Especially remarkable is that while intermediate education continues to the age of eighteen, compulsory education ends at sixteen. The age of sixteen is thus a watershed--those with the ambition to pursue a higher education may go on to take university access courses, while the rest either end their schooling or go to vocational school.
英國中學教育到十八歲，但強制義務教育卻只到十六歲，因此，十六歲是求學過程的「分水嶺」﹘﹘有志進大學的中學生，可繼續修讀大學的先修課程（Access Courses），一般學生則脫離學校生涯，或轉往其他專校就讀。