4 minute read
The End of Primary Education
THENEXTSTEP
Is your child nearing the end of their primary education? If they are, then secondary school awaits and Sara Whatley has been considering the options available for their next step
There are many considerations to take into account when the time comes for parents and children to choose their secondary education. These might include location, funding, sibling attendance, religion, and the aptitude of the child themselves.
Does your child favour the academic subjects and thrive from book learning or are they more inclined to splash around the paints and glue gun? Does your child possess a natural gift for music, languages or sports? Perhaps they are never happier than when tinkering with nuts and bolts, making great creations? Maybe they are a solid all-rounder, happy to try their hand at anything; or perhaps they need more help in certain places and would benefit from a special environment.
Whatever your child’s natural proclivity, there will be a secondary school out there to suit them and take them on the next step of their educational journey.
There are many different secondary school options available, and below I have listed some of them.
STATE SCHOOLS The government funds most state secondary schools and many of them follow the national curriculum (KS3 and KS4). State secondary schools are routinely inspected by Ofsted or other bodies to ensure a high standard of schooling. The four most common state schools are: 1 Community schools – sometimes called local authority maintained schools. These follow the national
curriculum and are not affiliated with a particular religion or business, and are funded by the government and local authority. 2 Foundation and voluntary schools – still funded by the local authority but these schools have more choice in the way they do things, although they still have to follow the national curriculum. 3 Academies and free schools – funded by, but run independently from the local authority, by a not-for-profit academy trust such as a charitable body. These schools can follow a different curriculum. 4 Grammar schools – free to attend but choose their pupils based on their academic ability. An 11+ entrance exam needs to be taken, but places can also be offered on special merit to pupils with a particular aptitude for languages, sports, music or other subjects. These schools follow a similar curriculum to the national curriculum but give more weight to the academic subjects.
There are of course other types of state school available which include: 5 Special schools – for special educational needs. Specialising in different categories dependent on your child’s individual needs. These schools are funded by the government and free for pupils to attend.
6 City technology colleges – specialising in practical and technical subjects. These schools are owned and funded by business as well as government and are free for pupils to attend. The teaching emphasis in these schools is science and technology. 7 Faith schools – have to follow the national curriculum but have the freedom to teach whatever they like for religious education. They are government funded and free to attend.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private schools, also known as independent schools, are not funded by government and charge a fee for pupils to attend. They do not have to follow the national curriculum. They must be registered with the government
and undergo regular inspections. Some private schools are open to children of all abilities, while some offer places to the highest achievers, which might be based on an entrance exam, such as a Common Entrance exam. Many schools offer bursaries and scholarships to pupils who have the talent but not the financial means to pay for private education.
The change from primary to secondary education can be a daunting, and exciting prospect for a child. They may be moving away from their friendship group and will be meeting and making new friends in a new and likely bigger environment.
Naturally, around this time children will start to become independent from their parents, and their peer relationships will become ever increasingly important. It may be a good idea to keep checking in with your child as they transition through this period to reassure them that they are not alone in their feelings and there are many people to talk to if things get difficult for them.
Often the thought of big changes is much more scary than the reality. If your child can boldly take this next step they will be on their way to greater things. l
Bright and Brilliant
Emily Stone
© Easy2name
Emily Stone
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Hollie Bright
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