grade school

English Noun

Definition

Elementary school; primary school.

Etymology

In contrast to high schools, the subsequent secondary school type, classes of this kind of school do not have typical nicknames. In a grade school all classes are simply enumerated 1st to 8th grade (called form or year in British English). In a high school, on the other hand, school year groups are in everyday parlance referred to as freshman/sophomore/junior/senior year.