What is Higher Education?

This covers universities, old and new, whose primary purpose is to educate students to the highest possible level in the world. Generally speaking, if you are on a course which awards a university degree, you are in Higher Education. You do not necessarily actually have to be at a university, as some Further Education colleges teach courses which result in degrees awarded by a university. For example, in rural areas the local college might offer a part-time degree course validated by the nearest university, which is perhaps over 50 miles away.

What are Ancient, Red-Brick and New Universities?

You may see or hear these terms as you read through the literature or talk to people about UK universities. In a nutshell, the “ancient” universities are Oxford, Cambridge, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St. Andrews and Dublin which were basically setup many hundreds of years ago. The “Red-Brick” universities, six originally, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool Manchester and Sheffield were established to train people in the 19th Century during the industrial revolution and British Empire days. Later many were added such as Nottingham, Leicester, Exeter, Newcastle, some of the University of London colleges and most of the institutions that make up the University of Wales. Many of the “new” universities were Polytechnics and all became universities in 1992. Some of them had been colleges or polytechnics for a long time and just kept getting promoted. For more info on the differences, you can email or ring your local GetSet office and ask an advisor.

What is the Difference Between Old or Established Universities and the New Universities?

The differences are really in focus rather than quality. Established universities were always and for the most part still are, research led with a very academic focus. For this reason, in 1838, the first polytechnic, the Royal Polytechnic Institution (now University of Westminster) was established for the purpose of teaching applied education for work and career. The new, or modern universities, with their roots more in teaching than in research, can therefore score as high in the Government's Teaching Quality Assessment and in many cases, particularly in business subjects, higher than the established universities. For research however, this is not normally the case as established universities will mostly out perform the "new" universities and hence, they will always appear in the top half of the unofficial university ranking lists that appear each year in the leading UK newspapers.

GetSet advisors are very familiar with the academic rankings of UK universities, as well as their general reputations with employers and other universities for each subject, and will be happy to advise you as to the right choice for your particular circumstances.

What is a Further Education College?

Here you will find colleges training people of all ages from 16 upwards to be accountants, electricians, mechanics, hair stylists and beauty therapists, as well as preparing people for vocations such as nursing and for university entrance. Many UK students might enter university by going to an further education college first, many domestic mature students enter university this way because they need to brush up on their maths, accounting, writing skills, or whatever, first.

Some people leave school at 16 to study for A-Levels in a more “adult” environment, or some who have failed their A-Levels and want to repeat but can’t face going back to school! In any case, the students in these institutions will often be from a variety of backgrounds and age groups.

Some Further education colleges also offer EFL courses for overseas students. Students studying English at an FE college can also benifit from being able to take modules offered by the college in addition to their English course in subjects such as business, secretarial skills, hair and beauty, etc. So if you are looking to improve your English and take some courses in a vocational area at the same time, contact GetSet as we know which college will offer the vocation in which you are interested.

What is Secondary Education?

This mainly covers what is called “school” in the UK and “high school” elsewhere, that is the ages of 11 to 16, or 18 for those staying on to take A-levels rather than move to a 6th form college.

In England, this level of education takes place mainly in the state sector, in what are called “comprehensive schools”. Generally speaking, those who can afford it send their kids to private-sector schools, and it is this segment of secondary education that we will be discussing here.

First, we have to deal with some confusing terminology. The terms “private”, “public”, and “independent” all mean the same thing in the UK – you have to pay! The preferred term now is “independent school”.

Traditional Public Schools

Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester, Charterhouse, Marlborough, and so on. Often set up by Royal Charter or by religious groups or tradesmens’ guilds to educate their children and now almost all having charitable status. Characterised by a high emphasis on traditional classical education, excellent sporting and academic facilities, and high teacher-pupil ratios.

Independent Schools

This term covers all fee-paying schools which are independent of government control over admissions. They still mainly teach the National Curriculum (GCSEs and so on), but many are now offering the International Baccalaureate instead of or as well as A-Levels. They are sometimes new schools set up in the private sector, but mostly they tend to have long histories such as Eton, founded 1440 and Harrow in 1572 You still have to pass an exam to get in, it’s called The Common Entrance Exam, and it is normally taken at age 13 because pupils at independent schools normally enter at a later age than in the state sector. They vary enormously in ethos and quality, of course, but again your GetSet advisor will be able to advise which of them is most suitable for your needs.

Boarding Schools

Not a separate category in itself but worth mentioning. Not all public and independent schools have boarding as a lot of them are day schools. Some of the schools that were once just boarding schools now have many places for day students. Unaccompanied overseas students will need to be placed at a boarding school, preferably one that is predominantly boarding as opposed to a day school that has just a few boarding places. Call GetSet and our counsellors will help you select the right school for your child.

Coed or Single Sex?

Coed means boys and girls studying together though if at a coed boarding school, the boys and girls are housed in separate boarding houses. Most schools are now coed but a few boys schools and girls schools remain. There are many pros and cons for both coed and single sex education but the decision is ultimately that of the parents. GetSet can help bring to your attention many of the different issues surrounding this question.

Sixth-Form Colleges

These began to become popular in the 1960s and generally provide a high level of tuition, doing well in league tables. Most are government funded and form an integral part of the secondary education system, preparing 16-18 year-olds for university via A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate. Other courses such as BTEQ and NVQ are available at many.

Tutorial Colleges

Tutorial colleges offer a more intense academic preparation, and are successful at raising less academic students to the level required for university entrance, preparing students to re-sit their A-Levels, and preparing overseas students for university entrance, mostly via the A-Level route. Many also offer language training, GCSEs, and other further education qualifications. As they are more intensive, and have a higher teacher-student ratio than most other institutions they tend to be a bit more expensive. Your GetSet advisor will be able to advise whether or not your child would be better suited to this kind of intensive academic environment.

International Study Centres

As the name suggests, these are schools set up to teach overseas pupils from an early age to ages 16 or 18, and prepare them for university entrance or as a stepping stone to enter a UK independent school. They are privately funded and specialise in giving a British education to overseas students who have completed some of their education abroad. The schools are specially geared towards the particular needs of overseas students preparing for independent school or university and are very suitable for students who were not educated abroad in English. Your GetSet advisor can discuss with you whether this sort of school or a UK-student-focused school would be best for you.