After hours activities
Some British schools offer after school activities but most students will join community clubs rather than school clubs. Joining teams and clubs is a great way to make friends and learn English during your exchange year in England, Scotland or Wales. There are many different kinds of clubs British students get involved with, from a variety of sports clubs to youth clubs to volunteering.
Popular sports include:
- Football
- Rugby
- Netball
- Tennis
Activities might include:
- Music and singing clubs
- Theatre
- Astronomy club
- Orienteering
British school system
Most children in Great Britain attend school from the age of 5 until the age of 17 or 18. The two final years of high school are called “sixth form.”
“Sixth form” = years 12 and 13
In England and Wales, students start school at year 1, when they are 5 years old, and must stay in school through year 11, when they are 16 years old. Most students choose to continue school though years 12 and 13, when they are between 16 and 18 years old. Together, years 12 and 13 are known as “sixth form.” This is a time when students focus intensely on a few academic subjects and prepare for A-level exams and university. Year 12 is called the “lower sixth,” and year 13 is called the “upper sixth.”
Most EF students enter sixth form
EF students in England, Scotland and Wales must be between 16 and 18 years old, and they are usually placed in sixth form colleges or schools, depending on the area. Schools in some areas offer sixth form classes, while in other areas students leave their original school to attend a “sixth form college” for years 12 and 13.
A-levels
Exchange students in England, Scotland and Wales spend sixth form studying for advanced level exams, known as “A-levels.” At the end of year 12 they take important “AS-level” exams, and at the end of year 13 they take final A-level exams. Some A-level grades are also based on coursework. A-levels determine university placements, so they are extremely important to British students.
Scotland is slightly different
Scotland has a different system. In Scotland, EF exchange students who are 16 enter “S5,” which is short for “secondary” school year 5. EF students who are 17 enter “S6.” High school students in Scotland study for an exam called “Highers,” which is equivalent to A-levels.
Academic subjects
There is a wide range of academic subjects. They might include some of the following:
- Art history
- Geography
- Biology
- Computing
- Politics