INDEX:
1. school
2. schools for very young children
3. schools for children between the ages of about 5 and 12
4. schools for older children
5. a place where people over 18 can study
6. one of the periods into which the year is divided at school, university etc
7. what you get when you finish a course successfully
8. the process of studying and being taught
RELATED WORDS
leave school or college : ↑ LEAVE
someone who studies at a school or university : ↑ STUDY
: ↑ TEACH , ↑ STUDY , ↑ LEARN , ↑ SUBJECT , ↑ CLASS , ↑ GRADE
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1. school
▷ school /skuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a place where children go to learn and be taught, up to the age of 18 :
▪ My mother is a teacher at the local school.
▪ The nearest school was 10 miles away.
▪ I always liked school, but my sister hated it.
▪ All the kids around here take the bus to school.
at school
attending school especially British
▪ She must be about 16 - she’s still at school.
in school
especially American
▪ Kyle is one of the most popular boys in school.
out of school
no longer at school
▪ I’ve only been out of school a couple of years, but I’ve forgotten all the math I learned.
go to school
attend school
▪ Jessica’s still too young to go to school.
drop out of school
stop going to school before you finish
▪ Jake dropped out of school and started working at the bowling alley.
state school British /public school
American a school that is paid for by the government
▪ Teachers are complaining that the public schools do not receive adequate funding.
private school also independent school
British a school that is paid for by parents
▪ Many parents want to send their children to private school because class sizes are smaller.
public school
British a school for rich people that their parents pay for
▪ He argued for the abolition of the public schools, which he says are elitist.
school uniform
▪ The children were all wearing school uniforms.
2. schools for very young children
▷ nursery school /ˈnɜːʳs ə ri ˈskul/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a school for children aged between about two and five where they play and do activities with other children :
▪ Ian will soon be old enough to go to nursery school.
▷ preschool /ˈpriːskuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun] American
a school for children aged between about two and five :
▪ Eastin is calling for a plan to provide free preschool for all 4-year-olds.
preschooler [countable noun]
▪ The educational program is aimed at preschoolers.
▷ kindergarten /ˈkɪndəʳgɑːʳtən/ [countable/uncountable noun] American
the first year of school for children aged 5 :
▪ Katie was one of the few children who could read when she started kindergarten.
▪ Mrs. Marks was my kindergarten teacher.
kindergartner /ˈkɪndəʳgɑːʳtnəʳ/ [countable noun] American :
▪ The kindergartners were making pictures with construction paper.
3. schools for children between the ages of about 5 and 12
▷ primary school /ˈpraɪməri ˌskuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in Britain, a school for children aged between five and eleven :
▪ My father entered primary school in 1958.
▪ Primary school children know more today than we did at that age.
▷ elementary school/grade school /elɪˈment ə ri ˌskuːl, eləˈment ə ri ˌskuːl, ˈgreɪd skuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in the US, a school for children aged between five and twelve in some places, and five and ten in other places :
▪ In grade school, Karen sang in the school chorus.
▪ The senator met with a group of elementary school students learning about how government works.
4. schools for older children
▷ secondary school /ˈsekənd ə ri ˌskuːlǁ-deri-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in Britain, a school for children aged between 11 and 18; in the US, a name for middle school, junior high school, and high school considered together as a group :
▪ Everyone in his family had at least completed secondary school.
▪ As children enter secondary school, parents often do not have the necessary knowledge to help with homework.
▷ middle school /ˈmɪdl skuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a school for children aged between 9 and 13 in Britain and 10 and 14 in some parts of the US :
▪ Kim attends Byrd Middle School in Sun Valley.
▪ The arts and crafts fair is geared toward middle school students.
▷ junior high school /ˌdʒuːniəʳ ˈhaɪ skuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a school for children aged between 12 and 14 or 15, especially in some parts of the US :
▪ I started taking French in junior high school.
▪ Drug use among junior high school students has fallen.
