My guide to the British education system 英國教育體系

I get a lot of questions about the British education system, which can be really confusing. For anyone hoping to move here, it’s especially important to know about the education system here, so that you know what to expect and can prepare your little ones in the best way possible.

許多人問我英國教育制度相關的問題。 對於任何希望搬到這裡的人，了解這裡的教育制度尤為重要，以防措手不及/才不會措手不及，並能以最佳方式為您的小孩子做好準備。

This is a big topic that I will break down into three sections: nursery, state schools (primary school and secondary school) and private schools (pre-prep, prep and secondary school). University and postgraduate education I will save for another article. 

這是一個比較廣的話題，我將分為三個部分：幼稚園，公立學校（小學和中學）和私立學校（預科，預科和中學）。大學和研究生教育我會保留到另一篇文章。

Nursery 幼稚園

In the UK, the word for kindergarten is ‘nursery’. Children can start at age 2 up until age 4. Not everyone goes to nursery, and it’s not compulsory, so it’s not included in ‘state education’. Parents generally send their children to nursery for childcare purposes, for instance if they need to work. Currently, the average cost of sending a child to nursery is £131 for part-time (25 hours per week), and £252 for full-time (50 hours per week). 

在英國，Kindergarten叫Nursery。 兒童可以從2歲開始，直到4歲。 幼稚园不是強制性的， 不包括在國家教育中。 父母通常送孩子去幼稚园是为了兒童看護，例如，如果父母需要工作的話。 目前，幼稚园的平均費用為非全時131英镑（每週25小時），全時252英镑（每週50小時）。www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Nursery in this country can be viewed as a place for your child to play and be looked after, rather than a formal education. Some private nurseries offer a deeper education in specific subjects. These nurseries tend to be quite expensive and might even have waitlists, so it’s best to apply early, sometimes even before the child is born, although this is rare. For other nurseries, i.e. those not run by private independent schools, but by other groups, organisations and individuals, they can be applied to after the child is 2 years old. 

這個國家的幼稚园可以被看作是孩子玩耍和托育的地方，而不是正規教育。 一些私立幼稚园可能提供特定科目的更深入的教育，這些往往相當昂貴，並且有很多人排隊等著入學，所以最好提前申請，甚至在孩子出生之前，雖然這還是是罕見的情况。 對於其他幼稚园，並不是由私立獨立學校經營，而是由其他團體、組織和個人經營的幼稚园，可以在孩子2歲之後申請。

It’s possible to get 30 hours free childcare. You can find more information about that here: 可以免費兒童保育30小時。您可以在此處找到有關此點的資訊：30 hours free childcare – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

State Schools 公立學校

= Government-funded schools 政府資助的學校

Primary School 小學

In the UK, elementary school is called primary school, and covers ages 4 to 11. The grades are called Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, and the subjects usually taught are: English, maths, science, design & technology, history, geography, art & design, music, physical education (PE) including swimming, computing and foreign languages (from year 3). State schools are free at this age, while private school prices vary depending on the school (see below). The school hours are not very long in the UK, and most state schools run from 8:30am – 3pm. Children above Year 1 don’t get a nap time and are not expecting to sleep during school time, but they do get a few breaks, including a lunch break. 

在英國，Elementary school被稱為Primary school，涵蓋4至11歲的孩子。 年纪称为學前班，1年級，二年級，3年級，4年級，5年級，6年級。 一班教授的科目有：英語，數學，科學，設計與科技，歷史，地理，藝術和設計，音樂，體育（PE），包括游泳，計算和外語（從3年級開始）。 公立學校在這個年齡是免費的，而私立學校的價格因學校而異（請看下方介紹）。 在英國，上學時間不長，大多數公立學校從早上8：30到下午3點。 一年級以上的孩子沒有午睡時間，也不要期望在上學期間睡覺，但會几次休息時間，包含午餐時間。

Regarding uniform, over 90% of primary and secondary schools in the UK have a compulsory uniform. Girls are usually allowed to wear trousers if they want to, and in some private schools extra items might be available, such as blazers or hats. 

關於校服，英國90%以上的中小學都實行強制性校服。女孩若想穿褲裝是通常會被允許，在一些私立學校可能會提供額外的配件，如外套或帽子。

Secondary School 中學

Secondary schools are sometimes connected together with the primary school as part of the same school, or they might be separate. Junior high school is called ‘secondary school’ in the UK, and covers age 11 to 16, while senior high school is called ‘college’ or ‘sixth form’, and covers ages 16 to 18. There isn’t usually an entrance exam for state secondary schools, but there are still some ‘grammar schools’ that exist, especially in northern Ireland, that accept students on the basis of an entrance exam. Grammar schools are state-funded secondary schools that select students using the ‘11 plus’ exam, which is taken at the beginning of Year 6, and covers English, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning.  

中學有時可以從同小學直升，有時是两个不同的學校。在英國，”初中”被稱為Secondary school，年齡從11歲到16歲，而”高中”被稱為College或Sixth form，涵蓋16至18歲。通常沒有州立中學的入學考試，但仍有一些Grammar schools存在，特別是在北愛爾蘭，接受學生根據入學考試。Grammar schools由國家資助，但選擇學生使用11 Plus考試，這是在六月初，包括英語，數學，語言推理，非語言推理。 

Similar to primary school, in secondary school the names of the grades go up in number, from Year 7 to Year 13. The subjects studied at secondary school are similar to primary school, finishing with GCSE exams in Year 10, which usually include between 9 and 11 subjects. In religious or ‘faith’ schools, Religion is usually a compulsory subject. GCSE exams are currently graded using a numbers system from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade possible.

