- Both England and the United States have compulsory education laws that require children to attend school for a certain number of years with compulsory schooling in England starting at age 5 and ending at age 18, while in the US it typically begins around age 6 and ends around age 18.
- Schools in both countries are typically funded through a combination of local, state, and federal sources.
- Both England and the US follow the same general pattern of primary, secondary, and higher education.
- Both have public and private schools.
- Both countries have a national curriculum that sets out the subjects that must be taught in schools, with schools then having some freedom to decide how to teach these subjects.
- Both countries have a system of standardized testing to assess student achievement, with students typically being tested in English, math, and science at various points during their schooling.
Differences
- In the UK, most students must choose which subjects they will study for their GCSEs (General Certificates of Secondary Education) and A-Levels (Advanced Levels) at age 16, with these exams then determining which universities they can apply to. In contrast, the US system allows more flexibility, with students typically taking a range of subjects until their senior year of high school and then submitting SAT or ACT scores and GPA to the colleges they apply to.
- In England, state-funded schools are free to attend, while in the US, public schools are funded by taxpayers but may charge fees for certain programs or services.
- The structure and content of the education systems in England and the US are not identical. For example, the English system places a greater emphasis on vocational training, while the US system focuses more on academic preparation for college.
- The school year in England typically runs from September to July, with students having a two-week break for Christmas and a six-week break for summer. In contrast, the US school year typically runs from August to June, with students having a one-week break for Thanksgiving, a two-week break for Christmas and New Year, and a three-month break for summer.
- The age at which students typically graduate from high school varies between England and the US. In England, students typically graduate from high school at age 18, while in the US, students typically graduate from high school at age 17 or 18.
- In the UK, students are assigned a unique "pupil number" that will follow them throughout their education, while in the US there is no such identification system.