primary school

American  

noun

1. a school usually covering the first three or four years of elementary school and sometimes kindergarten.

2. elementary school.

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primary school British  

noun

1. (in Britain) a school for children below the age of 11. It is usually divided into an infant and a junior section

2. (in the US and Canada) a school equivalent to the first three or four grades of elementary school, sometimes including a kindergarten

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Etymology

Origin of primary school

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

He won a scholarship to Eton College after attending a state primary school, and studied mathematics at Pembroke College, Oxford.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

A pledge to provide free school breakfasts and meals to every primary school pupil in Scotland is now limited to P1-P5 - with a targeted offering for older pupils based on need.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The Hive was first published in 2013 and tells the story of a group of mothers at a primary school.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Retired primary school teacher Linda explained: "The charity started in 1965 when some Borders farmers' wives recognised that a child living close by was in dire need."

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

During “weeding combat,” which occurred between June and August, primary school students worked from four in the morning until dusk pulling weeds in corn, bean, and sorghum fields.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Related Words

• grade school
• grammar school