ and report) and delivering a presentation.
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Northern Irish schools and curriculum
More than 90 per cent of schools in Northern Ireland are divided on faith based lines. This means that the vast majority of children are educated in either a state-funded school that predominantly attracts Protestant families or a school funded by the state but maintained by the Roman Catholic church.
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Progress 8 and Attainment 8 explained
Progress 8 aims to capture the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school. It is a type of value added measure. Attainment 8 measures the achievement of a pupil across 8 qualifications.
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Scottish primary schools and the Curriculum for Excellence
The education system in Scotland is completely different from the rest of the UK. Instead of a national curriculum (as in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), Scotland has a Curriculum for Excellence which covers education from 3-18 years old.
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Scottish secondary schools and the Curriculum for Excellence
The Curriculum for Excellence – which is Scotland’s own national curriculum - runs from 3-18 years old. So just as with primary schools, the education system in Scottish secondary schools is completely different from the other three nations in the UK.
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Secondary school: common entrance (CE)
Common entrance (usually shortened to CE) is the name of the examination taken for entrance into some senior independent schools at age 11 (usually girls) or 13 (boys and girls).The 11+ CE examination is used mostly by girls’ boarding schools it consists of papers in English, maths and science. The 13+ examination covers eight core subjects at a higher level.
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Secondary school: understanding the 11+
The 11+ is the entrance exam procedure for getting your brightish little button into a fee-paying or state grammar school. Much of the country abolished the 11+ several decades ago for state schools, but a few local authorities, such as Bucks and Kent, retained a large number of grammar schools and run county-wide entrance tests. In some other areas, such as Barnet and Kingston, a few grammar schools exist in tandem with the comprehensive system found in most of the country. These grammar schools set their own entrance exams.
Sixth Form
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Sixth form: subject selection, helping you choose
If you thought it was difficult choosing GCSE subjects, there is added pressure at A level, IB or their equivalent. Whittling down GCSE choices from eight or more subjects can be tricky. If your school only offers A level and you prefer the breadth of IB, depth of Pre U or vocational orientation of BTec qualifications and the like, you may need to consider changing schools at 16.
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Sixth form: T Levels
T levels are new two-year courses that follow GCSEs and each one is equivalent to three A levels. They offer a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience in the workplace.
Further reading
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Top ten tips for parents: revision
The Good Schools Guide's top ten tips for parents of children revising for exams. Exams are undoubtedly nerve-racking for children and their parents. Fraught mums and dads watch over their children during the holidays or 'study leave' and wonder to what degree they should be helping. So, with that in mind, here are our top ten tips on how to help children to revise effectively.
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Welsh schools and the Curriculum for Wales
Welsh schools provide full-time education for children aged up to 16. Like England, Wales follows its own national curriculum and this has recently been updated. The Curriculum for Wales was rolled out in September 2022, with primary schools the first to be taught the new curriculum.
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What are SATs in UK?
Sats stand for Standard Assessment Tests and are administered by primary schools. Sats measure children’s educational achievement in years 2 and 6, with the ultimate aim of holding schools to account for the attainment of their pupils and the progress they make.
Secondary Schools