Although the United Kingdom is a single nation it is actually made up of several countries which are united. Some aspects of government are devolved to these countries, which means there are differences between their educational policies. This is particularly true of Scotland, where there are some significant differences.
For the purposes of this summary the system of education used in England will be explained, since this represents the majority of the population.
The English education system consists of 5 main stages:
Stage 1 — Primary Education (5 to 13 years old)
Stage 2 — Secondary Education (11 to 16 years old)
Stage 3 — Further Education (after 16 years old)
Stage 4 — Higher Education
Stage 5 — Postgraduate Education
