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Original poster

Difference between High School and Secondary School

39 replies

Safirexx · 10/09/2018 00:56

Hello, new to the UK secondary school system as recently arrived from overseas. I've been wondering why some schools are High Schools and others are Secondary Schools. Grateful for enlightenment. Smile

OP posts:
Urbanbeetler · 10/09/2018 06:19

Early primaries were called Elementary School and you stayed until 13/14 if you didn’t pass the 11+ (and were working class). They taught basics. You might then go to a technical college - separate classes for girls and boys where you could learn a skill from cooking/childcare or for the boys, woodwork or farming. Some were specialist colleges for just domestic stuff etc.

Clever/better off children might have a chance to go to grammar at 11 but that would depend if their parents were able to buy the uniform and do without their wages for 6 years.

elkiedee · 10/09/2018 06:08

To make things more confusing, High School was sometimes used in the mid 20th century to refer to schools for girls who had passed the 11+ or similar, and in my hometown there is now a private girls school named [city name] Girls' High School. My secondary school was the product of a merger between [Location] High School (a girls' grammar) and [City] Modern (a boys' school). The merged school was simply called [Location] School.

Original poster
Safirexx · 10/09/2018 06:05

Thank you for all these answers! As a history buff I’ve really enjoyed getting the historical context. I’m still confused though! I live in one borough (SE London) but very very close to the border of the neighbouring borough. In my borough, a local school which was called X Secondary School converted to an Academy and is now called Y High School. Just across the border, there’s a new Academy which only goes up to Y8 so far which has always been called Z High School. My local primary school (Reception - Y6) feeds into both schools.

I understand they are all offering GCSEs and A-Levels at the end of the day but wondered what went into the authorities deciding whether to have “Secondary” or “High” in the name.

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 10/09/2018 03:55

I thought High school referred to the old three tier system,, first school, middle school and high school. This has been almost phased out throughout England.

We still have 3 tiers, of which the top tier is High School (Y9-Y11). 7 or 8 miles away, in the same borough, the High School is Y7-Y13! The mix of the old 3 tier system and more modern 2 tier within the same borough is largely down to the size of the buildings. Every so often they look at making our 3 tier into 2 tier, but the 20 or so first schools would need an extra classroom, and the high school would need to accommodate 2 more year groups. There’s no space or money for this, so it’s always kept, and is well liked locally.

SenecaFalls · 10/09/2018 03:22

The term "high school" originated in Scotland in the 16th century. The first school to be named "high school" was the Royal High School in Edinburgh. The Royal High School was used as a model for the first public high school in the US founded in Boston in 1821. That model was replicated in other parts of the country along with the name, which is why the term high school came to be used in the US. It's a direct borrowing from Scottish practice.

I don't know about England, but I think the terms secondary school and high school mean essentially the same thing in Scotland and in the US.

TwoBlueShoes · 10/09/2018 02:08

Yes, my high school was in Scotland.

prettybird · 10/09/2018 01:59

In Scotland, you will come across state schools with names that include High School, Academy, Grammar or just plain Secondary.

It's all historical - they are all comprehensive secondary schools.

LarryFreakinStylinson · 10/09/2018 01:34

We still have the three tier system. It’s brilliant. And we deffo have a high school rather than a secondary.

TwoBlueShoes · 10/09/2018 01:30

My secondary school was called high school in its name. It was just a regular secondary school. I guess it’s called that for historical reasons.

DelilahandDaisy · 10/09/2018 01:18

Yes, sparklingwine I think the name is from that period and is only really used in areas that used to have this system.

Sparklingwinemakesmehappy · 10/09/2018 01:04

I thought High school referred to the old three tier system,, first school, middle school and high school. This has been almost phased out throughout England.

Secondary school refers to the current system of a first school them a secondary school.

Movablefeast · 10/09/2018 01:02

Secondary Schools usually start at age 11 and finish at 18.

In the US that would be Middle School plus High school.

AssassinatedBeauty · 10/09/2018 00:59

Just a quirk of historical naming. It doesn't mean anything these days. High schools are secondary schools.

stellabird · 10/09/2018 00:58

Same thing, just different terms for the same schools.