Types of Institutions

55% of students in the secondary cycle attended state schools in school year 2023/2024. In Malta’s state schools, the secondary cycle comprises two distinct phases: Middle School (Years 7 and 8) and Secondary School (Years 9, 10, and 11). Students generally change school between phases. 

Non-state schools include Church schools and Independent schools, which respectively provide an education to 33% and 12% of Malta’s secondary students in 2023/24 It is common practice for schools in the non-state sector to provide education for both the primary and secondary cycles with students moving on from one cycle to the next within the same institution. Furthermore, non-state schools have autonomy on whether and how to split the two cycles into phases.                                        

There are no pre-vocational or vocational schools at compulsory school level. However, students attending Years 9 to 11, whether offered by a state or non-state provider, can opt to follow one or two vocational subjects as part of their general secondary education. 

Geographical Accessibility

State middle schools receive students from primary schools within the same College Network. State secondary schools receive students either from the middle school of the same college or from middle schools within the cluster of colleges (3 colleges in each cluster), depending on the subjects chosen by the student towards the end of Year 8. 

The catchment area system does not apply to the National Sports School, the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School, the Alternative Learning Programme, Learning Support Centres and non-state schools, all of which welcome students who reside all over the Maltese islands. 

All students in the secondary cycle, who live more than 1km away from the school, are provided with free transport between their locality of residence and the school, with transport being organised centrally. The provision of free transport to students in non-state schools was introduced in September 2018.

Admission requirement and choice of school

Notwithstanding the national annual examination, all students are automatically admitted to the secondary cycle. In Secondary State Schools, students’ choice of subjects impacts which school they will attend since certain Vocational and Applied subjects are not offered in every school.  Parents who would like their child to attend a school outside that of their catchment area may request this, through the Office of the Head of College Network, citing and justifying their grounds. In non-state schools, students choose subjects from those offered within the school, with parents often taking the options into account when selecting a school for their child.

The secondary cycle is also offered in two specialised State schools: the National Sports School (established in September 2012, placing special emphasis on sports) and the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School (established in September 2017, placing special emphasis on the visual and performing arts). A limited number of places are available in each of these schools. Enrolment to the National Sports School takes place in Year 7 and 9, while that of the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School is limited to Year 7 only. Enrolment is competitive and requires a proven track record of sporting or artistic abilities. 

From school year 2024/25, eligibility criteria for the National Sports School, which are available on the website, are:

• Sport training with a club recognised and governed by the relevant national sports association for not less than twelve months from the date of application;
• Recommendation by an accredited sports association/federation;
• An aggregate score of 120 marks in their national school-based exams in the three core subjects (Maths, English and Maltese; and
• Main sport test (70% weighting) and fitness test (30% weighting).

Eligibility Criteria for the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School are as follows:

• For Drama, Music and Dance: Certificates and Letters of Recommendation from recognised entities and a short performance that tests the applicant’s artistic skills
• For Art: A Collection of Drawings, representative of the student’s achievements and skills, compiled over a period of time under the guidance of their Art teachers and accredited by them as Referees with a signed declaration, and a hands-on 2-hour session during which students produce one artwork. 
• For Media: A short cross-examination during which the students give substantial proof that they have a genuine interest in Media. 

The above contributes to 90% of Stage 1 of the Selection Process, the remaining 10% allotted for the applicant’s personality. Academic Results contribute to 30% of Stage 2 of the Selection Process. The selection process is detailed here.

Age levels and grouping of students

Students start the secondary cycle in September of the year they turn 11 years old and end when they complete compulsory schooling. In Malta, compulsory school age "means any age from five (5) years to fifteen (15) years, both inclusive, and accordingly a person shall be deemed to be of compulsory school age if he has attained the age of five (5) years and has not attained the age of sixteen (16) years or has not yet completed the last year of secondary school” (Education Act, Cap.605). The table below gives information on the age levels and grouping of students as per year group: 

Students in Middle and Secondary Schools are taught by specialist teachers, who are trained to teach a particular subject. Each group of students comprises students of the same age. Each class is assigned a year tutor who, besides teaching one’s subject, oversees the pastoral care needs of the students within the class. The tutor meets with each class at least twice a week, for 15 minutes each time.

