People in UK saying "high school"

[Davros]

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

I grew up in a town where the largest secondary school is called “Townname High School”. This is in the Midlands.

In the London Borough of Sutton all schools from age 11 had High School in the name in the 80s, whether grammar or non selective. Later on some some reverted to eg. Sutton Grammar, Wallington County Grammar.

Mine was a high school, we had first,middle and high. Since I’ve been a secondary teacher I have umpteenth students ask me if I went to school in America if I refer to my own schooling as “high school”.

I'm late 40s and my high school was actually called "x High school". It's not new!

It's not a recent thing in my area. I went to the same High school as my Mum, Dad & Grandmother, so 70 year ago. It's called XX Academy now but is still referred to by most locals as XX High. Thinking about it all of the local seniors school in my area were 'town name' High School until they converted.

I'm 28 and went to [town name] High School (in Scotland).

Why are people talking about year11 and year12? Don't they understand that we have different systems in Scotland and Northern Ireland? And the school I went to was X High School. In Edinburgh. Part of the UK.



I went to Town Name High School my daughter goes to Town Name High School and we are in Scotland

I'm 42 and went to High school too. I still refer to secondary school as "High" school

I've always referred to it as secondary school, as do the majority of folk I know. However, the school that I attended opened in 1963 and has always been called " Roman Catholic High School", so it's obviously not a new thing.

I also went to a High School. This was in the 90s, and in the west coast Highlands of Scotland. Where I live now, this seems unusual to people my age, as they all went to placename Academy here. I'm still in Scotland, but on the east coast. It's definitely just a regional thing.

The majority of secondary schools in Scotland have 'high school' in their name?

Most of the schools in my area are called ...Name...High School so it is commonly used.

Some people around here also say ‘comp’ but most would say ‘high school.’

North west mid 30s and it’s high school

I’m 38. I went to a high school in Yorkshire.

We also had three tiers back then. First, Middle and High.

US language sometimes reflects older usage in the UK.

I would probably say secondary but both myself and Dd went/attend schools with high school in their titles. Both in England and founded in late 1800s so maybe "high school" was in vogue then!

I say high school as in Welsh we say “ysgol fawr”

It's high school in Australia as well.

OP did you really think people were using High School cos it’s what they call it in America?

I started secondary school in 1981, it was called (placename) Comprehensive School. Two years later we merged with another school and became (different name) High School, which it still is.

But now I think about it, I'd probably say 'When I was at secondary school' in everyday conversation, unless it was to someone who knew the school, in which case I'd just say 'When I was at (placename) (the name of the school isn't really an area, so it's obvious what you're referring to).

I'm in the North West.

My school was actually a High School with the term "High School" in its name, e.g. London High School (wasn't London, but you get the gist) so have always called it High School

My school became a high school when our area went comprehensive. It went from XXXX Secondary Modern, to XXXX High School.

High school here as well. North-West UK.

My school was called X Primary School and my high school was Y High School. My kids schools are named in the same way. The high school is an academy but still called Z high school.

I've heard secondary school used when I was younger but I've never heard senior school used before.