Glossary
JARGON BUSTER
Some common education terms, abbreviations and their meanings.
| Academies | Publicly funded independent secondary schools with sponsors from the private or voluntary sectors or from churches or other faith sponsors. |
| ACE | Advisory Centre for Education OR ‘Aiming for a College Education’ – visits arranged for pupils to sample college and university life. |
| Agreed Syllabus | A non-denominational syllabus for religious education, locally determined and legally binding on county and controlled schools as required by Education Reform Act 1988. |
| Aim Higher | A service funded by DCSF to help widen participation in UK Higher Education – particularly among prospective students from non-traditional backgrounds. |
| ‘A ‘level | GCE Advanced Level. Completion of an ‘AS’ Level followed by ‘A2’ Level in the same subject. |
| ‘A2′ level | GCE Advanced level – A second year of study building upon successful completion of ‘AS’ level. |
| ‘AS’ level | GCE Advanced Subsidiary – A single subject examination of the same standard as ‘A’ Level but with half the content. |
| ALS | Additional Learning Support. |
| AMP | Asset Management Plan. |
| APT&C | A grading structure for Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Staff. |
| ASB | Aggregated Schools Budget: the total amount delegated to governing bodies through a formula. |
| AST | Advanced Skills Teacher. Experienced and highly skilled teachers who work with groups of schools to spread best practice. |
| ASCL | Association of School and College Leaders |
| AT | Attainment Targets-the knowledge, skills and understanding which pupils of differing ability and maturity are expected to have by the end of each Key Stage of the National Curriculum –ie. At ages 7,11,14 and 16. |
| AWPU | Age-Weighted Pupil Unit. The sum of money allocated to the school for each pupilaccording to age. This is the basic unit of funding for the school from the LA. |
| Baseline Assessment | Assessment of a particular set of skills and knowledge at a particular point of transition e.g. on entry to compulsory schooling. |
| B Ed | Bachelor of Education. |
| Benchmarking | Comparing an aspect of the school e.g. performance or expenditure, with broadly similar schools. |
| BIS | The Department for Business, Innovation, & Skills: the department’s work is focused on further and higher education, science, technology and supporting evidence-based policy making across government. (Replaced DIUS in June 2009) |
| BME | Black and Minority Ethnic pupils. |
| BSF | Building Schools for the Future – A government-funded initiative to ensure that every state school building is fit for purpose and equipped to deliver all aspects of the 21st century curriculum. |
| BV | Best Value. |
| Capital expenditure | Spending on building projects and large items of equipment. |
| CAF | Common Assessment Framework for Children. Used by all agencies working with children to accurately assess educational or welfare needs. |
| CASE | Campaign for State Education. |
| CASS | Collaborative Arrangements for Small Schools. |
| CATE | Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. |
| CATs | Cognitive Ability Tests. Administered at points of transition – usually as an element of baseline assessment. |
| CCT | Compulsory Competitive Tendering. |
| CEG | Careers Education and Guidance. Statutory requirements of the KS3 and KS4 curriculum to help young people into appropriate employment, education or training after Year 11. |
| CFAS | Children, Family and Adult Services. |
| Competitive tendering | Obtaining quotes or tenders from two or more suppliers before awarding contracts. |
| Connexions | The service which provides advice, guidance and support to young people aged between 13 and 19 as they move through education and training. |
| Core Curriculum | The subjects of English, Mathematics and Science . |
| COSHH | Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. |
| CPD | Continuing Professional Development – further study and training to improve teaching and support staff’s knowledge and skills | ||
| CRB | Criminal Records Bureau. Everyone working with children and young people must be checked for suitability by the CRB. | ||
| CYPS | Children and Young People Services | ||
| CYPP | Children and Young People Plan | ||
| DCFS | Department for Children and Family Services (replaced DfES August 2007) | ||
| DDA | Disability Discrimination Act 2005 | ||
| DED | Disability Equality Duty | ||
| Delegated Budget | Money provided under LMS which governing bodies can use at their discretion. | ||
| Delegation | A process where one body or person gives another body or person authority to take decisions on a particular matter | ||
| Devolved funds | These have to be used for stated and specific purposes. | ||
| Differentiation | The organisation of teaching programmes and methods specifically to suit the age, ability and aptitudes of individual children | ||
| DIUS | Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The government department responsible for further and higher education and training. Replaced by BIS in June 2009 | ||
| DSD | Dedicated School’s Budget | ||
| DT | Design Technology | ||
| EAL | English as an Additional Language | ||
| EBD | Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. All children designated EBD are offered additional help and support. | ||
| ECM | Every Child Matters. A key government White Paper, issued in 2005, which lists 5 outcomes to be addressed by all agencies working with children and young people. They are : ‘Be Healthy’, ‘Stay Safe’, ‘Enjoy and Achieve’, ‘Achieve Economic Well-Being’ and ‘Make a Positive Contribution’. | ||
| ESO | Education Supervision Order. | ||
| EWO | Education Welfare Officer – responsible for checking on school attendance. | ||
