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TheSchoolRun.com closure date

As we informed you a few months ago, TheSchoolRun has had to make the difficult decision to close due to financial pressures and the company has now ceased trading. We had hoped to keep our content available through a partnership with another educational provider, but this provider has since withdrawn from the agreement.

As a result, we now have to permanently close TheSchoolRun.com. However, to give subscribers time to download any content they’d like to keep, we will keep the website open until 31st July 2025. After this date, the site will be taken down and there will be no further access to any resources. We strongly encourage you to download and save any resources you think you may want to use in the future.

In particular, we suggest downloading:

You should already have received 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep. If you haven’t received these, please contact us at [email protected] before 31st July 2025, and we will send them to you.

We are very sorry that there is no way to continue offering access to resources and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.

An overview of the English education system

England flag
A parents' guide to the key stages and assessments within the structure of the education system in England.

In England, children ages 5-16 must be in full-time education, but the education structure begins at age 3-4 with Nursery. Children will enter primary school at age 4-5, then secondary school at age 11-12. The age of a child on 1 September determines when they need to start school.

All maintained schools (most state schools) in England follow the National Curriculum, which lays out learning targets, essential and optional subjects, and an assessment strategy for school years 1-11. This includes four National Curriculum Tests (NCTs), which are more commonly known by their former name, SATs (Standard Attainment Tests).

The four divisions are called Key Stages – Key Stage 1 SATs may be administered at the end of Year 2, but these are optional, and Key Stage 2 SATs at the end of Year 6. Students in Key Stage 3 are not given a series of exams, but are continually assessed by their teachers throughout years 7-9. Key Stage 4 ends with students taking General Certificate of Secondary Education exams (GCSEs).

Students are not required to stay in school after completing Key Stage 4. However, young people must be in education or training until the age of 18. They may go on to sixth form (Years 12-13) if they choose to. They will be eligible to take A-levels during this time, as well as BTEC qualifications.
 

Age during school yearEngland and Wales:
National Curriculum (plus Foundation Phase in Wales)
Northern Ireland:
Northern Ireland Curriculum
Scotland:
Curriculum for Excellence
4-5ReceptionYear 1(Nursery)
5-6Year 1Year 2P1
6-7Year 2Year 3P2
7-8Year 3Year 4P3
8-9Year 4Year 5P4
9-10Year 5Year 6P5
10-11Year 6Year 7P6
11-12Year 7Year 8P7
12-13Year 8Year 9S1
13-14Year 9Year 10S2
14-15Year 10Year 11S3
15-16Year 11Year 12S4
                         A-Levels and SCE Highers – not compulsory
16-17Year 12Year 13S5
17-18Year 13Year 14S6