How does scottish education system work

The table below shows approximate equivalents between primary school years in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Years S1 to S4 are mandatory; S5 and S6 are optional. Because Scottish year groups don't correspond exactly to year groups in the rest of the UK, it's more useful to think about when qualifications are sat. S4 is roughly equivalent to Year S5 is roughly equivalent to Year This is the penultimate year of school education.

S6 is the final year of school, equivalent to Year More like this. Primary school assessment in Scotland explained. Primary literacy glossary for parents. Video: Handwriting development stages explained for parents. Primary numeracy glossary for parents. Find out more about the changes to unit assessments on Education Scotland's website.

Home Policies Schools. Choose section Overview Latest Policy actions School curriculum and qualifications Pupil attainment: closing the gap National Improvement Framework NIF Teachers School buildings Devolved school management Digital learning and teaching Health and wellbeing in schools Additional support for learning Children missing from education Education reform Policy actions 1 of School curriculum and qualifications The Curriculum for Excellence CfE is the national curriculum used from nursery to secondary school.

CfE is intended to foster four capacities in all young people: successful learners confident individuals responsible citizens effective contributors Education Scotland oversee the implementation of the curriculum. Subject initiatives We have identified curriculum areas which have specific initiatives and programmes to support learning. Science, technology, engineering and maths STEM We are improving learning in the STEM subjects so that children and young people have opportunities to gain knowledge and skills and ultimately help grow the economy.

Literacy and numeracy Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Literacy and numeracy initiatives include: Read, Write, Count This campaign gives parents of children in P1 to P3 access to a range of hints, tips and advice to help them support their child's literacy and numeracy learning in those crucial early years of primary school.

Find out more: First Minister's Reading Challenge Making maths count This initiative aims to transform attitudes to maths so that its value is seen as an essential skill for every career. Find out more: Transforming Scotland into a maths positive nation Making maths count blog Sustainability Learning for sustainability is a cross-curricular approach to build a socially just, sustainable and equitable society.

Languages: Gaelic, Scots and other languages Find out more in the languages section of this website. This follows recommendations made in a report from the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group , Qualifications Under the curriculum, all young people in Scotland have an entitlement to a senior phase of education this is roughly from age 15 or S4 onwards. National qualifications and awards National qualifications in Scotland are called: National 1 to 5 Higher Advanced Higher Scottish Baccalaureate A range of vocational and skills related qualificatons and awards are also available.

Unit assessments - reducing the over assessment burden Units are blocks of work that are taught throughout the year where young people are assessed at each block.

Related information Education Scotland - curriculum areas Education Scotland - national qualifications Education Scotland - senior phase young people: training and employment colleges universities.

Pupil attainment: closing the gap. Was this helpful? Your feedback will help us improve this site Feedback type Yes No Yes, but. Choose a reason for your feedback Please select a reason It wasn't detailed enough It's hard to understand It's incorrect It needs updating There's a broken link It wasn't what I was looking for Other Please select a reason It needs updating There's a spelling mistake It's hard to understand There's a broken link Other.

However, new legislation has meant that this is due to increase up to 1, hours by the year Dependant on when in the year a child's birthday falls, children will attend primary school for seven years between the ages of five and Dependant on when in the year a child's birthday falls, children will attend primary school for up to six years between the ages of 12 and These schools cover all stages of education, from nursery through to secondary school.

Find out more about registering with a school at mygov. Find out more about boarding schools in Scotland at scotlandsboardingschools. Colleges in Scotland are distinct from universities and provide a range of courses varying from vocational to fast-track degree entry from the age of 16 upwards. Find out more about colleges in Scotland at collegesscotland.

Scotland is home to more world-class universities per capita than almost anywhere else in the world and has the highest concentration of universities in Europe. Find out more about universities in Scotland. Learn more. Home Live Scottish Education and School