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From Reception to A-Levels: the school journey in England, explained for parents

Most of it happens automatically. A handful of moments need you to act. Here is the whole journey on one page, in plain English.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 13 Oct 2026 9 min read

Key takeaways

1. The whole journey at a glance

Children in England move up a year each September, from Reception at age 4 or 5 through to Year 13 at 17 or 18. They must stay in education or training until 18, though that can be college or an apprenticeship rather than school.[2]

Scroll along the line below. Purple stops happen automatically. Peach stops are where you, the parent, need to choose, apply or prepare.

Happens automatically You choose, apply or prepare
  1. Age 4–5 · Automatic Reception Learning through play: early reading, number and social skills.
  2. Age 5–6 · Automatic Year 1 Phonics screening check: a short check of reading sounds with the teacher.
  3. Age 8–9 · Automatic Year 4 Multiplication tables check: 25 quick questions on a screen.
  4. Age 9–10 · You decide Year 5 Decide on the 11+. Register for grammar or independent school tests, usually by early summer.
  5. Age 10–11 · You decide Year 6, autumn 11+ tests in September. Apply for secondary schools by 31 October.
  6. Age 10–11 · Automatic Year 6, May SATs in reading, maths, and grammar, punctuation and spelling.
  7. Age 11 · You decide 1 March National offer day: you hear which secondary school your child has a place at.
  8. Age 11–14 · Automatic Years 7 to 9 Key Stage 3. No national exams; schools track progress themselves.
  9. Age 13–14 · You decide Year 9 Choose GCSE options, alongside the core subjects everyone takes.
  10. Age 14–16 · Automatic Years 10 and 11 GCSE courses, mocks in Year 11, then exams in May and June.
  11. Age 16 · You decide After GCSEs Choose sixth form or college, A-Levels or another route. Apply in Year 11.
  12. Age 16–18 · You decide Years 12 and 13 Usually three A-Levels. University applications in Year 13.

Scroll along the line →

2. Primary school: Reception to Year 6

Primary school covers Key Stages 1 and 2. Children learn English, maths and science alongside subjects like history, geography, art and PE. There are a few short national checks along the way: a phonics check in Year 1 and a times-tables check in Year 4.[1]

In May of Year 6, children sit national tests often called SATs: reading, maths (an arithmetic paper and two reasoning papers) and grammar, punctuation and spelling. Writing is assessed by the teacher. Results come as a scaled score, where 100 means the expected standard. They go to secondary schools, but they don’t decide which school your child goes to.[1]

Your first decision: You apply for a secondary school place through your local council by 31 October of Year 6, and hear on 1 March. Independent schools are separate: you apply to each one directly.

3. The 11+, in brief

Some areas have grammar schools, which choose pupils by a test usually called the 11+. It is taken at the start of Year 6, so families decide in Year 5 and register before the summer. Tests usually cover English, maths, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning, though the mix varies by area and school.[3]

Independent (private) schools set their own entrance tests and interviews, often in the autumn or January of Year 6. Results are used to offer places; a pass mark alone doesn’t guarantee a place where there are more applicants than places. For what to do once results arrive, read our guide to 11+ results.

4. GCSEs: Years 10 and 11

In Year 9, students choose GCSE options. Everyone takes English language, English literature, maths and science; most take around nine GCSEs in all. That usually means 25 to 30 exam papers, mostly in May and June of Year 11.[1]

GCSEs are graded 9 to 1, with 9 the highest. A grade 4 is a standard pass and a 5 a strong pass. In maths, the sciences and modern languages, students sit either foundation papers (grades 1 to 5) or higher papers (grades 4 to 9), so the choice of tier matters.[4]

English and maths are the gateway subjects: students without at least a grade 4 keep studying them after 16. Sixth forms and colleges also set their own grade requirements for A-Level subjects, often a 6 or 7 in the subject itself.[2]

Grade
What it means
9 to 7
The top grades (roughly the old A* and A)
5
A strong pass
4
A standard pass (roughly the old C)
3 to 1
Below a pass

5. A-Levels: Years 12 and 13

After GCSEs, students can stay at a school sixth form or move to a college. Most A-Level students take three subjects over two years, with all the exams at the end of Year 13. A-Levels are graded A* to E.[1]

Choose A-Levels for two reasons together: what your child enjoys and is good at, and what their future course or career needs. Some university courses, such as medicine, require particular subjects.

University applications go through UCAS in the autumn and winter of Year 13. Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses close earlier, in mid-October. The personal statement is now written as answers to three set questions about why the course, what has prepared the student, and what they’ve done outside the classroom.[5]

You don’t have to know it all now. You only need to know the next decision, and when it’s due.

6. If you went to school somewhere else, or a while ago

A lot has changed. GCSEs moved from letter grades to numbers in 2017, A-Levels became two-year courses with exams at the end, and everyone now stays in education or training until 18. If you studied abroad, the biggest differences are usually how early choices start (GCSE options at 13 or 14) and how few subjects students take at A-Level.[2]

Ask the school

Every school runs options evenings in Year 9 and sixth form evenings in Year 11. They’re the best place to ask.

Ask us

Our teachers sit on both sides of these decisions every year. Message us and we’ll talk it through, for free.

Keep this page

Bookmark it and come back at each peach stop on the line above.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. What score means the expected standard in Year 6 SATs?

  2. 2. What GCSE grade is a standard pass?

  3. 3. When do Oxford, Cambridge and medicine applications close?

Your next steps

  • Find your child on the line above and note the next peach stop.
  • Put that date in your calendar now.
  • If you’d like a second opinion on a choice, message us.

Sources

  1. GOV.UK. The national curriculum: key stages, tests and assessments. gov.uk/national-curriculum
  2. GOV.UK. School leaving age: you must stay in education or training until 18. gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school
  3. GOV.UK. Types of school, including grammar schools and how they select pupils. gov.uk/types-of-school/grammar-schools
  4. Ofqual. GCSE 9 to 1 grading: factsheets for parents and students. gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-new-grading-scale-factsheets
  5. UCAS. Undergraduate applications, deadlines and the personal statement. ucas.com/undergraduate

This guide is general study advice. Every student is different. A teacher can help you work out what fits.