What key is a 'school' saxophone?

[erebus]

IS there one common one that everyone means when they say 'My DC plays the sax at school'?

Normally the alto. It's E flat.

If they're teenagers it might be a tenor - B flat, but I think people normally start on the alto.

It is likely to be an alto sax in the key of E flat (wish I knew how to do a flat sign!) or much less likely the tenor sax which is B flat.

Thanks.

Is the 'fingering' like any other woodwind instrument, like a type of recorder, for instance?

I, like Manuel, know nothing.

The Alto Sax is similar to fingering of upper register on clarinet. I taught myself sax fairly easily having learnt clarinet.

Yes, it's like the recorder.

Treble recorder, you mean?

It's like flute, descant and tenor recorders, oboe and the second register of the clarinet.

most similar to flute I would say - I can play flute and sax but don't know the fingering for a clarinet.