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Original poster

People in UK saying "high school"

513 replies

Davros · 17/10/2018 11:36

I've noticed this term being used more and more. To me it's "Senior" or "Secondary" school. Schools with the old fashioned divisions have "Lower, Middle and Upper". Even if you follow the American usage it isn't the same as our Senior, i believe it is years 10, 11, 12 and 13. Why are people calling Senior school High school? I know, each to their own blah blah

OP posts:
TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 17/10/2018 20:10

High school was soooo not posh where I grew up!

StoorieHoose · 17/10/2018 20:10

People say it because it’s what their
School is actually called!

Owlish · 17/10/2018 20:11

As far as I know, high school is always referred to as just 'high school' or 'the high school' where I am and always has been.

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WickedGoodDoge · 17/10/2018 20:12

So you knew it is commonly referred to as high school in Scotland but were bit confused about Scotland being in the U.K. when you generalised with “UK” in your thread/thread title. Hmm

As an aside, my Scottish DC are in the Senior School of a College, but they still call it high school.

ShatnersBassoon · 17/10/2018 20:12

This is such a pointless thread!

OP: Why do people call high schools high school?
Everyone: Because they're high schools.
OP: Well yes, I know, but that's not a good enough reasons to call them high schools. I'm looking for something more interesting than logic...

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 17/10/2018 20:13

StoorieHoose I'm having a smile at your username... I have a stoorie goose, too!

(I'm a long since erstwhile Scot... who went to high school)

Lauren83 · 17/10/2018 20:13

I left school 20 years in the Northwest and it was high school then

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 17/10/2018 20:14

Make that a stoorie hoose, not goose!

StoorieHoose · 17/10/2018 20:16

TheFreaks I’m sitting looking at my stoorie telly - if only I had paid more attention in Home Eecies!!

twattymctwatterson · 17/10/2018 20:19

So you went to a school that actually had "high" in the title and you're bemused that people use the term High School? 

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 17/10/2018 20:20

Home eecies! 😂 Awe, you're making me all nostalgic and homesick Stoorie!

(goes off to enjoy the Scottish phrases thread again!)

PinkCalluna · 17/10/2018 20:20

I just wondered if people say it because it sounds posher!

No, we just call it that because that’s what it’s called in our part of the country.

It’s a bit like asking if Scots use “Janitor” rather than “Caretaker” because it’s posher (fancy Latin entomology don’t you know).

No, that’s just what it’s always been called here.

prettybird · 17/10/2018 20:21

At the very least, Davros , admit that you made a mistake in your heading, as even you acknowledge that you knew that in Scotland we did use the term. Last time I looked, Scotland was still unfortunately Wink in the UK HmmConfused

But as has been comprehensively pointed out (and when I typed that, I wasn't meaning that to be a pun Blush), just because you hadn't heard it used in your small part of England, it was neither a "mistake" nor "a new term" Confused

MollyHuaCha · 17/10/2018 20:21

My school was called XYZ High. All the 13 - 18 schools in my area had 'High' in their name.

When I met DH, he thought it was hilarious that I called it a High school, because in his area they had had Senior schools.

Original poster
Davros · 17/10/2018 20:21

Yes, we never referred to it as "high school" or "the high school" it was senior or secondary school called X High School

OP posts:
StoorieHoose · 17/10/2018 20:22

Surely you mean The Jannie PinkCalluna to give them their official title 😂

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 17/10/2018 20:22

Wait... janitor is a Scottish thing? Shock

PinkCalluna · 17/10/2018 20:22

Etymology I fixed it three bloody times before posting but autocorrect still got me..

Womanlikeme · 17/10/2018 20:23

This thread shows that the term is used all over the uk.

StoorieHoose · 17/10/2018 20:24

thefreaks my DD who has just started high school looked at me in disgust when I called it home eecies! Home Ec now don’t ya know!

PinkCalluna · 17/10/2018 20:24

Wait... janitor is a Scottish thing?

I believe so, I’m sure someone will be along shortly to correct me if I’m wrong. Grin

Original poster
Davros · 17/10/2018 20:27

If I knew what terms everyone uses all over the UK I wouldn't have asked the question. Now I know it's much more widely used than I thought. Thanks

OP posts:
StoorieHoose · 17/10/2018 20:28

A quick google tells me that janitor is used widely in Scotland and wait for it .... America Smile

SenecaFalls · 17/10/2018 20:28

It’s a bit like asking if Scots use “Janitor” rather than “Caretaker” because it’s posher (fancy Latin entomology don’t you know).

It's "janitor" in the US as well. Or at least it was when I was in school. It's probably called "Facilities Maintenance Specialist" or some such now.

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 17/10/2018 20:29

They don't have home eecies (or ec) here in Wales. Stoorie:It's just cooking and sewing as part of Design Technology. Boring.

Wonder if the non-janitors have metal buckets of sawdust to sprinkle over vomit in the corridor.

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