Education

Education

Welcome to the education advice pages. Below is some key information about education in England.  Please click one of the links on the left to navigate to the further information.

Education in England is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 - 16. 

Compulsory education lasts for 11 years; statutory schooling ages are between 5 and 16 years. Children are legally required to start attending school at the start of the term after their fifth birthday either on 31 August, 31 December or 31 March.

Parents/guardians will be help responsible for any child not attending school. 

Children's education in England is normally divided into two separate stages:
• Primary education, for children aged five to eleven.
• Secondary education, for children aged eleven to sixteen, seventeen or eighteen.

1996 Education Act of the UK
Section 7 of the 1996 Education Act states:
"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable-
(a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and
(b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."

Education is free for all children from 5 to 18.
The majority of pupils in England (about 94 per cent) receive free education from government-run state schools. Some (about 6 per cent) choose to attend independent fee paying schools.