Leaving primary school
What will secondary school be like?
At secondary there are a number of different subjects and activities you will get to experience.
At secondary you’ll get to learn lots of different subjects, and try out lots of new activities.
You’ll probably be using computers and other technologies at school, learning a language for the first time, playing sport and getting fit, doing science experiments, working in groups, writing and reading and of course hanging out with friends.
You’ll start to learn a bit about the different types of jobs and courses you can do when you leave school, and what skills and subjects you might need for the course or job that’s right for you.
During S1 and S2 it’s important to start finding out what things you like doing at school and what things you like doing in your own time. This will help you to figure out what you’d like to be.
Here are the key subject areas you will start to do when going to secondary school.
- English: Where you learn important skills such as reading, writing and talking and how to analyse and interpret literature. Of course, it‘s also important to learn to spell and punctuate correctly! Did you know? The world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji, was published in Japan around A.D. 1000 by female author Murasaki Shikibu.
- Maths: Here you will learn about equations, shapes, spaces and numbers and how to understand the world using the tools of mathematics. Did you know? In 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani won the Field’s medal, the top prize for mathematics. She was the first woman to do it, paving the way for many more.
- Modern languages: Learn how to talk, read and write in another language; if you want to travel or work abroad it is a great skill to have. As well as the language you’ll learn more about the country and its culture.
- Science: Where you learn scientific facts, ideas and how to apply them. It usually centres on the natural world, energy and its uses, materials and environments. You can also specialise in specific areas such as Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Did you know? Dr Helen Patricia Sharman OBE FRSC is a British chemist who became the first British astronaut and the first woman to visit the Mir space station in 1991.
- Social subjects: These include Geography, History, Modern Studies, Classics and Economics. They're great to give you a broad understanding of the world we live in, and how people work and live.
- Creative subjects: This is where you can express your creativity and learn how to apply it using a variety of skills and techniques. These include specific subjects as Art & Design, Drama, Craft & Design, Fashion & Textile, and Music. Did you know? Louise Joséphine Bourgeois was a famous French-American artist. She was best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, but was also a painter and printmaker. One of her best known pieces is Maman, a sculpture pf a spider which is over 9 metres tall!
- Technologies: Includes Computing, Graphics, Design and Technology. You might learn computer programming, how to write code, or how to produce amazing designs with a computer program. Did you know? The world’s first computer programmer was a woman, Ada Lovelace.
- Business studies: Here you’ll learn about how business and administration works, and how to be entrepreneurial and enterprising in learning, life and work.
