Introduction
British education has a strong reputation, especially for the quality of the teaching standards. The British education system follows a slightly different model than many other countries. In Britain, the secondary school system is completed in 13 years. In many countries, the school system is 12 years.
The standard academic year starts in September or October and runs until June or July. Some courses are more flexible, however, and offer a range of start dates.
A number of universities have courses starting in either January or February. Foundation courses providers also offer a range of starting dates such as January, March and September.
The education system in the UK is divided into four main parts, primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education. Students are assessed at the end of each stage. The most important assessment occurs at age 16 when students pursue their GCSE's or General Certificate of Secondary Education. Once students complete their GCSE's they have the choice to go onto further education and then potential higher education and start their university studies, international students are expected to have equivalent type of qualifications and grades in order to qualify for direct entry to undergraduate studies.
Secondary School
GCSE Pathway - Year 10 and Year 11
In the last two years of secondary school (age 14 to 16), most pupils study for GCSE qualifications.
Year 11 is an important year in the British Education system as students take their GCSE exams. Students are usually aged 15 or 16 in Year 11 and it is the last year of compulsory secondary education in the UK.
GCSEs are usually taken over two years but the special Year 11 Pathway allows students to take five to seven GCSEs in one year only, contact us for more details.
Sixth Form - Year 12 and Year 13
A Level
The A Level, is a school leaving qualification offered by educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education.
At sixth form level, most pupils at the end of Year 13, take Advanced Levels (A levels) exams, often in three or four subjects. The two years are often called Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth.
Boarding schools offer a wide range of subjects – including maths, sciences (physics, biology and chemistry), history, geography, drama, IT, literature and foreign languages – in addition to extra-curricular activities.
A-levels are unique in providing an unrivalled depth of study in a few, specialist subjects. After two years, students will have developed the kind of subject knowledge which is often only acquired during the first year at university in many other countries. A-levels also develop students’ broad study skills and their ability to think and argue critically. They prepare students fully for the challenge of studying at world-class universities. Advanced Level courses are the only possible route for students to study Medicine and Dentistry in the UK.
The advanced Level course is divided into two years of O-Level (the first year) and A-Level (the second year). Students usually learn 5-6 modules in depth which would give them the possibility of entering higher ranked universities in the UK based on the mark they achieve.
International Foundation Year (IFY)
International students who are normally 17 years of age and have successfully completed 11 or 12 years of school education with satisfactory passes in their leaving examinations are eligible to do an International foundation programme.
This program is designed and intended for those international students who have the potential and motivation to succeed, but who do not yet have the formal qualifications required for entry to level 1 of a university undergraduate degree programme.
Usually students with 11 years of academic education are suitable to study the International Foundation Year and then progress to university level. In addition, mature students and those with an educational gap can study International Foundation Year.
Higher Education
UK universities offer thousands of excellent courses, leading to qualifications that are respected by employers and academics worldwide, entry to British universities is based on competitive entry. Every UK higher education course sets its own entry requirements. These entry requirements are there to ensure that you have the right skills and knowledge to successfully complete the course.
We can help you with all the information you need, please contact us now.
International Year 1
The International Year One is a carefully designed course for students who are overqualified for a foundation year, but under-qualified for direct entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree. It aims to provide you with the academic knowledge, study skills and the English language ability to succeed as a second-year undergraduate degree student. There are very limited choices of subjects available as this route has been introduced in the UK education system only 5 years ago but thousands of students benefited from this intensive course to enter the second year of university directly. This course is 12 months and usually 9-12 modules are covered during this course.
Bachelor’s or Undergraduate Degree
The Bachelor degree is designed to help you gain a thorough understanding of a subject. Full-time, this normally takes three years to complete (four in some cases). There are different titles of degree, such as: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Bachelor of Engineering (BEng).The International Year One is a carefully designed course for students who are overqualified for a foundation year, but under-qualified for direct entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree. It aims to provide you with the academic knowledge, study skills and the English language ability to succeed as a second-year undergraduate degree student. There are very limited choices of subjects available as this route was introduced in the UK education system only 5 years ago but thousands of students benefited from this intensive course to enter the second year of university directly. This course is 12 months and usually 9-12 modules are covered during this course.
Pre-Master
This course is designed for students planning on undertaking a Master’s degree; the course offers a unique experience which combines English language training, research, presentation and study skills with optional GMAT classes. This course is usually 3-6 months based on the student requirement and have three to four entry points during the academic year. In most cases when the student studies this course at bespoke college, academic tutors will help them choose and apply for the right postgraduate course and university. However, universities will review these applications on a case-by-case basis and progression is not guaranteed.
Master or Postgraduate degree
A master’s degree can be a viable option for those who want to further their knowledge of a particular subject, explore other areas of interest after having completed an undergraduate degree, or improve their career prospects.
Master’s degrees typically take one year to complete, most master's courses lead to an MA (Master of Arts) or MSc (Master of Science) qualification, but there are also subject-specific qualifications including MEng (Master of Engineering), MFA (Master of Fine Arts), LLM (Master of Laws), MArch (Master of Architecture), and more.
Pre-PhD
At the moment, this course is being offered at very limited institutions. The Pre-PhD Program offers comprehensive preparation for international students pursuing a PhD or Doctoral degree in the UK. The program consists of intensive English classes combined with research methods, study skill training and PhD authoring to ensure optimum achievement at university. Students receive the best possible preparation for your PhD with highly structured exam training for IELTS and a wide range of specialist modules in their specialization. The PhD authoring module also allows them to develop their research field, which will ultimately benefit students in their thesis. The course can be 6 or 9 months based on students’ preferences and needs.
