How to Write About Your School (for FCE & CAE Learners)
Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Being able to describe your school in a clear, detailed, and natural manner is essential. But how do you make your school description stand out? It’s not just about saying, “My school is big.” Instead, it’s about using a wide range of vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms, and collocations to create a vivid picture for your reader. In this guide, you’ll discover all the essential language you need to write confidently about your school, with examples suitable for B2 to C1 learners. Let’s get started! How to write about your school
School vocabulary you should know
When writing about your school, these are the vocabulary words and phrases that will help you be specific and clear:
Facilities & places
| Vocabulary word/phrase | Meaning |
| Science lab | a special room where students do science experiments using equipment and chemicals. |
| Canteen | a place in the school where students and staff can buy and eat meals or snacks. |
| Staffroom | a private room where teachers and other staff members can relax, prepare lessons, or have meetings. |
| Assembly hall | a large room where students gather for assemblies, performances, or special events. |
| Playground | an outdoor area where children can play during break time or before/after school. |
| IT room (Information Technology room) | a computer room where students have IT lessons or use computers for schoolwork. |
| Corridor | a long passage in the school building that connects classrooms and other rooms. |
| Common room | a room where students, especially older ones, can relax, chat, or study when they have free time. |
How to Write About Your School
People
| Vocabulary word/phrase | Meaning |
| Headteacher | the person in charge of the whole school; they manage the staff and make important decisions (also called principal in American English). |
| Form tutor | a teacher responsible for a particular class or group of students, usually meeting them daily to take attendance and discuss school matters. |
| Classmates | the other students in your class—the people you study with. |
| Caretaker | a person who looks after the school building, making sure it’s clean, safe, and well-maintained. |
| Teaching assistant | someone who helps the main teacher in the classroom, often by working with small groups or supporting students who need extra help. |
| School nurse | a medical professional who works at the school and looks after students who feel unwell or get injured during the school day. |
How to Write About Your School
Activities & school life
| Vocabulary word/phrase | Meaning |
| Field trip | a visit to a place outside school as part of a lesson or project. |
| Coursework | written or practical work done by a student during a course, often assessed for part of the final grade. |
| Detention | a punishment where a student must stay at school after normal hours. |
| Extracurricular activities | clubs, sports, or hobbies organised by the school that take place outside of normal lessons. |
| Mock exam | a practice exam taken before the real one to help students prepare. |
| Homework | schoolwork that students are given to do at home. |
| School report | a document with comments and grades showing a student’s progress and performance. |
How to Write About Your School
Descriptive adjectives
| Adjective | Meaning |
| Well-equipped | having all the necessary tools, resources, or facilities. |
| Rundown | in poor condition; old and badly maintained. |
| Welcoming | friendly and inviting; making people feel comfortable. |
| Strict | having clear rules and expecting people to follow them closely. |
| Supportive | helpful and encouraging, especially during difficult times. |
| State-of-the-art | very modern and using the most recent technology or design. |
How to Write About Your School
Must-know collocations
Here are natural word combinations you can use in your writing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
| Attend school regularly | go to school every day as expected, without skipping classes. | Students who attend school regularly tend to perform better in exams. |
| Sit / Take an exam | do an official test, usually at the end of a course or term. | I’m going to sit my English exam next week, so I need to revise.
Everyone in the class had to take a maths exam on Friday. |
| Hand in homework | submit your completed homework to the teacher. | We had to hand in our homework by 9 a.m. or we’d lose marks. |
| Catch up on schoolwork | do tasks or lessons that you missed or delayed, so you’re at the same level as others. | After being off sick for a week, I had to catch up on a lot of schoolwork. |
| Get good grades | achieve high marks or scores in school subjects. | She works hard because she wants to get good grades and go to university. |
| Wear a school uniform | dress in special clothing required by the school. | All students must wear a school uniform from Monday to Friday. |
| Fall behind with studies | make less progress than others; not keep up with lessons or assignments. | He fell behind with his studies after missing several weeks of school. |
| Be under pressure to succeed | feel stress or expectation to do well, often from parents or teachers. | Many teenagers are under pressure to succeed, especially during exam season. |
How to Write About Your School
Phrasal verbs to describe school life
These will make your writing more fluent and less repetitive
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example sentence |
| Hand in | submit | I handed in my history project late. |
| Fall behind | progress more slowly | He fell behind in maths last term. |
| Catch up | reach the same level | I had to catch up after missing classes. |
| Brush up on | review, improve | She’s brushing up on her English for the oral exam. |
| Drop out | leave school | He dropped out in year 11. |
| Get through | survive or pass | I just got through my science exam! |
| Look up to | admire | I look up to my English teacher a lot. |
How to Write About Your School
Check out our workbooks for learning phrasal verbs:
Idioms to help you sound more natural
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
| Hit the books | start studying | I need to hit the books tonight—my exam is tomorrow! |
| Learn the ropes | get used to how things work | It took me a while to learn the ropes when I joined the new school. |
| Teacher’s pet | student favoured by the teacher | He’s such a teacher’s pet—it’s kind of annoying. |
| Pass with flying colours | do very well | She passed her maths exam with flying colours. |
| Bury your head in the books | study hard | I’ve been burying my head in the books all week. |
| Be a know-it-all | act like you know everything | No one likes a know-it-all in class. |
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1 Comment
Adjectives to Describe School - My Lingua Academy · 26 Sep 2025 at 6:01 am
[…] Learn how to write about your school here […]