With a population of around 491,500 and home of the iconic band The Beatles, Liverpool is a city in North West England. The city is best known as a major port area in England during the Industrial Revolution. Its growth as a major port was paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution. It is also home to the famous ocean liner RMS Titanic, Cunard and White Star Line, the RMS Lusitania, RMS Queen Mary and RMS Olympic.
Primary and secondary education in Liverpool is supported by the state and the Church of England, Jewish, and Roman Catholic seculars. For Muslims, Islamic education is also available in the primary education.
Education in Liverpool is governed by the Department for Education in United Kingdom. They regulate policy implementations among state-funded public schools in Liverpool and the United Kingdom.
According to the official website of the Government of the United Kingdom, “Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the statutory national curriculum which sets out in programmes of study, on the basis of key stages, subject content for those subjects that should be taught to all pupils. All schools must publish their school curriculum by subject and academic year online.”
The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said, and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.
The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.
Pupils of compulsory school age in community and foundation schools, including community special schools and foundation special schools, and in voluntary-aided and voluntary-controlled schools, must follow the national curriculum. It is organised on the basis of 4 key stages and 12 subjects, classified in legal terms as ‘core’ and ‘other foundation’ subjects.
Below is a table which outlines the Structure of the national curriculum.
| Key stage 1 | Key stage 2 | Key stage 3 | Key stage 4 | |
| Age | 5-7 | 7-11 | 11-14 | 14-16 |
| Year groups | 1-2 | 3-6 | 7-9 | 10-11 |
| Core subjects | ||||
| English | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mathematics | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Science | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Foundation subjects | ||||
| Art and design | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Citizenship | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Computing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Design and technology | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Languages | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Geography | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| History | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Music | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Physical education | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
There are about 7% of students in England who are enrolled in Independent or public schools. These schools follow the National Curriculum of England. Teachers in Independent schools are not regulated by law to have qualifications in teaching.
State-Funded Schools
These schools are subject to assessment and inspection by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), Children's Services and Skills. There are six types of state-funded schools in Liverpool.
Academy schools
Academy schools in Liverpool are founded by the Labour Government to replace weak community schools in the country. These schools are funded by private entities and Non-government agencies. Soon, a wide number of schools in non-deprived areas were also encouraged to become Academies. Academies then replaced the role of Foundation schools established by the previous Labour government. They are monitored directly by the Department for Education.
Community schools
Community schools are previously known as county schools. The local authority of Liverpool employs schools’ staff and is responsible for admissions. They also own the school’s land and buildings.
Free schools
Free schools are introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition after the election. These are new schools in England. Parents, teachers, charities or businesses usually founded these schools and are popping out in places in England in need of more schools.
Free schools are following the Academy Programme.
Foundation schools
Foundation schools employ the staff and governing body of the school. they also control their own admissions department. A charitable foundation owns the school and appoints a minority of governors.
Voluntary Aided schools
Voluntary aided schools may be affiliated to a number of organizations. They can either be faith schools (Church of England/Roman Catholic) or non-denominational schools. Charities contribute to the costs of school and appoints their own minority of governors.
Voluntary Controlled schools
Voluntary controlled schools are faith schools owned by charitable foundations. But it’s the local authority which employs the schools' staff and has primary responsibility for admissions.
The two main categories of state-funded schools are:
A. Selective Grammar Schools
These schools accept children from 11 years old onward.
B. Comprehensive Schools
Comprehensive schools can either be free schools, academies, or local authority schools. They have freedom over their curriculum, especially religious schools.
In Liverpool, it is compulsory for children aged 5 to 18 to attend school. Every child must begin primary education once they turn 5. It is advised for children between 3-5 years old to receive a state-funded preschool education. However, this is optional.
Preschool education in Liverpool is available in community centers, nurseries, or playgroups in schools.
According to the Education and Skills Act 2008, a student may choose to stop education once he reaches 18. This is also called “leaving age”.
These compulsory stages of education are further categorized into several stages: Foundation Stage (4 Key Stages) and Post-16 education.
The state-funded education system is divided into stages based upon age. Below is a table illustrating the education stages in Liverpool and England.
| School Level | Age |
|---|---|
| Early Years Foundation Stage | 3-5 |
| Primary education | 5-11 |
| Key Stage 1 Infants | 5-7 |
| Key Stage 2 Juniors | 7-11 |
| Secondary education | 11-16 |
| Key Stage 3 | 11-14 |
| Key Stage 4 | 14-16 |
| Key Stage 5 | 16 -18 |
| Tertiary Education | 18 and above |
Edarabia showcases all private schools in Liverpool through which parents can filter by tuition fees, curriculum, rankings & ratings. There are many public, private and charter schools near you that cater to both expat and local students.
Depending on the level of education; kindergartens (pre-schools), primary, secondary and high schools will all have varying tuition fees. Most K-12 schools offer different curriculums and extra-curricular activities to support the intellectual and physical wellbeing of students. Admissions for the top international schools in Liverpool tend to have waiting lists so it is recommended that parents apply well in advance to secure a spot for their children. Additionally, each school has ratings based on parent reviews and are ranked below accordingly.
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