Being British Act VI

[Heather25x]

I have a question about the British education system. Are there middle and high schools which you have to pass an exam or have a GPA higher than a standart to be accepted? Like, kids try very hard to get accepted to those schools? If yes, are they standart middle/high schools or for more intelligent, gifted, or specifically skilled children in different areas? (The point is to start those schools at age eleven.)

I hope the question makes sense. Thanks in advance.

Hi I know your question has been answered about twice already, but i thought i'd add my little bit, because of the way my school is.

You don't always have middle and high schools, there are different systems for different areas of the country. In some areas they have something called the Three Tier System where they have Lower School (ages 4-9), middle school (10-13/14) and Upper School (14-a maximum of 18). In other areas (i'm not sure about the ages because i have never been to one of these) they have the Two-Tier System where they combine Middle and Upper School and Middle and Lower. Confusing But some schools are known for being really good, and lots of parents want their children to go there. Most of the time you go to the school in your catchment area (the nearest school to you), but if your catchment school isn't as good as another school then you can apply to go there. You can't alwasy get in though. Every school must let in everyone in the catchment area, but if they have any room left they let in the first-chosen. If you're not one of the first chosen, you have to go to your catchment school.

With some Private schools (in case you didn't know, Private schools are just where you have to pay to go there) you have to take an exam to get in. If you don't get a certain mark on the exam then you don't get into the school. This is so that only people on a certain intelligence get in the schools.

So, to answer your question, for some schools you have to be at a certain standard, and for some schools it's just first-come first-serve.

[R_Ravenclaw]

Do the British ever use the word "fully".

As in, "I fully want to do [something]" or "I was fully thanking God" or something like that?

[Toasty]

Aye, some do.

At least, it's common enough in my region, but things like "proper" would work just as well.

As long as you aren't talking about toffs though. Can't imagine that without grinning. >_>

--

Ugh. GCSEs. Still, I passed all mine without doing any revision, so there are good memories there. xD

A2 is a pain at the moment though.

[Weasley24]

R_Ravenclaw- I'm not sure, at least no one I know says that. You might be better going with really.

[Ginny Weasley Potter]

GCSE's are a very long slog of disorganised exams that every sixteen year old has to suffer. You do roughly ten different subjects and are given at least two exams and one piece of coursework (a bit of a poshed-up homework assignment: usually an essay, or a dreaded logic puzzle for maths and a very dreaded experiment/practical for Sci). Exams are usually in May and June.

Hehe, you're right, it's a pain. We even have two prelimnary exams before the actual exam! And everyone around you is like, "BOARDS? Go home! Study! It's very important!" As for the twelfth boards, almost everyone gives them nowadays. Isn't a great deal. I had eleven papers in ICSE, combined into seven subjects for marking purposes; and managing everything was like... hell! What a nightmare! It always starts on March 1st here (Ron's b'day!). CBSE people keep criticising ICSE. My friend, who was in CBSE all her life, agrees that the english in our board is better, though . We did the whole of Merchant of Venice as well as Julius Caesar. Another friend of mine, who is continuing ICSE, is doing Macbeth this year. I'm not too fond of that particular play, though.

And the marking system- is it grades or percentage? I got both here, but my college considered the percentage.

And the A/S levels- are they for special subjects only? Like, I'm giving my boards for Physics, Chem, Math, Bio and Engligh next year. Is it anything similar there?

Thanks a lot for that info!

[Toasty]

^^^ xD

Er, both I think, but to get into courses in a sixth form, you'll need to have 'C' and above, for example. So more on the grade itself in general. Depends on whether you are going to one of the better ones or not... I know there's an art college that needs right high marks to get in, so percentages are the extra level of division... I guess. Am I making sense?

AS levels? Well, we're not so different. Most students have to take four different subjects, and some take ones as traditional as yours, but you get things like law, media, psychology, travel and tourism etc. thrown in too.

[leahsm2]

Am I correct in assuming that a "Barrister" is the term for legal people who go into court, while an "Attorney" is used for civil matters, or are they both called "Barristers?"

[Cedric'sGirl]

Am I correct in assuming that a "Barrister" is the term for legal people who go into court, while an "Attorney" is used for civil matters, or are they both called "Barristers?"

I think what you're thinking of as an attorney is what we would call a solicitor. But yes, a barrister will go into court whereas a solicitor is used for civil matters, although you could also use "lawyer" to describe either of these. I'm sure someone who knows more about the British legal system will be able to go into far greater detail for you though.

[garyf]

I think what you're thinking of as an attorney is what we would call a solicitor. But yes, a barrister will go into court whereas a solicitor is used for civil matters, although you could also use "lawyer" to describe either of these. I'm sure someone who knows more about the British legal system will be able to go into far greater detail for you though.

Not quite true.

Both solicitors and barristers can represent you, depending on the court. Your solicitor has a more general knowledge of the legal system, while your barrister has a more specialised knowledge. Recently, solicitors have started representing people more in the Court of Appeal and the High Court (a civil court), but they must pass a test to be able to do this and they become solicitor-advocates.

More law firms are starting to train and employ solicitor-advocates or even directly employ barristers in a move away from the traditional Barristers' "Chambers" in a bid to reduce cost and keep everything in house. Also having someone in house means they may get more time to look into a case before going into one of the higher courts, which can be good for the clients.

A solicitor will offer you legal advice and will represent you in court for minor cases that are tried in the lowest of the criminal and civil courts, however, in the higher courts you would be represented by a barrister, or a solicitor with rights of advocacy - although there are few of these. It's even possible for someone to be a solicitor and barrister at the same time, however, a barrister must be a member of one of the Inns of Court, which used to educate and regulate barristers.

There are four Inns of Court: The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, and The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple - all in central London, near the Royal Courts of Justice.

It is the Inns that actually "call" the student to the Bar at a ceremony similar to a graduation.

Normally a barrister will pick up a case a day or two before someone reaches court relying on material provided by a solicitor to be able to represent someone. It's rare that a barrister will get involved much earlier in legal proceedings, except in exceptional circumstances.

[R_Ravenclaw]

In America, the word is spelled "realize".

I always thought that in Britain, this word was spelled "realise", and my betas have always had mixed opinions on this. Which is the appropriate way: "realize" or "realise"?

I just really want to get this straight. Thanks!