This section provides the most recent available data on the number of educational institutions from pre-primary to upper secondary education level (ISCED levels 0-3). Statistics on numbers and characteristics of higher education institutions can be found in the European Tertiary Education Register. A general overview of institutions providing adult education from public sources can be found in the chapter on adult education. The notes below the tables provide methodological explanations necessary for a good interpretation of data.
Type of educational institution in English (and in national language) | ISCED levels provided | Main orientation of the programmes provided | Number of educational institutions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Public | Government-dependent private | Private independent | |||
| Voluntary settings/private settings | 0 | (-) | 24,001 | (-) | (:) | (:) |
| Nursery schools | 0 | (-) | 389 | 399 | (-) | (-) |
| Primary schools | 0, 1 | (-) | 16,784 | 10,918 | 5866 | (:) |
| Independent schools | 0,1,2,3 | G | 1807 | (-) | (-) | 1807 |
| Secondary schools | 2,3 | G | 3456 | 796 | 2660 | (:) |
| Further education colleges | 3 | G,V | 238 | (-) | 238 | (-) |
Sources: Department for Education, 2019. Childcare and early years providers survey: 2019 (last accessed 18/12/2020) Department for Education, 2020. Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2020 (last accessed 18/12/2020) Association of Colleges, 2020. Number and List of Colleges September 2020 (last accessed 18/12/2020) ISCED = International Standard Classification of Education | ||||||
| G= General | V= Vocational | |||||
| (:) Data not available | (-) Not applicable | |||||
Terminology The 2018 version of the Unesco/OECD/Eurostat Manual on concepts, definitions and classification can be consulted for the definitions of regular education (p.10); general and vocational programmes of education (p.19); as well as public institution, government-dependent private institution and private independent institution (pp. 24-26) | ||||||
Notes:
Data collected using legal entity approach.
Voluntary settings/private settings: No data is available on the degree of dependence on funding from government sources. Nursery schools: Maintained nursery schools only. Private nursery schools are included in voluntary settings/private settings. Primary schools: All primary schools provide ISCED 1. Not all provide ISCED 0. A small number of middle-deemed primary schools also provide ISCED 2. The government-dependent private category includes primary academies. 'Private independent' are included in independent schools. Independent schools: Age ranges vary. Independent schools may provide ISCED 0-3, or only some levels or parts thereof. Secondary schools: A small number of middle-deemed secondary schools also provide ISCED 1. A small number of all-through schools provide ISCED 0, 1, 2 and 3. The government-dependent private category includes secondary academies. 'Private independent' are included in independent schools. Further education colleges: Includes sixth-form colleges which offer general education and may also offer some vocational education, and further education colleges which either offer vocational education, or both general and vocational.
| Type of educational institution in English and (in national language) | ISCED levels provided | Main orientation of the programmes provided | Number of educational institutions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Public | Government-dependent institutions | Private independent | |||
| Special schools | 0,1,2,3 | G | 1575 | 623 | 428 | (:) |
| Alternative provision | 2,3 | G | 349 | 204 | 145 | (-) |
| Special post-16 institutions | 3 | G,V | 88 | (-) | (:) | (:) |
Sources: Department for Education, 2020. Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2020 (last accessed 18/12/2020) Department for Education, December 2020. Special schools and colleges approved under section 41 in England and Wales (last accessed 18/12/2020) | ||||||
| G= General | V= Vocational | |||||
| (:) Data not available | (-) Not applicable | |||||
Terminology The 2018 version of the Unesco/OECD/Eurostat Manual on concepts, definitions and classification can be consulted for the definitions of regular education (p.10); general and vocational programmes of education (p.19); as well as public institution, government-dependent private institution and private independent institution (pp. 24-26). | ||||||
Notes:
Data collected using legal entity approach.
Special schools: Total includes 489 independent special schools which are not categorised as government-dependent private/private independent. Special schools (public): Includes general hospital schools. Special schools (government-dependent private): Includes special academies (331) and non-maintained special schools (58). Alternative provision: In the ‘public’ category, this provision refers to Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). In the ‘government-dependent private’ category, this provision refers to Alternative Provision (AP) Academies. Note that alternative provision may be commissioned from types of provider other than those included here, such as settings which do not meet the threshold for registration as an independent school. Special post-16 institutions: Special post-16 institutions do not have a distinctive definition in law. This category includes different types of institutions approved (or provisionally registered) under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014. No data is available on the degree of dependence on funding from government sources. Institutions may offer both general and vocational education.