Differences in the school day: Primary school vs Elementary school
Primary schools in the UK and Elementary schools in the US have MANY differences. If you’ve got a little one moving soon or if you’re just curious, we’ve laid out the big differences in the school day we’ve noticed below!
Since there are so many differences, we’ve tackled the all too important topics of uniforms and food seperately.
If you’re looking for information on uniforms check out our dedicated article here.
If you’re interested in the differences in food served at school, check this out.
Getting to School
Most Primary schools in the UK are built in neighbourhoods. Students often walk or are driven to school by their parents. Other students take public transport - busses or trains - to school. However, there aren’t busually busses dedicated to the school. In the US, big yellow school buses dedicated to driving students to school are the norm. Other students walk or are driven to school.
Beginning the School Day
Both types of school start at roughly the same time: somewhere between 8:30 and 9 AM.
In the US, the school day begins with the pledge to the flag and morning announcements. The “pledge” is uniquely American and definitely has no British equivalent. Also, morning announcements are not common in the UK.
In the UK, learning activities are kicked off with something called “start of the day activities” or SODA. This is usually a short worksheet or math problem on the chalk/whiteboard. Sometimes this is a review of previous lessons.
Different Subjects
While many subjects are the same: maths, language arts/English/literature, gym, science, health, etc. there are some main differences between what is taught in the UK versus the US.
Religious Education (or RE for short) is taught in the UK. If the school is of a specific faith (for example, a Catholic school), then the RE lessons are likely to revolve around those religious teachings. In general, RE covers the basics of major religious practiced in the UK and promotes religious tolerance. It’s possible to request that your child does not take RE classes if you wish, however, the overwhelming majority do.
Grammar is taught as a core subject in the UK and there is much more of a heavy influence on learning and understanding grammar rules in the UK when compared to the US. In America, it’s mixed in with other English lessons. By Year 4, a kid in the UK is learning about prepositional phrases and fronted adverbials. These won’t be covered until middle school in the US!
Geography is woven into lessons throughout Primary school. While this isn’t a core subject, there are lessons and tests dedicated to this subject matter.
The scope of what is covered in History is very different in the US versus the UK. Elementary schools typically focus on early American History covering some Native American lessons, the forming of the nation, the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War. In the UK, British history is taught as well as World War 1, World War 2, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and some Stone Age and Bronze Age history.
Differences in Reading and Writing
Schools in the US place a heavy emphasis on sight words for early readers. These are words that a student knows on sight rather than being deciphered through reading. This concept doesn’t exist in the UK; kids are simply taught to read phonetically.
Handwriting is corrected often and treated with higher regard in the UK. Older Primary school children can earn a “handwriting pen” once their handwriting is considered to be consistently good enough to write with a pen rather than a pencil.
In the UK, children begin learning cursive from Year One and are expected to write in cursive throughout their Primary school career. In the US, kids learn about cursive in Second Grade and write in cursive for about two years. Also - did you know there are differences between US and UK cursive?
Chapter books, even books of over 100 pages, are prescribed for children in the UK as soon as they are able - usually around Year Two.
Weekly spelling tests are the norm in both countries. In the US, spelling test typically drop off in 3rd or 4th grade while they carry on each week in the UK.
Drills
Depending upon where an Elementary school is located, American kids may be subject to a LOT of drills. Many school districts plan “drill weeks” and cover all the drills a couple weeks per year.
Here are the standard drills American students may have:
Fire drills, lockdown (shooter) drills, blackout drills, earthquake / tsunami / tornado drills
Here are the standard drills students in the UK may have:
Fire drills
If you’re moving from the UK to the US, I would recommend talking with your child about all the drills in advance because it can cause a child to worry if they have never been through these before.
Assemblies and Special Interest / Charities
Elementary schools have recognition ceremonies that usually occur monthly. Many Primary schools have weekly assemblies. Elementary schools may also have school spirit assemblies but there’s no direct equivalent in the UK.
American kids participate in week-long activities for special interest (like red ribbon week) or school spirit engagement. Typical activities might be dressing in pyjamas, sports clothing, mismatching clothes or funny socks. The UK has a couple of similar activities but they are focused around charitable groups. There’s Red Nose Day where students come dressed in red or with a red nose and a day dedicated to Children in Need where students come dressed in yellow, in polka dots or as Pudsey the bear.
Parties
Both countries love a good party! American kids often have a class party for Halloween, right before winter break and at the end of the year. Kids in the UK usually have a party before winter break and at the end of the year.
In America, kids often bring in store-bought snacks and lots of sweets to share for a party. In the UK, the schools put on the party and provide squash (juice), crisps and biscuits.
Moving Soon?
If you’re moving to the UK, we recommend checking out Twinkl.com to understand the learning goals of your child’s year in Primary school. They have a lot of great resources that can be used at home to catch up on any lessons that haven’t been taught in your child’s schooling so far.
Additionally, there are plenty of tutors available in the UK. Tutoring companies are common and you’ll find them on nearly every High Street. Many children who exceed grade level expectations in the UK go to tutors regularly. Tutoring companies can help make sure your child transitions to the way that subjects are taught in the UK more quickly.
