# Our School
### 1. Basic info

- **Name:** Střední průmyslová škola a Vyšší odborná škola Liberec (SPŠ Liberec, "Průmyslovka").
- **Type:** secondary technical school + higher vocational school.
- **Location:** Liberec, Masarykova 460/3.
- **Founded:** 1876 (one of the oldest technical schools in CZ).
- **Languages:** Czech (English and German as foreign languages).

### 2. My field of study

- I study **Information Technology** (Informační technologie) in class P4B.
- The course is **4 years long** and ends with the **maturita exam**.
- Subjects include programming, computer networks, electrical engineering, web development, databases, hardware, automation.

### 3. Subjects (typical for a technical school)

- **General:** Czech language and literature, English, German, Maths, History, Civics, PE.
- **Technical:** Programming, IT, Networks, Electrical Circuits, Electronics, Automation, Measurement, Graphics.
- **Practical lessons** in workshops and labs.

### 4. A typical day

- **8:00** – first lesson starts.
- Lessons are **45 minutes long**, with short breaks (5–10 min) and a longer break for lunch.
- Usually **6–7 lessons** per day.
- We have **lunch** in the school canteen.
- School finishes between **13:30 and 15:00**.

### 5. School building

- Main building with classrooms, **labs and workshops**, library, gym, canteen.
- Modern equipment in IT classrooms (multiple PCs, projectors, smart boards).
- **Workshops** for electrical and mechanical practice.

### 6. Teachers and staff

- **Class teacher** (třídní učitel) – responsible for the class.
- Subject teachers, head teacher / headmaster (ředitel), deputy head (zástupce).
- School psychologist, counsellor, librarian, cleaners, cooks.

### 7. School rules

- Be **on time**, switch off mobile phones, no smoking / drinking on school premises.
- Respect the teachers and classmates.
- Justify absences in writing.
- **School uniform:** none in CZ (different from the UK).

### 8. Assessment

- **Grades 1 (best) to 5 (worst)** for each subject.
- Reports twice a year (January and June).
- Tests, oral exams, projects, presentations.
- **Maturita exam (graduation) in May / June of the 4th year**.

### 9. Maturita exam

- Two parts: **state** (compulsory subjects) + **profile / school** (subjects chosen by the school).
- **State part:** Czech language + foreign language (or Maths).
- **Profile part:** depends on field – for IT students it includes Czech, English/Maths, plus several technical/IT subjects.
- Each subject has **written, oral or practical** parts.

### 10. After school

- **Higher education:** university (TUL in Liberec, ČVUT or VŠE in Prague, MUNI in Brno) or VOŠ.
- **Work** – many IT graduates can find a job straight after the maturita.
- **Gap year, travel, language stay**.

### 11. School activities

- **Sport competitions, project days, school trips, exchanges (Erasmus).**
- **Workshops, hackathons, robotics competitions.**
- School clubs, theatre nights, end-of-year celebrations (stužkovák, last bell).

### 12. Comparison with UK / US schools

- **CZ:** state schools mostly free; grades 1–5; no uniforms; school year Sep–Jun.
- **UK:** GCSE at 16, A-levels at 18, uniforms common.
- **USA:** "high school" 9th–12th grade, SAT / ACT exams for college, lots of extracurriculars and sports.

### 13. My opinion on the school

- Strengths: practical IT training, good equipment, friendly teachers, real-world projects.
- Things to improve: more language practice, more modern equipment in some labs, more relaxed atmosphere.

### 14. Useful phrases

- *I go to / I attend / I’m a student at…*
- *I’m in the fourth year / final year.*
- *My favourite subject is… because…*
- *I’m not so good at… / I struggle with…*
- *My class teacher is…*
- *After graduation I plan to… (apply to university / work in IT / travel).*

### 15. Speaking strategy

Identify the school by name and field. Cover a typical day, your favourite subject, and your teachers. Mention the maturita exam. Compare briefly with UK / US schools. Finish with your future plans after school.