: Re: Can I use a real secondary school for my book? Although I have done a lot of research I still do not know if I can use a real secondary school in my book. Can I do this? Are there precautions

@Shakeerah107

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You can use a real secondary school. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to be aware of.
Advantages
You are able to visit your setting and take notes on various details that can help bring the setting to life for the readers. These details do not need to be limited to the physical setting, but can also include notable incidents (in the eyes of the narrator/viewpoint character, of course) that occurred at the school or people who attended/worked at the school. If it's a school you've attended or are attending, then you are also able to draw on your own experiences there. Using an actual secondary school can also help make your details more concrete, as you might be more aware of specific details to use.
Disadvantages
Because you are using an actual place, people will be able to know when you adjust details to tell a better story or get details wrong. And these details people will nitpick over will include not just the depiction of the setting, but also the events and people described in the story. Depending on the school, you might find a treasure trove of information to use as setting and character research for the time period the story takes place in or you might find little to nothing at all. Plus, you may find yourself feeling constrained in what you can write about as you include actual people and events related to the school. You'll also have to be careful in your depictions, as presenting too negative a depiction of the school or actual people could be construed as libel. While this post talks about the risks of using real people, some of what it says is applicable to writing about real places.
Conclusion
My suggestion for a fictional story would be to take the secondary school you have in mind and use it as an inspiration for a fictional secondary school you create. This allows you to make use of the advantages of having a real location while avoiding most of the disadvantages. Be sure to adequately change the names and possibly use a disclaimer.
My suggestion for a nonfiction story would be to use the secondary school as a setting if it is important to the story being told. And be thorough in your research.

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