Such as, what do they call grade school (1-8) and high school? What is the grade for each age?
Primary SchoolEdit:
Early Years Foundation StageReception class: age 4-5
Key stage 1Reception class: age 4-5Year 1: age 5-6
Year 2: age 6-7
Key Stage 2Year 3: age 7-8
Year 4: age 8-9
Year 5: age 9-10
Year 6: age 10-11
Secondary SchoolKey Stage 3Year 7: age 11-12
Year 8: age 12-13
Year 9: age 13-14
GCSE years (these are 2-year courses taken in several different subjects)
Year 10: age 14-15
Year 11: age 15-16
Sixth Form/Further Education College (either 2-year A level courses are taken in 3-5 subjects in preparation for university, or vocational courses are taken by students who do not wish to go to university)
Year 12 (Lower Sixth Form): age 16-17
Year 13 (Upper Sixth Form): age 17-18
Some secondary schools have a middle and a high school for years 7-11, rather than just one school for all 5 years. Some secondary schools have a Sixth Form on the same campus, others have a separate Sixth Form building. Some don't have a Sixth Form at all, and students go to a Further Education college instead.
What are GCSEs exactly? Are they like SATs?
GCSE's are 2-year courses taken between ages 14 and 16 and are the minimum qualifications required to get a job after leaving school. Pupils take usually between 8 and 11 GCSEs in various different subjects - Maths, Science and English are compulsory. The grades are A* to G, but a C is a pass, so anything less than a C is considered a fail. A US high school diploma is approximately equivalent to 5 GCSE's at C grade or above. To go on to A levels you usually need at least 5 GCSEs, with B or above in the subjects you wish to study.
What are 2:1s?
This is a classification of undergraduate degree.
Undergraduate grades are as follows:
70% + = First class (1st)
60-69% = Upper Second class (2:1)
50-59% = Lower Second class (2:2)
40-59% = Third class (3rd).
A First Class degree is difficult to get and so the most common result of undergraduates is a 2:1 (with about 35% of university students graduating with a 2:1). A 2:1 is usually the minimum grade required to go on to do a masters/PhD or to get a decent graduate job. The US equivalent to a 2:1 degree is a GPA of between 3.3 and 3.8.
