upper school

American  

noun

1. a scholastic division, especially in a private school, including the terminal secondary grades.

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upper school British  

noun

1. the senior pupils in a secondary school, usually those in the fourth and fifth years and above

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Etymology

Origin of upper school

First recorded in 1620–30

Example Sentences

Before Opal, the upper school did not have a policy governing phone usage, with teachers allowed to set their own class rules.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025

Harvard-Westlake attempted for years to improve its parking situation for the upper school located on Coldwater Canyon Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025

Sidwell, which typically has roughly 500 students in the upper school, prides itself on a rigorous academic curriculum.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2023

While Maret’s 46 players are the most in school history, Engelberg recruited many of them from the hallways in the 320-student upper school.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2022

The stone facade of the upper school, where Jule was to work, stood five stories high.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart