In the UK, a grammar school is a secondary school attended by pupils aged 11 to 18, whose entrance is controlled by an academically selective process consisting largely or exclusively of written tests. The exact boundaries between primary and secondary education vary, but are generally between the seventh and tenth years of education, with secondary schools filling the gap. [Sources: 0]

Once a student has left high school, he can continue his education through a secondary school. General Education Certificate Advanced Level (better known as GCE level) is the school-leaving qualification offered by the National Education Service (NES) and the Department for Education (DfE). [Sources: 0, 4]

This qualification was introduced in the 1990s and replaces the higher education certificate and is offered as part of the more frequent higher education diplomas. The primary school consists of a preparatory school year (grades 1-5 and 6), known in England and Wales as the “reception.” The final exam is taken at the end of primary school, traditionally referred to as sixth grade. [Sources: 0, 4]

An important area of compulsory education is high school, also known as “elementary school” or “pre-school” in the US, and is attended from the age of 6 to 12. Today, schools that only have young pupils are called primary schools and they are usually attended at the same time as secondary schools. [Sources: 0]

But in the second third of the twentieth century, high schools and elementary schools were grades 1 through 8, and secondary schools had to fit somewhere in between. The school was designed to match the abilities of each child, so that a grammar school was suitable for academics who wanted to go to university, while a technical school was suitable for those who wanted to pursue a profession. Back then, there were two types of secondary schools in the United States: high schools and technical schools. [Sources: 0, 1]

The children took eleven exams in the final year of primary school and then attended one of three secondary schools based on their performance in those exams. [Sources: 1]

The system was slightly different in Britain, with the academy schools being secondary schools and primary schools being secondary schools. [Sources: 1]

In Northern Ireland, the 1947 Education Act led to the construction of more grammar schools, but in Wales they were gradually abolished in the late 1970s. The law was introduced in 1997, when a new Labour government was elected, and allowed residents in areas where there were no secondary schools to vote to abolish local grammar schools. This law remained in force until 2008, when the 11 tests expired. [Sources: 1]

High school areas are considered high school areas and are shown in red throughout, with red dots indicating isolated high schools. The GCSE results for education and grammar schools identify the “G-level” group in England. There are no remaining grammar schools in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England, but there are still some in Wales. [Sources: 3]

The remnants of the tripartite system exist in the counties where they still exist, with eleven in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales and four in Scotland. [Sources: 3]

Over time, many politicians and educators felt that the system was not fair to fewer academic children. Some grammar schools felt they were being biased by local education authorities and funding. So in the 1960s, the then Labour government decided to introduce a comprehensive education system. The idea was to abolish the tripartite school system and introduce a “more comprehensive” system in which all children were treated fairly and were to attend the same type of secondary school. [Sources: 1]

The name “Eleven” is derived from the age group of children who take the exam, which is 10-11 years old. These children sat the 11 tests to see if they would go to secondary school and, if so, who would take them for the exams. [Sources: 1, 2]

But these days this is only possible in areas of Britain where selective schools exist. Secondary schools are divided into three main groups: selective, non-selective and selective. The exam is taken in the first year of secondary school, usually between the ages of 10 and 11. [Sources: 2]

The results determine whether your child attends a selective, state or private school. Factors that influence the choice of school for children from abroad are the number of teachers, the quality of the school and the level of education available to them. [Sources: 2, 5]

The academic year in the UK begins and ends on the same day as the rest of the world, with the exception of Australia and New Zealand. Education systems and school options vary, but parents from abroad should note that state-funded schools, private schools and public schools are often the best choice for the school in the city you want to live in, and also for your child. [Sources: 5]

Sources:

[0]: https://www.learnenglish.de/culture/educationculture.html

[1]: http://www.the11pluswebsite.co.uk/history-of-the-11/

[2]: https://londonbestschools.com/eng/eleven-plus-common-entrance-and-other-exams-in-primary-school/

[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleven-plus

[4]: https://wenr.wes.org/2014/02/a-guide-to-the-gce-a-level

[5]: https://www.expatarrivals.com/europe/united-kingdom/education-and-schools-united-kingdom

Every Day Test – 11+ Exams In The United Kingdom