▷ high school /ˈhaɪ skuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in the US, a school for children aged between 15 or 16 and 18 :
▪ Brad was the captain of his high school football team.
▪ The program requires high school students to take at least one college-level course.
go to high school
▪ Where do you go to high school?
graduate from high school
successfully complete high school
▪ He’s been working full time since graduating from high school last June.
▷ comprehensive school /ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv◂ skuːlǁˌkɑːm-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in Britain, a school for children aged 11-16 or 11-18 that most students attend because it accepts people of all abilities and is paid for by the government
▷ sixth form college /ˈsɪksθ fɔːʳm ˌkɒlɪdʒǁ-ˌkɑː-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in Britain, a college for students aged between 16 and 18
5. a place where people over 18 can study
▷ university /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːʳsəti, ˌjuːnəˈvɜːʳsəti/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a place where students study one or two subjects at a high level, in order to get degrees :
▪ the University of Chicago
▪ In 1986 32% of Saudi Arabian university professors were women.
go to university
British
▪ She wants to go to university to study biology.
be at university
British
▪ Both my sisters are at university.
▷ college /ˈkɒlɪdʒǁˈkɑː-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
in the US a university; in Britain, a place where people can study academic subjects or practical skills after they leave secondary school, but which does not give degrees :
▪ The grant money is for low-income college students.
go to college
▪ My brother never went to college, but he still has a very good job.
be at college
British
be in college
American
▪ Our youngest daughter is in college now.
graduate from college
▪ We hadn’t seen each other since we graduated from college.
college graduate
someone who has successfully completed college
▪ Many college graduates are unable to find work in their field.
▷ school /skuːl/ [countable/uncountable noun] American informal
a university or similar institution :
go to school
study at a college or university
▪ Phil gave up his job, and he’s going back to school next year.
▷ law school/medical school/business school /ˈlɔː skuːl, ˈmedɪk ə l skuːl, ˈbɪznə̇s skuːl/ [countable noun]
a university or part of a university where you study law, medicine, or business :
▪ My father always wanted me to go to law school.
▪ Harvard Business School
▪ He’s applied to all the best medical schools in the country.
▷ post-secondary /pəʊst ˈsekənd ə riǁ-deri/ [adjective only before noun] American
use this about education that takes place after a student has finished high school :
▪ Eighty-five percent of high school students in the program go on to post-secondary education.
▪ post-secondary institutions
▷ postgraduate especially British /graduate American /pəʊstˈgrædʒuɪt, pəʊstˈgrædʒuət, ˈgrædʒuə̇t/ [adjective only before noun]
use this about advanced education that takes place after a student has finished a university degree, or about students who study at this level :
▪ She got a degree in history last year, and now she’s doing a postgraduate course.
▪ postgraduate research
▪ We met when we were both graduate students at Berkeley.
▷ higher education /ˌhaɪər edjʊˈkeɪʃ ə nǁ-edʒə-/ [uncountable noun]
education at a university or similar institution :
▪ The U.S. community college system is the largest system of higher education in the world.
▪ More women than ever are going on to higher education.
▷ adult education /ˌædʌlt edjʊˈkeɪʃ ə nǁ-edʒə-/ [uncountable noun]
classes for adults, often in the evenings, either because they want to improve their skills or for interest and enjoyment :
▪ The government needs to do more to fund adult education for the unemployed.
6. one of the periods into which the year is divided at school, university etc
▷ term /tɜːʳm/ [countable noun]
one of the three periods that the year is divided into at British school and most British universities; in the US, a name for any of the main periods into which a school year is divided :
▪ As a graduate student, he spent a term at Wichita State University.
▪ The main exams are at the end of the summer term.
▷ semester /sɪˈmestəʳ, səˈmestəʳ/ [countable noun]
one of the two or three periods that the year is divided into at American schools and most American universities :
▪ He attended Bennington College for three semesters.
fall/spring semester
▪ Fall semester starts the 28th of August.
