FAQs

Primary School is for all children, for ages 4/5 to 10/11, when they enter Secondary School.

In the UK, Primary education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16.

Here’s a useful quick read about each stage of education on gov.uk

State-funded Primary Schools are available to all children, and anyone can apply to independent Pre-Prep Schools.

Here’s a useful quick read about the Types of School on this website.

Children enter Primary School at the age of 4 or 5, depending on the region and their birthday.

Here’s a useful quick read about How to Apply to Primary Schools and the Schools Applications Calendar on this website.

By law in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, Infant class size must not exceed 30 pupils in a state-funded Primary School. There is currently no specific limit set on Junior class sizes.

Scottish law sets the following limits: P1, 25 children, P2 and P3, 30 children, P4–P7, 33 children.

Class sizes in independent schools are significantly smaller.

Except for some faith schools and some schools in Northern Ireland, all UK state-funded Primary Schools are co-ed.

Some independent schools do offer single-sex education, particularly those with direct connections to single-sex Secondary Schools.

State-funded Primary Schools and Grammar Schools in the UK are required to follow a curriculum set by the respective government.

Here’s a useful quick read about the Primary Years Curriculum in your region, where you can learn about the subjects being taught and link to your government’s webpages with more detail.

All children in UK state-funded Primary Schools will sit statutory assessments twice in the course of their Priamry schooling.

In Wales, each school sets its own exams.

The examination timings differ in each nation so here’s a useful quick read about Statutory Assessments and Entrance Exams on this website, including region-specific details.

Homework demands will increase gradually over the years, from 15 minutes per day in Year 1, to approximately 45 minutes per day for Year 6 pupils.

Pupils in selective prep-schools, assuming the school is academically driven, will be setting more homework than a state Primary School. This is because they assume many (or all) of their pupils will sit the 11+ at competitive schools, and therefore need greater preparation.

Yes, it’s likely that if a child grasps the maths lesson first time at school, they had probably practised something at home. Similarly in reverse, after a maths lesson at school, a child who recaps it at home is likely to grasp it soonest.

During the periods leading to SATs and 11+ entrance exams, most pupils will use their time outside of school for studying or revising to strengthen weaknesses and practise certain exercises. Your teachers will provide useful guidance at these stages or at any time if you request it.

In the most academic prep schools with small class sizes and other advantageous conditions, pupils will complete daily homework and probably some self-initiated practises too. It is also common for these pupils to use tutors to expedite understanding in the younger years or strengthen weaknesses in later Primary years.

It depends on each school, which can adjust the difficulty levels and the content as they choose.

The difficulty level of an entrance exam is usually an indicator of the school’s academic level, or ambition. If their exam is on the more strenuous and trickier side, it likely intends to ensure a high academic standard throughout its cohort.

The reputation of any school will shed light on its academic prowess, and that will give you an initial idea of what to expect of their entrance exams.

However, some selective schools are not ultra academic at all. They may lean towards sports, arts or something left-field, or nothing in particular—these schools are likely to present an easier entrance exam, if any, and instead test the abilities they are specialised in developing.

The difficulty level may also be lower if a selective school is trying to expand its populous, or it’s new, or maybe suffered some repetitional damage for whatever reason.

It will depend on the area you are applying to schools in and how many applicants wish to enter the same school(s) as you. Schools also vary in size which may be a factor in calculating the competitiveness, and some (especially selective private schools) may take a number of pupils directly from an associated, Primary feeder school.

The highest performing grammar schools can receive several applications for each place, e.g. Henrietta Barnett School for Girls (ranked top ten in the UK, 20xx–2023) receives approximately XX applications for each place.

Private Secondary Schools are also competitive, however, they usually attract fewer applicants per place than high performing grammar schools, typically XX or XX.

These figures will vary across the UK, so accurate information will be specific to each school. You might want to know how many places in Year 7 are actually being filled by successful 11+ applicants, if not all, before you apply to a school.

Academic scholarships should be considered separately from others. Usually, all students entering the 11+ entrance exam for any selective Secondary School will be considered for academic scholarship.

For sports players, musicians, artists and so on (where other scholarships may be available), you’ll need to apply for scholarship along with your application for a place at the school. Accordingly, you’ll be invited to a separate examination of your specialism.

Check the websites of any schools you are interested in for specific information on their scholarship system.

Each bursary application should be made along with your application for a place at each school.

The process is very involved and will require you to provide significant financial information and documentation. That said, the schools who offer bursary support do so with the best intentions and commitment.

Check the websites of any schools you are interested in for specific information on their bursary application process.