UK Education

 The education system in the UK is divided into four main parts: primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education. TutorExtra’s tutors and trainers cover all the types of grades, GCSEs, A Levels, Degrees and other qualifications currently on offer in the UK. Besides this, there are a multitude of extracurricular subjects and skills on offer.

 If your child (or yourself) is struggling with Science, English or Maths (career-wise, essential subjects to get a good grade in) then TutorExtra is the site for you. You can choose at what level and in what subjects you need tutoring but you need to be aware that certain subjects, at certain times of year are going to be more in demand. A Level Maths is always going to be one that stands out!

 The National Curriculum provides a framework for education in England and Wales between the ages of 5 and 18. Though not compulsory, it's followed by most state schools, but some private schools, academies, free schools and home educators design their own curricula. In Scotland, the nearest equivalent is the Curriculum for Excellence programme, and in Northern Ireland there's the common curriculum. The Scottish qualifications are similar to the English Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced Level (A2) courses.

GCSEs, A Levels, Degrees

 There's no limit to improving one’s education and, while it doesn’t have to be about gaining qualifications, there's no doubt that achieving educational goals adds to one’s self-esteem, and indeed will give access to better job prospects.

 Students usually take at least five GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in Key Stage 4. Schools are encouraged to offer a pathway that leads to qualification for the English Baccalaureate, requiring GCSEs in English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, two science GCSEs, a modern or ancient language, and either History or Geography. Over time, the range of subjects offered, regulations, content, format and grading of GCSE examinations has altered considerably. Subjects have been added and adapted, various new subjects are available in modern and ancient languages, expressive arts and citizenship courses.

 From 2017 in England (and in Wales and Northern Ireland on qualifications from the English boards), some GCSEs are now assessed on a 9-point scale, using numbers from 9 to 1, and, as before, a U (unclassified) grade for achievement below the minimum pass mark. 9 is the highest grade, and is set above the former A* classification, equivalent to the new Northern Irish A* grade. The former C grade is set at Grade 4, with Grade 5 being considered a “good pass”.

The tier system

At foundation tier, the Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are available, and at the higher tier Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are the targets.

The five examination boards:

• Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
• Pearson Edexcel
• Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC or CBAC)
• Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA) - The examining board and regulator for Northern Ireland.

 The examination boards operate under the supervision of Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales, and the CCEA in Northern Ireland.

A Levels

 Normally (over two years), students take between three and five A Levels in their first year of sixth form, and many go down to three in their second year. This is largely because university offers are normally based on three A Levels. They have no specific subject requirements, so students can combine any subjects they wish to take. However, students normally pick their courses based on the degree they wish to pursue.

 A Levels in England are currently being reformed, transitioning from a modular to linear structure, so that all A Level exams are taken in one sitting. There's less emphasis on coursework, in some cases reducing the amount of coursework to 20% from 40%. Additionally, A Levels are no longer separated into units, and students must resit all of their exams if they wish to resit the qualification. The AS Level is now a separate qualification and is not required for an A Level but still uses the first year of the full A Level content award. They are now worth only 40% UCAS points as a full A Level is considered more academically challenging than that of the first year.

 Various A Level courses have been abolished recently. These include Archaeology, Anthropology, Creative Writing, Critical Thinking, General Studies and Home Economics among others. This has been controversial so some parts of the UK, Wales and Northern Ireland have maintained the modular structure to their qualifications.

The five main examination boards which administer British A Levels in the UK are:

• Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
• Edexcel (Edexcel Pearson for London Examinations)
• Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC)
• Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA)

Degree Level

 An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of their course of study in higher education. Colleges and universities offer degrees at various levels, including bachelors, masters and doctorates, often alongside other academic certificates and professional degrees. There are nine qualification levels:

Entry level

Each entry-level qualification is available at three sub-levels – 1, 2 and 3, entry level 3 being the most difficult.

Entry level qualifications are:

• Award
• Certificate (ELC)
• Diploma
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• Essential skills
• Functional skills
• Skills for life

Level 1

Qualifications:

• First certificate
• GCSE – grades 3, 2, 1 or grades D, E, F, G
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• ESOL
• Essential skills
• Functional skills
• National vocational qualification (NVQ)
• Music grades 1, 2 and 3

Level 2

Qualifications:

• CSE – Grade 1
• GCSE – Grades 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or Grades A*, A, B, C
• Intermediate apprenticeship
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• ESOL
• Essential skills
• Functional skills
• National certificate
• National diploma
• NVQ
• Music Grades 4 and 5
• O level – Grade A, B or C

Level 3

Qualifications:

• A Level
• Access to higher education diploma
• Advanced apprenticeship
• Applied general
• AS Level
• International Baccalaureate diploma
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• ESOL
• National certificate
• National diploma
• NVQ
• Music Grades 6, 7 and 8
• Tech level

Level 4

Qualifications:

• Certificate of higher education (Cert HE)
• Higher apprenticeship
• Higher National Certificate (HNC)
• Level 4 award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• NVQ

Level 5

Qualifications:

• Diploma of higher education (Dip HE)
• Foundation degree
• Higher National Diploma (HND)
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• NVQ

Level 6

Qualifications:

• Degree apprenticeship
• Degree with honours – for example BA (Hons), BSc (Hons)
• Certificate
• Diploma
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• NVQ
• Ordinary degree without honours

Level 7

Qualifications:

• Integrated master’s degree, for example Master of Engineering (MEng)
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma
• NVQ
• Master’s degree, for example Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc)
• Postgraduate certificate
• Postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)
• Postgraduate diploma

Level 8

Qualifications:

• Doctorate, for example Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil)
• Award
• Certificate
• Diploma