The education offered at secondary modern schools is oriented towards the performance standards needed for the entrance to a college of further education.
The schooling is structured into classes. Alongside these class-based lessons, individual subjects can be taught in special courses.
The secondary modern school, unlike the grammar schools, is oriented towards students who are not planning to attend a senior secondary school, but rather plan to continue their education through qualified vocational training courses, hence the secondary modern school is limited to the 7th through 10th school years.
The student may also obtain a school-leaving certificate at the end of the 10th school year through a final examination, which is equivalent to the entrance requirements for an advanced vocational school. A student who has achieved exceptional results can transfer to a senior secondary school after completion of the 10th school year.