Between the period 2011 and 2023, students’ results in the Benchmark assessments, were used to group students in Year 7 Students. Up to 2014, cut-off points were issued by the Department of Curriculum, where students were set in different track levels in the three core subjects: English, Maltese and Mathematics. The set classes were set: Track 1, Track 2 and Track 3 classes, with Track 3 classes comprising students with the highest performance attained in the subject.  Students whose performance was very low in the subject were set in CCP classes. These CCP classes were originally intended to be for the core subjects only, but gradually these became home classes, and specific programmes developed for them.

In 2014, a middle-of-the-road grouping system between streaming and mixed ability grouping was introduced.  This system was referred to as banding.   Banding allows for a certain degree of mixed ability but the academic gap between students in the same class is not as wide as mixed ability grouping. 

The raw scores in the three core subjects were standardized and sent to schools for heads to determine the bands and assign children to classes, which would have an element of mixed abilities. Guidelines for the Banding system were issued for both Primary and Secondary classes.

Setting of Classes in English, Maltese and Mathematics in Year 7 for Scholastic Year 2023-2024

When the banding exercise is taking place, factors need to be considered and adjustments must be made.  Heads are to consider the following factors: 

-   Options chosen by students (Language – including Maltese as a Foreign Language, Sport Career Development Programme, school-based subjects etc);

-   Number of classes determined by the number of students and number of teachers to teach the particular year group;

-   Maximum number of students in classes;

-   Gender balance;

-   Students with statement of needs;

-   Students with no annual results;

-   Other factors: familial/students’ disputes, students’ health issues, newcomers.

It is up to the discretion of the Head of School how to assign the groups of students to classes, taking noting what is best for the students.

As from scholastic year 2023/2024, the Benchmark examination made way for the Year 6 National annual examinations, which took place in June 2024.  For banding and setting purposes, the global mark (composed of 40% Continuous assessment and 60% Summative assessment) of the four core subjects, that is English, Maltese, Mathematics and Science, were considered for the banding exercise in Year 7. Banding using tracks was replaced with a more fluid system of banding using levels which are pegged to the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF), whereby students are grouped into classes reflecting the level at which they are working, namely MQF Level 1-2 or MQF Level 2-3, and, in mathematics only, MQF Level 3*.

Organisation of the school year

The Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR), through the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education (DQSE), establishes the parameters of the school year at secondary level for all schools (be they run by State or non-State providers). The minimum learning and assessment time entitlement for secondary level students during scholastic year 2023/24 is 884.5 hours.  Professional Development Sessions, Parents’ Meetings/Days and Prize/Celebration days are not calculated in the above entitlement. Teachers’ working hours are negotiated with the teachers’ unions. 

In State schools, the parameters for the school calendar are stipulated by the sectoral agreement, the current one came into effect in July 2024. The teachers’ school year runs from the fourth Monday in September until the 6th of July. The students’ school year commences two days after that of teachers and ends during the last week of June, with most schools having shorter days towards the end of the school year.  The school year is made up of three terms: 

• The first term runs from September until the Christmas recess; 
• The second term runs from the first week of January to the Easter recess; 
• The third term runs from a week after the Easter holidays until the last week of June. 

Schools have a mid-term holiday period of three days in November, a fifteen-day long Christmas recess, a two-day mid-term holiday period just prior to the beginning of Lent (coinciding with Carnival) and a week-long Easter recess. Summer holidays are around 13 weeks long. 

Non-state schools have some flexibility over the school calendar, but tend to follow a similar pattern. International schools generally follow the calendar of the system or mother entity with which they are tied, provided that they meet the minimum teaching and learning hours stipulated by the DQSE.

Organisation of school day and week

All state and non-state secondary schools operate five days a week from Monday to Friday usually between 08:30 and 14:50 hours. Some variance in the opening and closing times may occur. However, overall, a similar weekly and daily timetable is followed. Lessons usually last between 40 minutes (for state schools) and 45 minutes (for non-state schools). 

The school day is divided thus: 

State Schools start half-days in the beginning of June, each lesson is of 26 minutes’ duration with timetables in all schools adjusted to reflect this time: