Describe a school that you attended when you were younger

I would like to describe my secondary school, which was a language-oriented school in the centre of my hometown. I attended it from the age of twelve until I was seventeen, and I have very good memories of those years.

The school was housed in a large, old building with high windows and a wide staircase in the middle of the hall. There was a big courtyard where we played football and basketball during break time, and a small garden that the pupils looked after. Inside, the classrooms were fairly basic, with wooden desks and a blackboard, though the language labs were quite modern. I remember especially the library, which smelled of old paper, and where I spent many lunch breaks reading adventure stories in English. We had classes six days a week, and the teachers were strict but fair. My English teacher, Mrs Karimova, was the one who first encouraged me to speak the language confidently.

Overall, I felt happy and lucky to attend this school. Sometimes I found the amount of homework exhausting, particularly before exams, but it taught me discipline and good study habits. More importantly, I made friends there who are still close to me today. We celebrated birthdays together, supported each other through difficult tests and even organised a small theatre play in English at the end of the final year. Looking back, I realise that the school did not just give me knowledge, but also taught me how to work with other people. I visit it from time to time, and each visit makes me feel nostalgic.