Until just a few years ago , high school education ended at 16 . Assuming you didn ' t then go into a trade or other full time work at 16 , you would go to a college or sixth form for another 2 years to study ALevels usually 3 or 4 specialised subjects or some other qualifications . Quite often the sixth form is attached to a high school although not always and so you just continue through to 18 at the same place you went to school . After college you go to university . I believe that education is now mandatory until 18 , but the format is still the same high school education ends at 16 and collegesixth formapprenticeships take over from there . I don ' t have kids though so I could be slightly wrong about some of that .