IntheUnitedKingdom,theterm,stateschool,referstogovernment-fundedschoolswhichprovideeducationfreeofchargetopupils.Thecontrasttothisarefee-payingschools,oftencalled"independentschools","privateschools"or"publicschools"(intheUKonly;intheUS,forexample,publicschoolsaregovernment-funded).

　　AccordingtotheGoodSchoolsGuide,

　　“IntheUK,stateschoolsexistinabewilderingvarietyofforms.Overthelasthundredyears,successivegovernmentshavestruggledtoimproveeducationbyreformingitsstructure,overandoveragain.Whatallstateschoolshaveincommonisthattheyareentirelyfreetoparents,beingfundedthroughtaxation.”

　　InEnglandandWalesthetermpublicschoolisoftenusedtorefertofee-payingschools."Public"isusedhereinasomewhatarchaicsense,meaningthattheyareopentoanymemberofthepublic,distinguishedfromreligiousschoolswhichareopenonlytomembersofthatreligion.Somepeoplecallonlytheolderfee-payingschools,publicschools,whileothersusethetermforanysuchschool.

　　InScotland,wheretheeducationalsystemisdistinctlydifferentfromtherestofUK,thetermpublicschoolwasonceusedofficiallytodescribestateschools(being,astheywere,publiclyowned)-althoughpreferenceisnowbeinggiventotheterm'stateschool'.UseofpublicschoolinScotlandisambiguousindefinitionasitcanbeusedinbothcontextsasschoolssuchasFettesCollegeinEdinburghareoftenconsideredalongsideotherindependentprivateschools;however,thepeculiarlyScottishuseofthetermhasfoundfavourabroad,particularlyintheUnitedStatesandCanada.

　　TheNationalCurriculumisfollowedinallstateschoolsinEngland,NorthernIrelandandWales.InNorthernIrelandsecondary-levelschoolsaredividedintoGrammarschools,SecondaryschoolsandCatholic-maintainedschools,withanincreasingnumberofIntegratedschools.TherearealsoasmallnumberofvoluntaryIrishLanguageschools.[2]

　　ThroughouteducationintheUK,thevastmajorityofstate-fundedschoolsareunderthecontroloflocalcouncils(LocalEducationAuthoritiesinEnglandandWales,DepartmentofEducationinNorthernIreland),andarereferredtoinofficialliteratureasmaintainedschools.TheexceptionsareaminorityofsecondaryschoolsinEnglandfundeddirectlybycentralgovernment,knownasacademiesandCityTechnologyColleges.

　　Somestateschools,knownasfaithschools,haveformallinkswithreligiousorganisations,andarepermittedtopromoteaparticularreligiousethosandtousefaithcriteriaintheiradmissions.Somemaintainedschoolsarepartiallyfundedbyreligiousorothercharitablebodies;theseareknownasvoluntarycontrolledschools,voluntaryaidedschoolsorfoundationschools.

　　TheoldeststateschoolinEnglandisBeverleyGrammarSchool,whichwasfoundedin700AD.