Building skills in Education

The 11+ is an entrance exam used to identify children who are suited to a secondary school that is more academically challenging. The exam is used by state-funded grammar schools, academies that use selective exams, and independent schools. It’s taken when your child is at the end of Year 5 or in Year 6. The 11+ can be taken in your child’s primary school, their chosen secondary school, or at a local test centre.

In England, Key Stage 2 (KS2) is the term used to refer to the second stage of a child’s primary education. It includes the class years 3, 4, 5 and 6. Children are typically aged between 7 and 11 years old in KS2. At the end of KS2, children are asked to take national tests (commonly referred to as SATs), in order to assess their progress in English and maths. In total, the tests are 4 hours long and results are received in July. Although SATs are used mostly to compare the performance of different schools, they are also used by secondary schools to group children by ability. So, there’s an incentive for your KS2 child to perform well.

Key Stage 3 (commonly abbreviated as KS3) is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14. In Northern Ireland the term also refers to the first three years of secondary education. 

The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales and Northern Island, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. However private schools in Scotland often choose to follow the English GCSE system.

Each GCSE qualification is offered in a specific school subject provided by several examination boards, such as English literature, English language, mathematics, science, history, geography, art and design, design and technology, business studies, classical civilisation, drama, music and foreign languages.