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

stair education, in many places, is divided into primary (YR-Y6), secondary (Y7 to Y13 (ie sixth form)) and tertiary (eg university). But as this thread has handily demonstrated (well, I've found it handy!) some places still have 3 tier systems.

My school was called a High School in its name in the 90s.

Is it Halloween yet? You know, that tacky, grabby Celtic tradition that's thousands of years old?

Ahhh when I opened this thread I immediately thought of Halloween! I'm already sick of people complaining about it being 'American'!

My old school has been known as XX High school for Girls since 1893.

Quick reply to a PP re Senior year in the US. That’s the equivalent of the Upper VIth, not year 11. Students are 17-18 years old. Freshman year is 9th Grade (your Year 10), Sophomore 10th grade (Year 11), Junior 11th grade (12) and Senior is 12th grade (13).

I grew up with three tier system - first, middle and high school, and it was called MyHomeTown High School - and my DC are now in a three tier system in a different area, although their OurTown High School is now an Academy. All in England.

OP - you're talking out of your bottom .

My schools actual name was XX High School - so that is what I call it

I went to a high school in Yorkshire in 1985. It was called ‘Town’ High School and the alternative was ‘Village’ High School.

I then taught in an Upper School in Northampton in the late 90s which took years 9 to 13.

No pint to this at all really.

My school was called a high school and it still is.

I can also think of 2 "Grammar" schools, not in Glasgow but elsewhere in Scotland: Paisley Grammar School and Aberdeen Grammar School, both of which are state comprehensives.

Both schools are hundreds of years old (but they weren't always state or comprehensive )

Regional variation innit?

I grew up in an area with grammars and secondary moderns. The grammars are called X Area Grammar, the secondary moderns are X Area School (which is all a bit Decline and Fall but there you go).

I now live in a different part of the country, and 75% of schools have the word High in their names, including an very well performing independent. I had to point this put to an old friend who accused me of Terrible Americanisation .

I went to High school in uk. Outer London county was primary, middle & high!

I'm 52, live in Northumberland and went to First School Middle School and High School. This was still the case for these particular schools until fairly recently, when they became part of the same academy and are now a two-tier system. There are still lots of first, middle and high schools in the wider area though.

My DDs secondary school is called "whatever-city High School"

So I think I'll call it High School! And we are on south coast.

My DDs school is called XX High School, our borough (North East) is still partially three tier, the more affluent areas were allowed to keep it. Schools here are (were) First, Middle and High. Where I live is now primary and secondary but the High School title has been kept.

I went to an 11-18 Grammar school in the Midlands during the 90’s which was XXX High School for Girls, although I would have said I went to secondary school rather than High School. No idea why it matters whether you call it High School or secondary school though.

DeathyMcDeathStarFace, has mentioned the exact same schools as I have! Not the King Edward V1, but the others. I now live in the town where her/his (?) high school still is 

High School here. And I’m 50.

Another who definitely went to high school. It was a very old school, and has been known as Town High School for at least 100 years.

Owlish did you grow up in a town beginning with 'C'?

Yy to what most other posters have said Me and my dc went to a High School I think sometimes posters live in their own bubble of if it isn't how they say things then it isn't right our Island is made up of 4 countries people sometimes forget that !

We used to have upper schools in our area, now we have high schools.

Oh and Davros Scottish schools have primary 1 -7 then 1st to 6th year at high school we don't have the year 1 etc etc.

Sorry but you are wrong OP - High Schools have existed in the UK for over a century if not more

I attended Place-name High School in the 1970s in East London

My Mother attended the same school in the 1940s when it was Place-name County High School

Thanks RiverTam

Yep I went to xx High school.

It's not American. I'm aware it's not what our DC say but I generally describe it as High school rather than secondary, sometimes I say senior though.

no worries.

The pedant in me thinks that even if a school has the name high school, but is within a secondary system, it should be referred to as a secondary school. So 'our local school is XX High School, but it's a secondary school'. If it is, obviously.

I have found it interesting finding out yet another American norm that is of Scottish descent.