An overview of the Northern Irish educational system

Education in Northern Ireland is similar to the structure set up in England, with a few key differences.

For instance, the age of a child on 1 July determines when they need to start school, whereas in England and Wales it is 1 September. Also, all Northern Irish schools follow the Northern Ireland Curriculum, which is based on the National Curriculum used in England and Wales. This became statutory across all key stages during the 2009/2010 academic year.

Primary school students do not take Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests (Standard Attainment Tests, or SATs). Students in secondary school do take General Certificate of Secondary Education exams (GCSEs) during year 12, and have the choice to continue on to years 13 and 14 to take A-levels, or the more vocationally-centred Advanced Level exams.

During the autumn term, students in years 4-7 are given computer-based assessments in numeracy and literacy (InCAS tests). Teachers assign levels to students at the end of Key Stage 1 (year 4) and Key Stage 2 (year 7) based on how they perform in the general Cross-Curricular Skills of Communication, Using Mathematics and Using IT. These match the National Curriculum levels in that students should be at Level 2 by the end of Key Stage 1, and at level 4 by the end of Key Stage 2.