Please explain the UK qualification framework and link it to my year 1 of undergraduate study, etc. 

Please have a look on the Regulated Qualification Framework (which is basically divided into 8 Levels of Study.

Correspondences between UK and Irish frameworks with European qualifications frameworks Within Europe, two overarching qualifications frameworks exist to which the national qualifications frameworks of the UK and Ireland relate: The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (FQ-EHEA) also known as the Bologna Framework.

Table 1 shows the correspondence of levels established between national qualifications frameworks and the EQF

Table 2 shows the outcome of verifying the compatibility of higher education frameworks for Scotland (FQHEIS/SCQF), for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) and for the NFQ for Ireland (NFQ IE) with the FQ-EHEA as follows:

The UK’s Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) categorizes qualifications in England based on their size, and their level of challenge or difficulty.

The size goes up from the smallest an Award, to a Certificate to the largest, a Diploma. All units on the RQF are awarded a credit number. One credit equals very roughly around ten learning hours.

The level goes from the lowest, least challenging Entry Level, up through the levels to the most challenging or difficult, which is a Doctorate at Level 8. Thus for UK qualifications:

Level 1: GCSE (grades D-G or 3-1)

Level 2: GCSE (grades A*-C or 9-4)

Level 3: A level, ATHE Level 3 Diplomas

Level 4: Year 1 of a 3-year Bachelor’s degree, ATHE Level 4 Diplomas

Level 5: Year 2 of a 3-year Bachelor’s degree, ATHE Level 5 Diplomas, Foundation degree

Level 6: Bachelor’s degree

Level 7: Postgraduate, ATHE Level 7 Diplomas, Master’s degree

Level 8: Doctorate