Information as of 18 September 2026. We work to keep it accurate, but details can change or contain errors. Always check the official websites for the latest, correct information.
Country guide: United Kingdom
A starting point for families looking at schools or universities in the UK, mainly England. It covers how year groups work, the main types of school, the exam route to university and the UCAS timeline for 2027 entry. Every figure comes from a government, exam body or university page and is linked to its source.
Lessons for students in the United Kingdom
UK year groups are set by date of birth, so it helps to work out your child's year before looking at schools.
In England, most children start Reception, the first year of primary school, in the September after their fourth birthday. Each year group therefore covers children born between 1 September and the following 31 August, and Year N is the year in which a child turns N+5.[3]
Families moving from Japanese schools should note that Japan groups children born from 2 April to the following 1 April. A child born between 2 April and 31 August is placed one year group higher in England than their Japanese classmates. Some examples for September 2026 to March 2027:[3][7][8]
State-funded schools include schools funded by the local authority, plus academies and free schools, which are run by not-for-profit academy trusts and are independent from the local authority. Grammar schools select pupils by academic ability and set an entrance test.[9][10]
Independent (private) schools and academies do not have to follow the national curriculum. In England, 6.3% of pupils attend independent schools (2025/26).[11][12]
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) counts 1,455 member schools with 526,611 pupils (January 2026). Of these pupils, 57,836 (11.0%) are boarders.[4]
Years 10–11 (Key Stage 4)
Years 12–13 (Sixth Form)
A-Level or IB Diploma
Most ISC pupils take A-Levels at the end of Year 13. Of 5,064 UK IB Diploma candidates in May 2025, 1,908 were at ISC schools.[4]
GCSEs are graded from 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest). GCSE maths is split into Higher and Foundation tiers, and the top grade available on Foundation is 5.[13][14]
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS, with two main deadlines depending on the course.
12 May 2026
UCAS applications open
Students can register and start their application in UCAS Hub.[1]
1 September 2026
Applications can be submitted to UCAS[18]
12–16 October 2026
October sitting of the UAT-UK tests (TMUA, ESAT, TARA)[19]
15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
Deadline for most other courses[1]
2 July 2027
Clearing opens[1]
Universities write A-Level requirements as three grades, such as A*AA, and IB requirements as a total score plus Higher Level scores, such as 39 points with 766 at HL. The university admissions page sets the two side by side.[20]
Each year group covers children born from 1 September to the following 31 August, and most children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. Year N is the year in which a child turns N+5.
For 2027 entry it is 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026. The same deadline applies to most medicine courses.
For 2027 entry, most courses have a deadline of 18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027.
The Child Student visa is only for independent schools and cannot be used for academies or local authority-funded schools. It covers ages 4 to 17.
The average boarding fee at ISC schools is £14,980 per term, excluding VAT (January 2026). VAT has applied to private school fees since 1 January 2025.
Planning to apply to UK universities and schools? Talk to Nansu Juku.
Tell us your year group, your subjects and grades, and where you want to study. We help you plan the scores, subjects and application steps. Consultations for families considering our courses are free.
Checked against each source on 2026-09-17. Entry requirements, deadlines and fees change every year, so always confirm with the official pages for the year you apply.
