community school: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumFormal / Educational / Governmental
Quick answer
What does “community school” mean?
A publicly funded school that serves local residents and often engages with its surrounding neighbourhood through facilities, programs, or governance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A publicly funded school that serves local residents and often engages with its surrounding neighbourhood through facilities, programs, or governance.
Can refer specifically to a type of school in England that is state-funded and non-faith-based (in contrast to faith schools), or more generally to any school that emphasises close ties with and services for the local community, sometimes operating extended hours.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'community school' is a formal category of state-funded, non-religious, local authority-maintained school. In American English, it is not a formal legal category but a descriptive term for a public school deeply integrated with its local community, often through shared facilities or programs.
Connotations
UK: Neutral, bureaucratic, denoting governance and funding type. US: Positive, implying openness, partnership, and local engagement.
Frequency
More frequent in UK official/educational discourse due to its categorical use. In the US, terms like 'public school' or 'neighbourhood school' are more common for the basic concept.
Grammar
How to Use “community school” in a Sentence
[the/local/our] + community schoolcommunity school + [of/in] + [place name]community school + [participle: serving, located]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “community school” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The council proposed to community-school the old library site.
American English
- The district aims to community-school its outreach programs.
adverb
British English
- The centre operates community-school widely, opening evenings and weekends.
American English
- The program is run community-school style, with lots of parent volunteers.
adjective
British English
- She is a community-school governor.
- The community-school ethos is strong here.
American English
- They adopted a community-school approach.
- The community-school model relies on partnerships.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in contexts of corporate social responsibility partnering with local schools.
Academic
Common in educational policy, sociology, and urban studies research.
Everyday
Used by parents discussing school choices or local news about education.
Technical
A precise term in UK educational law and policy documents; a descriptive term in US community development literature.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “community school”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “community school”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “community school”
- Using 'community school' interchangeably with 'college' or 'university'.
- Assuming it means a free school or a school for underprivileged communities only.
- Capitalising it when not using it as a formal proper noun (e.g., 'Greenwood Community School').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In the US, yes, a community school is a type of public school. In the UK, no; 'public school' refers to expensive, historic private schools (e.g., Eton), while 'community school' is a type of state-funded school.
In the UK's formal definition, a community school is specifically non-religious. Faith-based state schools are categorised separately (e.g., voluntary aided schools). In the US descriptive use, a public school with community ties could be in a religious area but remains secular.
Its stated advantage is stronger integration with and accountability to the local community it serves, often through local authority oversight (UK) or through offering facilities and services to residents beyond school hours.
No, the term describes governance and ethos, not quality. Community schools can be outstanding or require improvement, just like any other school type.
A publicly funded school that serves local residents and often engages with its surrounding neighbourhood through facilities, programs, or governance.
Community school is usually formal / educational / governmental in register.
Community school: in British English it is pronounced /kəˈmjuː.nə.ti skuːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /kəˈmjuː.nə.t̬i skuːl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It takes a village to raise a child, and our community school is the heart of that village.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: COMMunity SCHOOL - A school that's part of the COMMon, public fabric of the local COMMunity.
Conceptual Metaphor
SCHOOL AS A HUB / SCHOOL AS A COMMONS (a shared resource and gathering place for the community).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'community school' a formal, legal category?