Table Of ContentМинистерство образования и науки Российской Федерации
ФГБОУ ВПО «Ярославский государственный педагогический
университет им. К.Д. Ушинского»
Система образования Великобритании
Educational System of Great Britain
Учебно-методическое пособие
Ярославль
2014
УДК 801.1;801.7 Печатается по решению
ББК 81.432.1-923 редакционно-издательского совета
С 40 ЯГПУ им. К. Д. Ушинского
Рецензент:
кандидат педагогических наук, ст. преподаватель кафедры
английского языка ЯГПУ им. К. Д. Ушинского Ю.В. Слободская
Система образования Великобритании = Educational
С 40 System of Great Britain : учебно-методическое пособие /
сост. А.С. Журина, А.А. Мельникова, Е.В. Шляхтина. –
Ярославль : РИО ЯГПУ, 2014. – 31 с.
Пособие предназначено для аудиторной и
самостоятельной работы студентов III курса факультета
иностранных языков, изучающих английский как
дополнительную специальность. Его основная цель –
усовершенствовать навыки чтения и говорения на заданную
тему, а также познакомить с особенностями системы
образования Великобритании.
УДК 801.1;801.7
ББК 81.432.1-923
ФГБОУ ВПО «Ярославский
государственный педагогический
университет им. К. Д. Ушинского, 2014
© Журина А.С., Мельникова А.А.,
Шляхтина Е.В., составление, 2014
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Contents
Quiz................................................................................................4
Types of Schools in Britain.............................................................5
Elementary Education in Great Britain............................................8
Secondary Education in Great Britain............................................11
About School Exams.....................................................................13
Life at College and University.......................................................16
Types of university degrees...........................................................19
Discussion points..........................................................................23
College life in Britain....................................................................24
A Look at History..........................................................................25
Education Otherwise.....................................................................27
Topical Vocabulary.......................................................................29
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Quiz
What do you know about British education? Answer the
questions. Then check your answers with a partner.
1. In Great Britain children have to attend school between:
a) 5 and 16
b) 5 and 18
c) 7 and 16
2. Is primary school compulsory for children?
a) Yes
b) No
3. How are the stages of primary school called?
a) Selective and Infant schools
b) Infant and Junior schools
c) Nursery and Infant schools
4. A comprehensive school is....
a) a school of languages
b) a school for 5–11 year olds
c) a school for 11–16 year olds
5. Are comprehensive schools selective?
a) yes
b) no
6. What types of secondary school do you know?
a) comprehensive, grammar, public
b) nursery, grammar, public
c) preparatory, public, comprehensive
7. In 1989 a new National Curriculum was introduced into British
schools. Ten subjects had to be studied. Three of these subjects called
“core subjects” were chosen for special attention. Here are the ten
subjects to be studied. Which do you think are the ‘core subjects’?
a) English; b) History; c) Geography; d) Art; e) Science; f)
Mathematics; g) Foreign Language; h) Design and Technology;
i) Physical Education; j) Music.
8. What does ‘public school’ stand for?
a) state free school
b) private prestigious school
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9. Which mark is considered to mean ‘excellent’?
a) A
b) C
c) F
10. What is necessary to get a place at a university?
a) good A level results
b) good A level results and interview
c) good entrance exam results.
Now read the following texts and find out if you were right.
Text 1.
Types of Schools in Britain
Children's education in Britain is normally divided into two
separate stages. The first stage begins with primary education at the
age of five and usually lasts until they are eleven. Then they move to
secondary schools. There they stay until they reach sixteen, seventeen
or eighteen years of age.
The main categories of schools are:
1) local authority maintained schools (state schools). Free to all
children between the ages of 5-16;
2) independent schools (private or public schools). Parents pay for
their children's education.
Schools in England are supported from public funds paid to the
local education authorities, which are responsible for organizing the
schools in their areas.
Great Britain does not have a written constitution, so there are no
constitutional provisions for education. The system of education is
determined by the National Education Acts.
The school year in Britain is divided into terms, three months
each, named after seasons: autumn term, winter term and spring term.
The autumn term starts on the first Tuesday morning in September. In
July schools break up for eight weeks.
Classes of pupils in Britain are called «forms». Nearly all schools
work a five-day week and are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The
day starts at nine o’clock and finishes between three and four. The
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lunch break usually lasts about an hour-and-a-quarter. Nearly two-
thirds of pupils have lunch provided by the school. Parents pay for
this except for the 15 per cent who are rated poor enough and have it
for free. Other children either go home for lunch or take sandwiches.
What are the basic features of public education in Britain?
Firstly, there are wide variations between one part of the country
and another. For most educational purposes England and Wales are
treated as one unit, though the system in Wales is a little different
from that of England. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own
education systems.
Another important feature of schooling in Britain is the variety of
opportunities offered to schoolchildren. The English school syllabus
is divided into Arts and Sciences, which determine the division of the
secondary school pupils into study groups: a Science pupil will study
Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Technical Drawing,
Biology, Geography; an Art pupil will do English Language,
Literature, History, Foreign Languages, Music, Art and Drama.
Besides these subjects they must do some general education subjects
like Physical Education, Home Economics for girls, and Technical
subjects for boys, General Science. Computers play an important part
in education. The system of options exists in all kinds of secondary
schools.
Parents are expected to make sure that their child has a pen, pencil,
ruler etc. but the cost of other more specialised equipment, books,
examination fees are covered by the school.
