SECONDARY BOARDING SCHOOLS, YEAR 9, GCSE YEARS 10 AND 11

Secondary school begins in Year 9 in the UK when students are 13 years old. During Year 9 there are no public examinations so it is an ideal time for international students to join and acclimatise before entering Year 10 and beyond. Year 10 sees the start of a two year course culminating in state examinations and qualifications called GCSE’s General Certificate of Secondary Education. Students will normally choose between 8-11 subjects at this level. Success at GCSE enables students to continue to A level or IB. 

THE SIXTH FORM AND UNIVERSITY PREPARATION A LEVELS OR IB 

Year 12 entry is the next available time to start a UK school after Year 10 and sees the start of preparation of university study. A levels are the traditional route to UK university and students start the 2 year course in year 12. At the end of Year 12 students sit for 3 or 4 AS level examinations. Students then continue onto Year 13 at the end of which they sit A levels in 3 or 4 subjects. The IB course is a broader curriculum with two languages as compulsory amongst a total of six subjects taken. Both A level and IB are recognised as an entry requirement to an undergraduate course at universities worldwide.

BOARDING SHCOOLS LIST