Education system of Great Britain Education by means other than schooling

Sixth form colleges / further education colleges
Students over 16 typically study in the sixth form of a school (sixth form is a historical term for Years 12–13), in a separate sixth form college, or in a Further Education (FE) College. Courses at FE colleges, referred to as further education courses, can also be studied by adults over 18. Students typically study Level-3 qualifications such as A-Levels, BTEC National Awards and level-3 NVQs. Some 16–18 students will be encouraged to study Key Skills in Communication, Application of Number, and Information Technology at this time.
Apprenticeships and traineeships
The National Apprenticeship Service helps people 16 or more years of age enter apprenticeships in order to learn a skilled trade. Traineeships are also overseen by the National Apprenticeship Service, and are education and a training programmes that are combined with work experience to give trainees the skills needed to get an apprenticeship.^[54]
T Levels
T Levels are a technical qualification introduced between 2020 and 2023 in England. The aim of the new T Levels is to improve the teaching and administration of technical education which will enable students to directly enter skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.^[55] Students will be able to take a T Level in the following subject areas:^[56]

• 
  accountancy
  
• 
  agriculture, land management and production
  
• 
  animal care and management
  
• 
  building services engineering
  
• 
  catering
  
• 
  craft and design
  
• 
  cultural heritage and visitor attractions
  
• 
  design and development
  
• 
  design, surveying and planning
  
• 
  digital business services
  
• 
  digital production, design and development
  
• 
  digital support and services
  
• 
  education
  
• 
  financial
  
• 
  hair, beauty and aesthetics
  
• 
  health
  
• 
  healthcare science
  
• 
  human resources
  
• 
  legal
  
• 
  maintenance, installation and repair
  
• 
  management and administration
  
• 
  manufacturing, processing and control
  
• 
  media, broadcast and production
  
• 
  onsite construction
  
• 
  science
  

Higher education
Main article: Universities in the United Kingdom

The chapel of King's College, University of Cambridge.

The hall of Christ Church, University of Oxford.

The Founder's Building, Royal Holloway, University of London.

Campus of New College Durham, a college of further and higher education
Higher education in England is provided by Higher Education (HE) colleges, university colleges, universities and private colleges. Students normally enter higher education as undergraduates from age 18 onwards, and can study for a wide variety of vocational and academic qualifications, including certificates of higher education and higher national certificates at level 4, diplomas of higher education, higher national diplomas and foundation degrees at level 5, bachelor's degrees (normally with honours) at level 6, and integrated master's degrees and degrees in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science at level 7.^[57]
Historically, undergraduate education outside a small number of private colleges and universities has been largely state-financed since the 1960s, with a contribution from top-up fees introduced in October 1998,^[58] however fees of up to £9,000 per annum have been charged from October 2012. There is a perceived hierarchy among universities, with the Russell Group seen as being composed of the country's more prestigious universities.^[59] League tables of universities are produced by private companies and generally cover the whole UK.
The state does not control university syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures through the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), which approves and monitors access agreements to safeguard and promote fair access to higher education. The independent Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education inspects universities to assure standards, advises on the granting of degree awarding powers and university title, and maintains the Quality Code for Higher Education, which includes the Framework for Higher Education Qualification.^[60] Unlike most degrees, the state has control over teacher training courses, and standards are monitored by Ofsted inspectors.^[61]
The typical first degree offered at English universities is the bachelor's degree with honours, which usually lasts for three years, although more vocational foundation degrees, typically lasting two years (or full-time equivalent) are also available in some institutions. Many institutions now offer an integrated master's degree, particularly in STEM subjects, as a first degree, which typically lasts for four years, the first three years running parallel to the bachelor's course. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates. The difference in fees between integrated and traditional postgraduate master's degrees (and that fees are capped at the first degree level for the former) makes taking an integrated master's degree as a first degree a more attractive option. Integrated master's degrees are often the standard route to chartered status for STEM professionals in England.^[62]