Going to school in Britain
 

 
 
Going to school in Britain
 
Nowadays most schools in Britain are mixed: they are for boys and girls. Primary schools are for chrildren 
between 5 and 11 years old. Secondary Schools or Comprehensive Schools are for children 
between 12 and 16. When students want to go on to university they have to sit for another exam 
and they stay at school till 18. 
 
 
- A typical schoolday:
At 8.40 a.m. the first bell rings and all the pupils leave the playground to 
go to their form rooms. Their form teacher is waiting for them and takes 
registration. At 8.50 a.m. the bell rings again and all the pupils and 
teachers go to the school hall for Assembly. During Assembly the head 
of the school passes on all important information for the day. 
Usually they also say a prayer or sing a hymn. Then all the pupils go to 
their classrooms for their first lesson period of the day. Each day is split 
up in 7 periods of 45 minutes each. There is a 20-minute break in the 
morning. During lunch break most pupils go to the school dining-hall and 
have a cooked meal. Lessons end at 4 p.m. 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
- School uniforms: Uniformity:
In many schools children wear uniforms: a blazer, trousers or a skirt, a pull-over, a shirt and a tie
in the school colours. They have to wear real shoes; sneakers and sports shoes are not acceptable.
Clothes of designer labels are very expensive. Only children of rich parents can afford them.
So a uniform is not such a bad idea. All the pupils look the same.
 
 
- School report cards:

Every teacher writes his or her assessment of a pupil's work on
a separate report card.Each card has to be signed by the parents.