Types of schools (GOV.UK)
All children in England between the ages of 5 and 16 are entitled to a free place at a state school.
Most state schools have to follow the national curriculum. The most common ones are:
- community schools, controlled by the local council and not influenced by business or religious groups
- foundation schools and voluntary schools, which have more freedom to change the way they do things than community schools
- academies, run by a governing body, independent from the local council - they can follow a different curriculum
- grammar schools, run by the council, a foundation body or a trust - they select all or most of their pupils based on academic ability and there is often an exam to get in
Find out more about special schools, faith schools, free schools, academies, private schools and more.