From the age of 3 many British children attend nursery school and by the age of 4 they may attend reception classes at a primary school. However, compulsory education does not begin until the child is 5, when he or she will attend primary school.
Primary schools are often divided into infant schools (for children aged 5 to 7) and junior schools (for pupils aged 7 to 11).
Public schools accept only British or European residents, with the exception of short-term student exchange programmes or when parents of overseas pupils temporarily live and work in the UK.
Schools in the private sector are known as preparatory schools (8 to 14 years old) or pre-preparatory schools (until 8 years old). These schools provide primary education as well but unlike public schools they accept overseas pupils.
