In some areas of England there are nursery schools3 for children under 5 years of age. Some children between two and five receive education in nursery classes or in infants classes4 in primary schools. Many children attend informal pre-school play-groups organized by parents in private homes. Nursery schools are staffed with teachers and students in training. There are all kinds of toys to keep the children busy from 9 o'clock in the morning till 4 o'clock in the afternoon—while their parents are at work. Here the babies play, lunch and sleep. They can run about and play in safety with someone keeping an eye on them.
For day nurseries which remain open all the year round the parents pay according to their income. The local education authority's nurseries5 are free. But only about three children in 100 can go to them: there aren't enough places, and the waiting lists are rather long.
Most children start school at 5 in a primary school. A primary school may be divided into two parts—infants and juniors. At infants school reading, writing and arithmetic arc taught for about 20 minutes a day during the first year, gradually increasing to about 2 hours in their last year. There is usually no written timetable. Much time is spent in modelling from clay or drawing, reading or singing.
By the time children are ready for the junior school6 they will be able to read and write, do simple addition and subtraction of numbers.
At 7 children go on from the infants school to the junior school. This marks the transition from play to 'real work'. The children have set periods of arithmetic, reading and composition which are all Eleven Plus subjects. History, Geography, Nature Study, Art and Music, Physical Education, Swimming are also on the timetable.
Pupils are streamed8, according to their ability to learn, into À, Â, Ñ and D streams. The least gifted are in the D stream. Formerly towards the end of their fourth year the pupils wrote their Eleven Plus Examination. The hated 11 + examination was a selective procedure on which not only he pupils' future schooling but their future careers depended, the abolition of selection at Eleven Plus Examination brought to life comprehensive schools9 where pupils can get secondary education.