The British school system: an overview

Britain's education system can seem confusing from the outside. There are state schools and independent (private) schools, and within the independent sector there are further distinctions that are not immediately obvious. This guide explains the structure.

State vs independent

State schools are funded by the government and free to attend. Independent schools — sometimes called private schools — charge fees and are funded primarily by tuition. The terms “independent” and “private” are used interchangeably; “public school” is a confusing historical term for a specific group of prestigious fee-paying schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester, etc.) and means the opposite of what it sounds like.

The stages of independent schooling

Pre-Prep (ages 3–7)

Many independent schools have a nursery and pre-prep attached. These take children from age 3 or 4. In some cases, a place in the pre-prep guarantees (or significantly increases the chance of) progression to the prep school.

Prep School (ages 7–13)

“Prep” is short for preparatory — these schools prepare children for entry to senior schools. Most are day schools; some offer boarding from age 8. Children typically leave prep school at 11 (for day senior schools) or 13 (for boarding senior schools).

Senior School (ages 11–18 or 13–18)

This is where the major split occurs. Some senior schools take pupils at 11 (particularly in London and the South East). Others — including many of the most prestigious boarding schools — take pupils at 13. At 16, pupils sit GCSEs. At 18, they sit A-Levels or the International Baccalaureate (IB).

Sixth Form (ages 16–18)

Some schools only admit pupils at 16 for the final two years before university. This is called “Sixth Form entry” or “16+ entry”. Some schools that are 11–18 or 13–18 also accept external pupils at 16.

How Schoolmaster helps

Understanding which stage your child is at — and therefore which entry point to target — is the first step. Schoolmaster calculates this automatically based on your child's date of birth.