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Key stages, age and year groups
Tests, curriculum and school status
Summary of how education in Wales differs from England
The Department
for Children, Schools and Families only deals with education in England;
in Wales its equivalent is the Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills Department within
the Welsh Assembly; in Scotland it is the Education and Lifelong Learning Department
within the Scottish Parliament, and in Northern Ireland it
is the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI).
Each of these departments not only has a different approach
to education but also often uses different terminology to
describe the various age groups and sectors; this is particularly
so in Scotland. It is worth remembering that this terminology
is often confusing to both parents and professionals. Below is an attempt to translate English and Welsh educational structures into that current in Northern Ireland
and Scotland. For detailed information on Scottish secondary assessment visit www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/nqframework/newnq.asp#NQs
Key stages, age and year groups
| Age of
pupils |
England and Wales |
Northern Ireland |
Scotland |
| 4/5 |
Key stage 1 Reception |
KS1
Primary 1 |
Primary 1 |
| 5/6 |
Yr 1 |
P2 |
P2 |
| 6/7 |
Yr 2 |
P3 |
P3 |
| 7/8 |
Key stage 2 Yr 3 |
P4 |
P4 |
| 8/9 |
Yr 4 |
KS2
P5 |
P5 |
| 9/10 |
Yr 5 |
P6 |
P6 |
| 10/11 |
Yr 6 |
P7 |
P7 |
| 11/12 |
Key stage 3 Yr 7 |
KS3
Yr 8 |
Secondary 1 |
| 12/13 |
Yr 8 |
Yr 9 |
S2 |
| 13/14 |
Yr 9 |
Yr 10 |
S3 |
| 14/15 |
Key stage 4 Yr 10 |
KS4
Yr 11 |
S4 |
| 15/16 |
Yr 11 |
Yr 12 |
S5 |
| 16/17 |
Key stage 5 Yr 12 (Lower 6th) |
KS5
Yr 13 (L6) |
S6 |
| 17/18 |
Yr 13 (Upper 6th) |
Yr 14 (U6) |
- |
England, Wales and Northern Ireland all use the National
Curriculum related levels of attainment as a measure of pupil
achievement.
Tests, curriculum and school status
| |
England |
Scotland |
Wales |
Northern Ireland |
| Specialist schools |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| Private companies allowed to set up state
schools |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Secondary league tables |
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
| Statutory curriculum |
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Primary literacy and numeracy strategies |
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
| National tests for 11-year-olds |
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Selective education |
Yes - in some areas
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
For a article from the TES on the differences in expected levels in literacy between Scotland and England, visit www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2460038
Summary of how education in Wales differs from England
- Pupils to learn Welsh from the age of five and can be taught through the medium of Welsh.
- No league tables - Primary league tables were never introduced and secondary ones were scrapped
- Parents entitled to information about schools' exam results from their schools or local education authority
- No national tests for seven-year-olds - those for 11 and 14-year-olds under review
- No education action zones
- No "fresh start" schools or privatised education authorities
- No prescribed literacy hour, although Estyn (inspectorate) provides guidance on good practice
- No Standards Fund bidding (the nearest equivalent, Grants for Education Support and Training, is principally driven by formula allocation)
- No centrally-funded behaviour units
- A foundation stage for three to seven-year-olds is being planned
- Special Educational Needs regional centres and an SEN tribunal for Wales are planned
- No advanced skills teachers
- Teachers pay threshold arrangements administered through the Leas rather than the private sector.
- Different national curriculum *(technology optional, Welsh compulsory)
- Different schemes of work
- No "naming and shaming"
- No whole LEA inspections - themed inspections instead (so far covering numeracy and literacy - showed councils' support for literacy and numeracy makes a difference)
- No tuition fees for students (in the planning stage)
- Primary children are being taught a foreign language from the age of seven in nearly 100 schools.
- Welsh baccalaureate piloted in 18 schools - including mandatory core of maths and English.
- No specialist schools or privately run city academies
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