Different types of school

Education in England falls into two sectors: state and independent. An understanding of the system will help you to decide where you would prefer to work.

What are state schools?

Within the state school sector there are different types of schools, and these can be defined by who employs the staff, controls admission and owns the land and buildings. They receive their funding either directly from government or from their local authority. Combinations of local authorities (LAs), school governing bodies and charitable trusts or religious organisations might be involved. 

Ofsted inspects all state-funded schools, some independent schools, and a wide range of other providers in England.

The main types of state schools are:

• Community schools: which are wholly controlled by the LA and not influenced by business or religious groups. They are sometimes known as LA maintained schools and must follow the national curriculum.
• Foundation and trust schools: which are controlled principally by a trust and governing body and have more freedom in the way they do things. They must follow the national curriculum.
• Voluntary-aided and controlled schools: which are mainly religious or faith schools. A charitable foundation, often a religious organisation, is usually involved in the school in some way. However, in voluntary-controlled schools, the local authority employs the staff and sets the admissions criteria, rather than the governing body.
• Faith schools: have to follow the national curriculum but can incorporate more religious and spiritual elements into the schooling of their children and can choose what they teach in religious studies. (Faith academies don’t have to teach the national curriculum.)
• Academies:  are publicly funded by government and are independent from the LA. This means they have a greater range of freedoms, which include setting their own curriculum, the length of the school day, and conditions and pay for staff. Academies may have businesses, faith groups or voluntary groups as sponsors. The number of academies has increased dramatically in recent years, with many secondary schools in particular converting to academies. Many academies are managed in groups, referred to as academy chains.
• Free schools: the main difference between an academy and a free school is that free schools are new schools, whereas the majority of academies have converted from LA-run (maintained) schools. Free schools can be set up by charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents. 
• Grammar schools: which select all or most of their pupils according to academic ability. They can be run by the LA, an academy trust or a foundation body.

Most schools do not select pupils based on ability, though some will restrict intake to their catchment area if they are oversubscribed.

Other types of state school

• Specialist schools: teach the whole curriculum but focus on a particular subject area. Both maintained and non-maintained schools can apply for specialist status.
• Pupil referral units: provide teaching and learning for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school due to medical reasons or exclusion, for example.
• Special schools: in the state and independent sectors provide education for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities that are too severe for them to integrate within a mainstream school.

What schools are in the independent sector?

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) states that around 5.9% of children in the UK are educated in the independent sector, which is funded through fees, usually set by the individual school and includes public schools and most boarding schools.

• Independent schools: these are sometimes called public schools or private schools and there are over 2,500 of them in the UK according to the ISC. Independent schools are not required to teach the national curriculum or employ teachers with qualified teacher status (QTS), although most do. Associations of schools belonging to the ISC are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, while some other independent schools are inspected by Ofsted. The ISC represents over 1,400 independent schools. More information about independent schools is available from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and the Independent Schools Directory.
• Montessori schools: follow their own teaching method and in the UK cater for children mostly from the ages of three to six, although there are some primary schools. For more information see Montessori.
• Waldorf schools: part of an international movement with a particular philosophy of education. Find out more at Waldorf UK.

Working as a supply teacher

As an early career teacher, it is possible to complete your induction period working as a supply teacher if your placements are of suitable length. Supply posts frequently lead to offers of permanent positions. This means you can try a variety of different schools, before looking for a permanent post at the type of school you are best suited to.

Making the decision

There is no such thing as a standard school. Each individual school will have its own ethos and atmosphere shaped by the leadership and vision of its head teacher. The best way to assess this is and to make a decision is to visit in person, having done your research and read the latest Ofsted inspection report online beforehand.

Location, size and the gender mix are important factors to consider when making a decision. A small rural primary school, for example, will face different challenges to a large city academy in a deprived area or a single-sex grammar school. Urban schools are likely to be more ethnically diverse, with opportunities to work with children who speak English as a second language.

The way a school is funded and managed will also have a big impact on the working lives of its teachers, so it’s worth giving some thought to the type of environment that will suit you best.

To learn more about relevant teaching qualifications, see our article what qualifications do you need to become teacher?

For further information on schools and teaching in other areas of the UK see our advice on training to teach in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Written by Gill Kilvington, University of Hull, July 2024

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