Education in Birmingham
School starts from age 4 or 5 in the UK. Before this, children attend nursery.
The first year at school is referred to as the ‘reception year’. The following year the cohort is called Year 1 and so on.
At the end of Year 6 (age 10 or 11) the children take tests, called SATs Tests, to measure their educational achievement.
In the majority of cases, the children then move to a different school for their secondary education. At the end of Year 9 the children choose their options – the subjects they want to continue studying towards the final GCSE exams, which they take when they are 16.
At this point teenagers can leave school to go to college or stay at school to study A-levels, which are the usual route to getting a place at University. Alternatively they can start and apprenticeship or a job.
Finding a Place For Your Child
When you know where you will be living in Birmingham, you should do an internet search for schools nearest to you. The average class size in a school in the UK is between 20 and 30 children. Because of this, schools have a limit how many pupils can be admitted each year. You may not be able to get a place in the school nearest to where you live, so you should have more than one option.
There is a dedicated education officer at Refugee Action, who will help you deal with this process.
Information on Finding a School Place
The Education Hub – A Government site with Ukrainian translation.
Contact us if you need advice or support in North Birmingham