• State education

  
  

  • State (government-funded) schooling typically starts around age 4 with infant school, followed by junior school at age 7 (the two schools may be combined to form a primary school).

    
    

  • State education continues with secondary school from 11-16.

    
    

  • The school year in the state sector runs from early September until late July.

    
    

  • State schools follow the standardised National Curriculum.

    
    

  • Further information on the state sector can be found on the Surrey County Council website, including a directory of schools here

    
    

  • School inspection reports are located on the Ofsted website




• Private education

  
  

  • Private (or 'independent', or 'public') schooling starts with pre-preparatory school and then preparatory (prep) school from age 7 (the two schools are often combined into one). Pupils progress to private secondary school at age 11 or 13.

    
    

  • Private schools typically offer GCSE and A-levels, though some are oriented towards the IB Diploma or U.S. Advanced Placement exams

    
    

  • The school year in the private sector is typically from early September until early July.

    
    

  • Independent school inspection reports can be found on the Independent Schools Inspectorate website; Ofsted also inspect some independent schools




• Key school exams

  
  

  • Key Stage 1 and 2 exams are taken in state schools at ages 7 and 11 respectively

    
    

  • Entrance exams for selective private schools (the Common Entrance Exam, or school-specific papers) are taken for entrance to private secondary schools at age 11 or 13

    
    

  • GCSEs: typically students take 8-10 GCSEs at age 16

    
    

  • A levels require two years of study and are split into several modules. Typically students take 3-4 A-levels, split into AS levels after the first year of study, and A2 exams after the second

    
    

  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is an alternative qualification




• Higher education

  
  

  • Universities in/near Surrey include:
    • Surrey University in Guildford
    • Royal Holloway, University of London in Englefield Green
    • Brunel University Runnymede Campus in Englefield Green
    • Kingston University
    • UCL space laboratory on Holmbury Hill

    
    

  • Details of university tuition fees can be found here.

  
  

• Other

  
  

  • Evening classes information from Surrey County Council.

    
    

  • Surrey University run evening language courses

    
    

  • 'Strategy into Practice' and 'Entrepreneurship Experience' talks are held at Kingston University Business School

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