Pupils at many secondary schools in Britain have to wear a school
uniform. This usually means a white blouse for girls (perhaps with a
tie), with a dark-colored skirt and a pullover. Boys wear a shirt and a
tie, dark trousers and dark-colored pullovers. Pupils also wear blazers
– a kind of jacket with the school badge on the pocket. Shoes are
usually black or brown. And no high heels! Parents are expected to
pay for their child's school uniform and items of sports wear. Charges
may also be made for music lessons and for board and lodgings on
residential trips. Schools may ask for voluntary contributions for
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school time activities – but no pupil may be left out of an activity if
their parents or guardian cannot or do not contribute.
Education in Britain is not solely concentrated on academic study.
Great value is placed on visits and activities like organizing the
school club or field trips, which are educational in a more general
sense. The organization of these activities by teachers is very much
taken for granted in the British school system. Some teachers give up
their free time, evenings and weekends to do this ‘unpaid’ work. At
Christmas teachers organize concerts, parties and general festivities.
Around 30% of the 18 to 19 olds enter full-time higher education.
The formal entry requirements to most degree courses are two A-
levels at grade E or above. In practice, most offers of places require
qualifications in excess of this.
I. Answer the questions.
1. At what age do British children go to school?
2. What are the main categories of schools? How do they differ
from each other?
3. When does the school year start in Britain?
4. Do British students wear a school uniform? What is it like?
5. What are important features of schooling in Britain?
6. What are the National Curriculum subjects in Britain?
7. What extracurricular activities do pupils have?
II Match the nouns with their meanings
1. maintained school a. a school that is neither financed nor
controlled by the government or local
authorities
2. guardian b. each of the periods in the year,
alternating with holidays or vacations,
during which instruction is given in a
school, college, or university
3. independent school c. a rented room or rooms in which to live,
esp. in another person's house
4. contribution d. a person who is legally responsible for
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the care of someone who is unable to
manage their own affairs, especially a child
whose parents have died
5. equipment e. the subjects in a course of study or
teaching
6. compulsory f. money regularly paid to a school or
similar institution for continuing services
7. term g. a school financially supported by the
state
8. fees h. a payment to a common fund
9. syllabus i. required by law or a rule, obligatory
10. lodging j. the necessary items for a particular
purpose
III. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with suitable words/ word
combinations.
1. The majority of pupils receive free education in _____ _____ .
However, 7% of pupils attend _____ _____.
2. School starts at about _____ and finishes at about _____.
3. The system of education is determined by _____ _____ _____.
4. Parents are expected to pay for _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____.
5. The formal entry requirements to most degree courses are
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____.
Text 2.
Elementary Education in Great Britain
Before school, many children attend pre-schools, day nurseries,
nursery schools or nursery classes attached to primary or infant
schools. Children from birth to five years of age are in the Early
Years Foundation Stage. This is recognized as a separate stage of
learning, laying the foundations for when children begin more formal
education. There is an emphasis on learning through active play, with
children encouraged to build on their individual needs and interests.
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Children in Britain are expected to begin full-time education in the
term following their fifth birthday. In practice, most schools take
children earlier. Many schools have only one intake, in September,
and all children who will turn five during the school year will start
together. This means that if your child is born in August, they will be
just four when they start school, while a child with a September
birthday will be almost five.
The first year of full-time school for four to five year olds is called
Reception. After a year (or less with staggered intakes) in Reception,
children move into Year 1, then move up a year group each year.
What can get confusing for parents is that many schools have
different class numbers as well. Each child moves up a year group
every year, as this is a standard national system. Schools can arrange
classes in any way they want, and many, especially smaller schools,
will have mixed age classes, so that a child can move up a year group
in September, but stay in the same class for another year.
The final year of junior or primary school for most children is
Year 6, and the first year of secondary school is Year 7.
In a few areas in England, instead of infant (4 to 7 year olds) and
junior (7 to 11) or primary (4 to 11), followed by secondary school
(11 to 16/18), there is a system of lower, middle and upper schools.
Lower schools are usually for 4/5 to 9 year olds, middle schools for 9
to 13 year olds and upper schools for 13 to 18 year olds.
In addition to year groups, schooling is divided up into key stages.
The table below shows which key stages are there in the schooling
system.
Ages and stages
Stage Child’s Age Year Groups School
Early Years 0 to 5 Reception for Pre-School, Day
Foundation age 4-5 Nursery, Nursery
Stage School, Infant or
Primary
Key Stage 1 5 to 7 Year 1 and 2 Infant or Primary
Key Stage 2 7 to 11 Year 3, 4, 5 Junior or Primary
and 6
9
Key Stage 3 11 to 14 Year 7, 8 and 9 Secondary
Key Stage 4 14 to 16 Year 10 and 11 Secondary
I. Answer the questions.
1. When do children go to nursery school? How long do they
stay there?
2. When do they start primary school? What is the main
difference between pre-school and primary school?
3. What is the name of the first year of full-time school for four
to five year olds?
4. What stages does primary school consist of?
5. When do children leave primary school?
II. Explain the meaning of the word combinations.
Day nurseries, intake, mixed age classes, key stages, move up,
arrange classes.
III. Match the words with their definitions.
1. intake a. care for children provided by either the
government, an organization or a person, while
parents are at work or are absent for another reason
2. move up b. the particular importance or attention that you
give to something
3. to arrange c. a school in the UK for children who are seven to
eleven years old
4. key stage d. the number of people that are accepted at a
particular time by an organization, especially a
college or university
5. childcare e. to plan, prepare for, or organize something
6. day nursery f. a school for children who are younger than five
years old
7. junior g. to make something certain to happen
8. emphasis h. to start to do something better, especially in
sports, in a way that is easy to see
9. pre-school i. a stage of the state education system in England,
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