John was in a nursery school for one year.

(M = Martin      J = John)
M: Did you go to a state primary school?
J: Yes, I did. I went to a nursery school first at the age of four, but this was totally voluntary. There was a good kindergarten in our neighbourhood, so my parents decided to send me there for a year.
M: Can you still remember it?
J: Yes, I have faint, but very pleasant memories of it. It was a delightful place, full of fun and games. As in most nursery schools, work—if you can call it that consisted of story telling, drawing, singing and dancing.
M: You probably don’t remember, but you must have missed it when you left—you know, when you went to the Enfant School at five.
J: I suppose I must have, but you know, right up to the age of seven, school life was very pleasant. It was only later in Junior School we began to have more formal lessons and even worry about exams.
M: Really? Did you have to take exams at that age?
J: Yes, we used to then. We had to take an exam at the age of eleven called the "eleven-plus" to see what kind of secondary school we would get into. But this exam is slowly disappearing nowadays.
M: There are four main types of secondary school, aren’t there?
J: Yes. Most of the brighter children go to a grammar school, some go to a technical school, and the majority go to a secondary modern. And then there are the comprehensive schools which cater for all levels of academic ability. These are becoming more and more important.
M: I must say I find your educational system rather complicated, and to make matters worse, you call your private schools public schools!
J: Yes, I suppose it is very confusing. But like so many other things in Britain, our educational system is deeply rooted in tradition and yet it’s changing all the time.
M: Really? In what ways is it changing?
J: Well, in almost every way. For instance, there is a very strong movement now towards comprehensive schools, where all children go for their secondary education no matter what their ability or background. There are already many of these schools, and many children are no longer tested by examination at the age of eleven to be placed in schools according to academic ability. And then again, public schools will probably become part of the State system some day.
M: But won’t the wealthy always be in a privileged position? They’ll always be able to send their children to the best private schools in the country.
J: Not necessarily. If independent schools join the state system and we do away with the idea of grammar schools for the clever and secondary modern schools for those less bright, then every child should have an equal opportunity to do well and to go on to higher education.