▷ the school year/the academic year /ðə ˌskuːl ˈjɪəʳ, ði ˌækədemɪk ˈjɪəʳ/ [singular noun]
the period of the year when there are school or university classes :
▪ In Japan the school year starts in April and ends in February or March.
▪ The end of the academic year with its final exams is very stressful for many students.
▷ quarter /ˈkwɔːʳtəʳ/ [countable noun]
one of the four main periods that the year is divided into at some American schools and universities :
fall/winter/spring/summer quarter
▪ She was back in Michigan in time to teach spring quarter.
7. what you get when you finish a course successfully
▷ diploma /dɪˈpləʊmə, dəˈpləʊmə/ [countable noun]
in Britain, a document that shows that someone has successfully completed a course of study or passed an examination; in the US, a document showing that a student has successfully completed their high school, college, or university education :
▪ Everyone was given a diploma at the end of the course.
high school/college diploma
▪ Anyone with a high school diploma can enroll in the course.
▷ qualification /ˌkwɒlɪfəˈkeɪʃ ə n, ˌkwɒləfəˈkeɪʃ ə nǁˌkwɑː-/ [countable noun usually plural] British
you get a qualification when you finish a course and pass examinations at the end of it :
▪ The two-year course leads to a teaching qualification.
▪ List your qualifications in the space below.
academic qualification
▪ She left school at 16, with no academic qualifications.
▷ degree /dɪˈgriː/ [countable noun]
the qualification that you get when you successfully finish a course at university :
▪ Cohn has a degree in political science from the University of Chicago.
▪ Her dream is to get a degree in computer science and then get a high-paying job.
do a degree/take a degree
British study in order to get one
▪ Maggie is doing a degree in psychology.
▷ master’s degree/master’s /ˈmɑːstəʳz dɪˌgriː, ˈmɑːstəʳzǁˈmæs-/ [countable noun]
an advanced degree that you get by studying for one or two years after getting your first degree :
▪ Getting a master’s should help you get a better job.
master’s degree/master’s in
▪ Successful applicants will have a master’s degree in social work.
▷ doctorate/PhD /ˈdɒkt ə rɪt, ˈdɒkt ə rətǁˈdɑːk-, ˌpiː eɪtʃ ˈdiː/ [countable noun]
the most advanced type of degree, which you study for on your own for several years, doing work and writing a long report explaining what you have discovered :
▪ Bedell later earned a doctorate from Columbia University.
doctorate/PhD in
▪ She had a PhD in industrial robotics.
8. the process of studying and being taught
▷ education /ˌedjʊˈkeɪʃ ə nǁˌedʒə-/ [uncountable noun]
the whole process by which people learn and develop their minds in schools, colleges, and universities :
▪ The government should spend more on education.
▪ My parents wanted me to have a good education.
▪ Kerry hasn’t decided if she’ll continue her education or not.
public education
paid for by the government especially American
▪ All children in the state have a right to public education.
private education
paid for by parents, not provided by the government
▪ Many parents cannot afford private education for their children.
▷ educational /ˌedjʊˈkeɪʃ ə nəlǁˌedʒə-/ [adjective usually before noun]
relating to education :
▪ Different children have different educational needs.
▪ We offer a wide range of educational and sporting activities.
educational institution/establishment
a school, college, or university
▪ Many educational institutions have not been able make needed improvements because of funding cuts.
educational system
▪ The American educational system is in need of reform.
educational opportunity
▪ Low-income children do not have the same educational opportunities as children from wealthier families.
▷ academic /ˌækəˈdemɪk◂/ [adjective usually before noun]
relating to education, especially at college or university level :
▪ Leon was unemployed, and had no academic qualifications.
▪ Increased self-confidence can help improve academic achievement.
▪ Her name is well known in academic circles.
▪ The new law raises concerns about academic freedom.