與小學的情況類似，中學年級的年級從7年級到13年級。中學學習的科目與小學相似，在10年級完成GCSE考試，通常包括9至11個科目。在有教會學校，宗教通常是必修課。GCSE 考試目前使用數位系統從 9 到 1 進行評分，9 是最高分。

In college / sixth form, students need to choose just 3 or 4 subjects to study for their final 2 years, after which they will sit their A level exams. A levels, which are what students study towards in sixth form, are what decide whether a student can go to university. They are graded from A* to E. These last 2 years of school are when students get more freedom. For example, most colleges allow students to dress in their own clothes and leave the school grounds during breaks. Year 13 (the last year of college) is the end of compulsory education, and students are then free to either work or go onto further education.

在Collge或Sixth form的最後兩年，學生只需要選擇3或4個科目來專攻，之後他們將參加A level考試。 A levels這是學生在Sixth forrm學習的，是決定學生是否可以上大學的考试。 它們從A*分級為E級。 這兩年的學校學生獲得更多的自由。 例如，大多數Colleges允許學生著便服，並在課間休息時離開校園。 13年級（College的最後一年）是義務教育的結束，學生可以自由選擇工作或繼續深造。

Private Schools 私立學校

= Fee-paying schools 收費學校

Pre-preparatory School 預科學校

Private schools, sometimes called independent schools or public schools, usually start with a fee-paying ‘pre-prep’ school, starting at age 3 or 4, or sometimes even younger. The prices vary significantly depending on the school. As mentioned in the ‘nursery’ section, pre-prep schools sometimes have long waitlists, especially in or around London. There is often a small entry test to see whether the child is ready to enter pre-prep, for example by checking their physical and mental abilities for their age. The subjects covered are similar to state primary schools, depending on the school. Independent schools have more freedom to diverge from the national curriculum.

私立學校，有時稱為獨立學校或公立學校，通常從收費的pre-prep學校開始，從3歲或4歲，有時甚至收更小的學生。 價格則因學校而有很大的差異。 正如在「幼稚园」部分所述，預科學校有時有長長的候補名單，尤其是在倫敦或周圍。 通常有一個小型的入學測試，評估孩子入學的成熟度，例如根據學童的年齡測試他們的身心發展狀況。 所涵蓋的科目將類似於州立小學，但取決於學校。 獨立學校有更多的自由偏離國家課綱。

Preparatory School 預備學校

The second phase of primary education in the private schooling system is ‘prep school’, which starts at age 7 or 8. These schools prepare students for entry into private secondary schools, which usually starts at age 13 (year 9). Compared to state schools, students are often exposed to a wider variety of subjects in prep schools. For example, there might be more dedicated focus on music, sports and music, and there might be more school trips and outings. In some private schools, students also have the opportunity to board at this age (and in secondary school), meaning that they stay overnight at the school during the week (‘half-board’) or at the weekends too (‘full board’). Some private schools have a long tradition of boarding, and these tend to be the famous schools like Eton, Wycombe Abbey etc. 

私立學校系統初等教育的第二階段是prep school，從7歲或8歲開始。這些學校為學生進入私立中學做好準備，通常從13歲（9歲）開始。與公立學校相比，學生在預科學校經常接觸到更廣泛的科目，例如，更專注於體育和音樂，而且可能有更多的校外教學和旅遊。在一些私立學校，學生也有機會在這個年齡（和中學）寄宿，這意味著他們在一周內（”半膳”）或週末（”全膳”）在學校過夜。一些私立學校有著悠久的寄宿傳統，這些學校往往是著名的學校，如伊頓，威科姆修道院等。

Secondary School 中學

Private secondary schools usually select students on the basis of their ‘common entrance exam’ results, which is what prep school prepares them for. However, many students in private secondary schools went to state primary schools beforehand. The average cost of private secondary schools is now over £17,000 per year. Some of the most famous schools can be around £14,000 per term (£42,000 per year).

私立中學通常根據學生的”普通入學考試”成績來挑選學生，這是預科學校準備的學生。 然而，許多私立中學的學生早已經讀了州立小學。 私立中學的平均費用現在每年超過17,000英镑。 一些最著名的學校每學期大約14,000英鎊（每年42，000英鎊）。

The benefits of private vs state schools depend on the area and the school in question, but due to a more rigorous study schedule and environment, private school students often have a competitive advantage when it comes to university places. For example, around 45% of Oxford and Cambridge students went to a private school, despite only 7% of all students being privately educated (The Independent). However, this is gradually changing as there is now positive discrimination to encourage greater equality of opportunity, meaning that students coming from state schools have a certain advantage when it comes to Oxbridge applications. 

私立學校與公立學校的優劣取決於所在地區以及就讀學校，但由於更嚴格的學習時程表和環境，私立學校學生在大學學位方面往往具有競爭優勢。例如，大約45%的牛津和劍橋學生上過私立學校，儘管只有7%的學生接受過私立教育。然而，這種情況正在逐漸改變，因為現在提倡積極區別待遇政策，以充分保障機會均等，這意味著來自公立學校的學生在申請牛津橋方面也有一定的優勢。

Since every child is different, and so is every school, it is worth examining the atmosphere of each school, and what they offer, when making this choice.
由於每個孩子都是不同的，每個學校也是不同的，所以在做出選擇時，值得考察每所學校的氣氛，以及他們提供的內容。

I hope you find this information useful. For more information about life in the UK, you can click here. Soon, I will share some information about higher education with you all. 我希望這些資訊對你有幫助。有關更多英國生活的資訊，您可以點擊這裡。很快的，我將和大家分享有關高等教育的資訊。

Welcome to the UK!  歡迎來到英國！