ext_2146 ([identity profile] tacittype.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] sapote 2007-08-24 11:26 pm (UTC)

He/she wouldn't have *had* to go to a grammar school, but it is more common. Private schools are the most common route into politics, I suspect. They don't always have an entrance exam.

It goes: GCSEs at 16. Normally between nine and eleven of those, each graded from A (or A*) to F. I think - not sure what comes lower than E, there are some other letters that I never really understood the point of. N? U? Whatever. Anyway, you usually need five A to Cs to go on to A-levels.

A-levels at 18. These are often taken at a college, but my school went up to 18. Most don't. Back then, you'd take 3 or 4, graded as above.

University is generally three years for a bachelors, four for a masters. As [livejournal.com profile] folk said, the Oxbridge set is more traditionally political. There's also a hardcore of boys' private schools that have more than their fair share of politicians - Eton, Harrow, Winchester. I used to go out with a guy who went to Winchester, and he was probably the poshest guy I ever met. He wore braces to work. God.

It's actually a bit different for the poshest of private schools. We go to primary school from 4 to 11 and secondary school from 11 to 18. They start prep school at 8 until 13, then go to Eton or wherever from 13 to 18.

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