The UK Government ensures that all schools in the UK (1)______ certain standards, and this includes independent schools as well as those that are (2)_____ by the Government. All qualifications are awarded by national agencies accredited by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA), (3)____ the quality of the qualifications you will gain is guaranteed. At many independent schools in England, you will be encouraged to take part (4)_____ extracurricularactivities to develop your hobbies and learn new skills, and you may be encouraged to take graded music exams (5)______ by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. The exam grades gained from these are widely accepted toward university entry requirements.