Types of School

What sort of a school is this?

Taking it further

Want to find out more about the UK education system? Why explore our weblinks.

Investing in futures

There's more to working in the learning sector than just teaching - explore the range of careers in education.

20,000 leagues, but what do we see?

Everybody agrees that standards in education should be the highest. Trouble is, nobody agrees about how such a goal should be achieved. It's time for debate.

Related programme

School Day

There's any number of different types of school, and working out the difference between, say, a Middle School and a Junior School isn't always easy. We've prepared a simple guide to the various species of school currently active in the UK:

School type		Age range	Description
Pre-school	Nurseries	0-5	All-day care, but not specifically education. May be run by local authorities, voluntary organisations, private companies, individuals or employers.
	Nursery school	2-4	Often run by volunteer committees.
	Nursery classes	2-4	Often run by primary schools.
Infant/primary Primary	Primary Junior/Primary	4-7 4-11 7-11	Manage own funds from government, with some LEA support for special needs. The money the school receives is directly related to the number of children on roll.
Secondary	Secondary	11-16 11-19	Manage own funds from government, with some LEA support for special needs. The money the school receives is directly related to the number of children on roll.
	Comprehensive		Take any child, and some give priority to pupils from feeder (primary) schools.
	Grammar		Select their pupils on the basis of test results.
	Modern		Secondary schools for those not selected for grammar schools.
	Community		Funded, maintained and controlled by LEAs; likely to open their facilities to the local community outside lesson times.
	County		Funded, maintained and controlled by the LEA.
	First	4-8	This is the first tier of schools in a three-tier system used in a few areas.
	Middle	8-11 or 9-12	This is the second tier of schools in a three-tier system used in a few areas.
	Foundation		State schools funded and run by the LEA which pays for any building work, while the school retains control over admissions, staff employment, land and buildings.
	Self-governing		Scottish schools that receive funding direct from government.
	College of Further Education (Sixth-Form College)	16+	Manage own funds from government, with some LEA support for special needs.
	Church/single-faith (primary or secondary), Voluntary-aided or Voluntary-controlled	5-18	Follow the religious principles of a particular faith, but open to children of all faiths. Manage own funds from government, a foundation, with some LEA support for special needs.
	City Technology Colleges or City Colleges for the Technology of the Arts	11-18	Independent, all-ability, non-fee-paying, innovative schools; funded by government, with emphasis on science and technology.
Other	Academies		Innovative, all-ability schools, set up by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups working alongside government and LEAs in areas of disadvantage. DFES description
	Beacon schools		Schools identified as examples of successful practice that offer advice, training and support to other schools and teachers. DFES description
	Specialist schools		Funded by government and private-sector sponsors. Have a specialisation in a chosen subject area but must meet National Curriculum requirements. DFES description
	Training schools		Schools judged to offer excellent teacher training, that act as a resource for other schools.
	Federations		Collaborative groups, partnerships and clusters of schools and educational providers working together to develop good practice. DFES description
	Special schools	2-18	Segregated settings for children described as having learning, physical, behavioural or emotional difficulties.
	Pupil Referral Units (PRU)		Set up to provide education for excluded pupils and others who are out of school.
	Independent, Pre-schools Playgroups, Kindergarten, Montessori, Steiner, Public, Preparatory, Private	0-18	A wide variety of owners. Some are run as businesses, some as charities. They do not have to follow the National Curriculum. Many draw on the beliefs and theories of an individual educationalist. The Independent Schools Council Information Service (ISCis) has more information