For details of education in each country, see: In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, ranked the overall knowledge and skills of British 15-year-olds as 13th in the world in reading, literacy, mathematics, and science.
[8] In 2014, the country spent 6.6% of its GDP on all levels of education – 1.4 percentage points above the OECD average of 5.2%.
The fifth stage, higher education, is study beyond A-levels or BTECs (and their equivalent) which, for most full-time students, takes place in HEIs such as universities and colleges.
[14] Following devolution in 1999, the Welsh Government took responsibility for education in Wales and the curriculum began to differ from that of England.
The sixth form is one type of FE, which includes post-16 study that is undertaken after completing GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
British higher education is valued around the globe for its quality and rigorous academic standards.
As with the GCSE, students who sit for the exam choose the subjects and the number of advanced examinations.
[23] WES awards undergraduate credit based on the nature and number of subjects passed.
Each university has their own set of admission policies and the minimum entry requirements for each particular higher education programme that they offer.
Major provider of vocational qualifications in the United Kingdom include the City and Guilds of London Institute and Edexcel.
Trades apprentices receive paid wages during training and spend one day at school and the rest in the workplace to hone their skills.
They are intended to provide the knowledge and experience needed for learners to progress to skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.
[30][31] The inequality gap as of 2015 is closing with more students in good or outstanding schools from all social backgrounds.
[32] A 2016 report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission said that racial inequality exists in the Great Britain education system.