ENGLISH
REFERENCE

secondary school

compound.
B1 Intermediate Oxford

compound. a school for students between the ages of 11 and 18, which they attend after primary school.

compound. an educational institution providing instruction for students following primary education, typically encompassing ages 11 to 16 or 18 depending on the national system.


SIMPLE

My son starts secondary school in September.

CONTEXTUAL

After finishing primary school, most children in the town attend the local secondary school together.

COMPLEX

The transition from a small primary environment to a large secondary school can be academically and socially challenging for many young learners.

Usage

primarily used in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; the American equivalent is 'high school'.

Teaching tip

use this to teach the sequence of education: primary, secondary, and tertiary (university); note that 'secondary' is often omitted in casual speech in favor of 'high school' even in some UK regions.

Pitfall

He goes to the second school.He goes to secondary school.the adjective 'secondary' is the fixed term for this level of education, not the ordinal number 'second'.

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