This might sound really sad but ...

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Vail2002

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I have always wondered how the American School System work cause I don't get it. In the UK, we don't have grades, we have years and we ain't got High Schools, just Primary and Secondary Schools. I'll explain the UK system below.

YEAR and the AGE that you are.
Play group 3
Nursery 4
Reception 5
Year 1 6
Year 2 7 KEY STAGE 1 S.A.T.S
Year 3 8
Year 4 9
Year 5 10
Year 6 11 KEY STAGE 2 S.A.T.S

That's all Primary School, from Reception to Year 6. Key Stage 1 is from Reception to Year 2, then you do big test to give you a national curriculum level. And the same with Key Stage 2.

Then you move on to Secondary School, with Key Stage 3 and 4.

YEAR and the AGE that you are.
Year 7 12
Year 8 13
Year 9 14 KEY STAGE 3 S.A.T.S
Year 10 15
Year 11 16 G.C.S.E EXAMS

Then you either stay on at school to do VI Form and do your A Levels, whick takes you up to being 18 or you can go to college and do A Levels there. After VI Form, if you get good A Levels, you can go to University.


Now I've explained this, please could someone explain the American way cause I don't get it.
 
Okay, I suck at explaining so bare with me. These are the different "levels" of school that we have: Elementary School, Middle School (also called Jr. High School), & High School.
You first start out at Elementary School, and these are the grades that you take:
1st Grade... 6-7 years old
2nd Grade... 7-8 years old
3rd Grade... 8-9 years old
4th Grade... 9-10 years old
5th Grade... 10-11 years old
6th Grade... 11-12 years old
(Some school (it depends where you live in the US) only go to 5th grade in Elementary School; and 6th Grade is taken in Middle School.)

Then you go to Middle School:
7th Grade... 12-13 years old
8th Grade... 13-14 years old
(Some schools have 9th Grade in Middle School; most don't.)
In 7th or 8th grade, you take a TerraNova Test to show you how you are placed among students around the nation, but it doesn't really count as anything.

Then the dreaded High School:
9th Grade... 14-15 years old
10th Grade... 15-16 years old
11th Grade... 16-17 years old
12th Grade... 17-18 years old
In 11th grade you take the S.A.Ts which tests you in English & Math. Colleges always look at your S.A.T scores, so if you do really bad, you are kinda screwed (either you aren't going to college, or you're going to a pretty crappy one).

After 12th grade, you can either go to College or not. Don't ask me a thing about college, 'cause I know nothing.😀 I think there is more to this that I'm forgetting to say, but I can't think of anything else, sorry.

Oh, some kids (some don't) go to Preschool before Elementary School, which is hardly anything at all. It's more like a fun thing than it is work; sorta gets the child ready to spend time away from their parents longer than they usually do.
 
How many terms a year you got? That means like semesters if you know what I mean. Ours go like this:

Sept 3rd to Dec 20th - Winter Term
Half Term 25th Oct to 3rd Nov - that's for one week.
After winter term ends, you've got the 2 week Xmas holiday. Then you go back.

6th Jan to 11th Apr - Spring term
Half term 15th Feb to 24th Feb - that's one week. (it's the half term break now)
After spring term ends, you've got Easter holidays for 2 weeks. Then you go back.

28th Apr to 18th Jul - Summer Term
Half Term 23rd May to 1st Jun - 1 week holiday and on the 5th of May is May day which is the one day you get off school in the year unless it's teacher training day which means no kids are in school.

And what's you timetable for a day at school too. Our's goes like this:

Registration: 8.45 to 9.05
Period 1: 9.05 to 10.05
Period 2: 10.05 to 11.05
Break: 11.05 to 11.25
Period 3: 11.25 to 12.25
Lunch: 12.25 to 1.25
Warning Bell (End of lunch): 1.23
Period 4: 1.25 to 2.25
Period 5: 2.25 to 3.25
End of school is at 3.25

This is only for my secondary school, it changes for Primary schools and secondary schools around the country. Our school also only has 5 lessons a day which is better - no heavy text book everyday! Can you explain yours please. I am fascinated to know cause America is so different to the UK.
 
We have two semesters each year. It really depends on which state you live in for what months each semester is, but in Georgia (we're really screwy) 1st semester lasts from mid-August to mid-December. Then we get two weeks off. Then our 2nd semester lasts from January to the end of May.
 
Most schools have two semesters, a for the times we start, it all varies and how many classes you take (if you're in hs)
 
Well, I live in Ontario, Canada, and I know in my city at least, it depends whether you go to a Catholic or Public school in your first years. If you go to a Catholic school, you're at the same school from kindergarten to 8th grade. If you're in a Public school, you go to an elementary school from kindergartern to 5th grade, then to a middle school from 6th grade to 8th grade, and then, regardless of whether you're at a Catholic or Public school, you go to a highschool from 9th grade to 12th grade. You also have the option to stay for another year in high school. So technically you can be there for a 13th grade. Anyway, we don't have S.A.T's in Canada. We just apply to college/university (your choice) once you get into the middle of 12th grade (which is where I am). As for semesters, we have two (in highschool only). We go from early September - end of January, and then from end of January - middle of June.
 
Same here vamp in training, except the fact that we have S.A.T's, and we don't have a 13th grade. Can you tell me whats the purpose of another year in HS, is it worth it?

As for private schools, I'm not sure about them here in the U.S., but I think it goes from K to 8 as well, then you go to HS, (private or public).

I was under the impression that Canada schools were far different systematically.
 
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