In Year 9 the decision suddenly has to be made. Yet the information circulating is almost all about "which one is good", and what actually differs between the types is rarely set out. This article separates those differences first.

General high schools — the standard, and the widest option

Where the largest number of students go, running the standard curriculum. They used to be seen as "the unremarkable choice", but the full rollout of the high school credit system has changed their character.

Now, even among general high schools, which subjects are offered differs from school to school. If a direction is already settled, whether the school actually offers subjects in that direction matters. That is why you need to look at the curriculum organisation table rather than the school prospectus.

Autonomous private high schools — autonomy and their own selection

Autonomous private high schools can organise their curriculum autonomously. Each has a distinct character, and they select students under their own admissions rights.

Two things to check. First, fees differ from general high schools. Second, how dense the internal competition is. When students of a similar level are gathered together, it can become relatively harder to secure a high grade band. The shift to a five-band grading system has changed this calculation too, so applying the experience of earlier cohorts directly is a mistake.

Special-purpose high schools — the field is decided first

Science, foreign language, international, arts and sports high schools fall here. Their founding purpose is to provide education specialised in a particular field.

So the criterion is simple: will the student continue in that field? Changing direction part way makes the remaining two years hard. Deciding on the basis of "the grades are good enough, so why not" makes this a risky type.

Vocational high schools — a different exit

Students take occupational education by department, and a route to employment straight after graduation is open. It is not that university is impossible; it is more accurate to understand it as a structure with one extra exit.

What to check is the department. What matters in practice is which departments exist and what qualifications and work placements they connect to, rather than the school's name.

What changed with the high school credit system

The question used to be "which type is better for university entrance". The question has changed.

• Does the school offer subjects in my direction? — subjects that are not offered cannot be chosen.
• How are graded and ungraded subjects arranged? — the structure of the transcript changes.
• How many students take each subject? — in relatively graded subjects, smaller cohorts make grade bands swing more.

How grades are calculated under the high school credit system is set out separately in High School. Reading it before choosing a type makes the decision easier.

Things to do before deciding

1. Put the curriculum organisation tables of the schools you can apply to side by side and compare.
2. Check how to apply and the timetable in your local office of education's basic plan for high school entry.
3. Use the School Info disclosure data on each school's website to look at class sizes, staffing and where graduates go.
4. If possible, go to an open evening. Things about how a school runs that are not in the organisation table can only be heard there.

In summary

The four types are structurally different options, not a ranking. And since the high school credit system, which subjects a school opens matters more than its type. Choose on the organisation table, not on the name.