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Glite Dictionary
composite school

composite school

4.2
A secondary school that accepts children of all abilities without exam selection
  • noun
  • /kəmˈpɒzɪt skuːl/
  • UK
translation icon : escuela comprensiva
  • Unlike grammar schools, a composite school does not select students based on their exam results.

Examples

  • After moving to Canada, Helen attended a composite school that welcomed students of all academic backgrounds.

  • The local composite school offers a wide range of courses to cater to its diverse student population.

  • The new composite school opened last September.

  • Many students prefer attending composite schools for their inclusivity.

  • After moving to Canada, Helen attended a composite school that welcomed students of all academic backgrounds.

  • The local composite school offers a wide range of courses to cater to its diverse student population.

  • Unlike grammar schools, a composite school does not select students based on their exam results.

Synonyms

comprehensive school
vscomposite school
  • UK
3.3

A state school for children after primary school that accepts all abilities without selection by tests

is the same but does not stress public or state status
comprehensive
vscomposite school
  • UK
4.8

A secondary school that accepts all local children without testing their ability

includes both UK and Canadian schools rather than UK only

Surface Forms

composite school singular
composite schools plural

Morphology

composite + school

The constituents 'composite' (made of several joined components) and 'school' (an educational institution) give a clear clue that this is a school composed of different parts or serving a mix of students, so a learner could infer a general sense of combined/mixed provision. However, the specific institutional meaning — a large, non-selective secondary school in British/Canadian usage — is a specialized, regional sense that is not fully predictable from the words alone, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Composite school: The name composite school comes from the word composite, which means 'made of different parts'. It pictures a school that mixes students of different abilities, so today composite school means 'a school that accepts all students and does not choose them by exam'.