How do schools work and who runs them?
The nutshell
Most children in the UK go to school from age 5 to 16. In England, some schools are run by the local council, and others are run by groups called academy trusts that are funded straight from central government.
Every fact on this page comes from official government guides and non-partisan researchers. Each source tag — like GOV — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
Two kinds of school
In England, most state schools fall into two main groups. Community schools, also called local authority maintained schools, are run and funded by the local council.GOV The other big group is academies. An academy is a state school that is funded straight from central government and run by a not-for-profit group called an academy trust.GOV An academy is still free to go to, just like a community school.HoC
Who is in charge day to day
Every school has a group in charge of the big decisions. In a community school this is a governing body, and in an academy it is the academy trust. A head teacher runs the school each day. Academies have more freedom than community schools, for example over the curriculum, which is the list of subjects taught, and over term dates.GOV
Who must go, and until when
School matters because education is required by law. In England, most children must be in education from the age of 5. Leaving school is allowed on the last Friday in June for anyone who will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. Education or training must then carry on until age 18, at college, on an apprenticeship, or alongside a job.GOV
Not one system, but four
These rules describe schools in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run a separate school system, under separate rules. The House of Commons Library sets out how the school system works in England.HoC
- In England, state schools split into two main kinds: those run by the local council, and academies run by not-for-profit academy trusts and funded straight from central government (GOV.UK)
- Around half of pupils in England now go to academies, and more secondary schools than primary schools have made the switch (House of Commons Library)
- By law, most children must be in education from age 5, can leave school at 16, and must then stay in education or training until 18 (GOV.UK)
- There is no single UK school system. These rules describe England, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run a separate school system
- An academy is still a state school that is free to go to. It is not a private school that charges fees (House of Commons Library)
- A council does not run every school in its area. The Institute for Government notes a council cannot make an academy cut its size or close
The deep end6 min
The two main types in full
State schools in England are split into two broad types. Local authority maintained schools, such as community schools, are run and funded by the local council and follow the national curriculum. Academies and free schools are state-funded too, but the money comes straight from central government, and each one is run by a not-for-profit academy trust rather than the council.GOV The House of Commons Library records that academies and free schools are non-fee-paying and independent of local authorities, working under a funding agreement with the Secretary of State.HoC
How many schools are academies
The academy model has grown since 2010. The House of Commons Library records that around half of pupils in England now attend academies, and that a higher share of secondary schools than primary schools have converted.HoC Some academies stand alone. Many others sit under one academy trust that runs several schools at once, known as a multi-academy trust.
A split system
The Institute for Government describes the result as a split, or dual, system. Oversight of an area's schools is divided between local councils and academy trusts.IfG That divide has real limits. The Institute for Government notes that a local authority cannot make an academy reduce its intake, cut its size, or close, even though the council has a duty to plan school places locally.IfG
What gets debated
Little argument in the UK is about whether to have free state schools for every child. Most debate is about how schools should be run and overseen. Parties disagree about how far the academy model should spread, how much say local councils should have, and how school places and standards are best managed. The topics on the welfare state and on the NHS look at other parts of the same public services.