| Extended Schools | Schools which provide a range of extended services and facilities over and above the core school day for the benefit of pupils, parents, families and the wider community. | ||
| Federation | Groups of schools working together as one under the leadership of a single management team | ||
| FGB | Full Governing Body | ||
| FSM | Free School Meals | ||
| FMSiS | Financial Management Standard in Schools. The Standard enables schools to benchmark their own financial management procedures and performance against a nationally recognised statement of good practices as well as identify areas for development. | ||
| GB | Governing Body | ||
| GCSE | General Certificate of Secondary Education. The public examinations usually taken at the end of Key Stage 4. | ||
| GNVQ | General National Vocational Qualification | ||
| GTC | General Teaching Council. All practising teachers must be registered with the GTC. | ||
| HASAW | Health and Safety at Work | ||
| HE | Higher Education | ||
| HEADLAMP | Headteachers’ Leadership and Management Programme | ||
| HEBP | Humber Education Business Partnership. A service for primary and secondary schools offering professional and practical support to enhance the curriculum by involving local business and commerce personnel in classroom activities. HEBP also organises business placements for teachers. | ||
| HLTA | Higher Level Teaching Assistant. Teaching Assistants who are qualified to a professional level in order to fully complement the work of classroom teachers. | ||
| HMCI | Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools | ||
| HMI | Her Majesty’s Inspectorate | ||
| HMSO | Her Majesty’s Stationery Office | ||
| IB | International Baccalaureate: a programme of international education with internationally recognised qualifications for students of different ages from 3-19. | ||
| ICT | Information and Communication Technology. | ||
| IEP | Individual Education Plan. These are devised to meet the specific needs of pupils with learning difficulties. | ||
| ILP | Individual Learning Plan. These are for all pupils to keep a record of their learning and their developing skills, knowledge and understanding. ILPs are increasingly held online. | ||
| IIP | Investors In People. A public award for institutions that meet a national standard for ensuring CPD for all. | ||
| INSET | In-service Education and Training. | ||
| Instrument of Government | The legal document setting out the composition of the governing body. | ||
| ISB | Individual Schools Budget. | ||
| ISR | Individual School Range. The size of the school in terms of number of pupils on roll. | ||
| ICT | Information and Communication Technology. | ||
| ITT | Initial Teacher Training. | ||
| JAR | Joint Agency Review: the process whereby the Local Authority is inspected and reviewed. | ||
| KS | Key Stages. The age-related phases of compulsory education.KSI - pupils aged 5-7KS2 - pupils aged 7-11KS3 - pupils aged 11-14KS4 - pupils aged 14-16 | ||
| LA | Local Authority. | ||
| LEA | Local Education Authority (now abolished). | ||
| League Tables | Published results of national tests and examinations, ranked according to outcomes including value added. They have become one of the main indicators of a school’s success because there is now an expectation that schools should achieve ‘benchmark’ levels for their children at certain ages. (See SATs and benchmarking). | ||
| LSA | Learning Support Assistant. | ||
| LMS | Local Management of Schools. The LA devolves and delegates funding to be managed by the individual school governing body rather than from the centre. | ||
| LMSS | Local Management of Special Schools. | ||
| LPSH | Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers. | ||
| LSA | Learning Support Assistant. | ||
| LSC | Learning and Skills Council. The government agency with responsibility for the provision and funding of all post-16 education and training. | ||
| Minor Authority | A city, town, parish or district council. | ||
| MLD | Moderate Learning Difficulties. Pupils with MLD are given specialist help and may have an IEP. | ||
| MPS | Main Pay Scale. All teachers are paid on this scale but can receive 1 or 2 TLRs for undertaking additional teaching and learning responsibilities. | ||
| MTA | Meal Time Assistant. | ||
| NAS/UWT | National Association of School Masters and Union of Women Teachers. | ||
| NC | National Curriculum. | ||
| NCPTA | National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations | ||
| NCSL | National College for School Leadership. | ||
| NCVQ | National Council for Vocational Qualifications. | ||
| NFER | National Foundation for Educational Research. | ||
| NGA | National Governors’ Association. | ||
| NGFL | National Grid for Learning. | ||
| NNEB | National Nursery Examination Board. | ||
| NOR | Number on Roll. | ||
| NPQH | National Professional Qualification for Headteachers. All applicants for headship must now be in possession of or working towards the NPQH. | ||
| NQT | Newly Qualified Teacher. | ||
| NRA | National Record of Achievement. | ||
| NUT | National Union of Teachers | ||
| NVQ | National Vocational Qualifications | ||
| OfSTED | Office for Standards in Education: The body which sets standards and manages the inspection of all state schools and other educational settings. | ||
| PANDA | Performance and Assessment Data (replaced by RAISEONLINE). | ||
| PFI | Private Finance Initiative. Private companies invest in the development of school buildings in return for a contracted period of time in which they are paid to run the facilities for the Local Authority. | ||
| PPA | Planning, Preparation and Assessment. Guaranteed non-contact time during the school day given to teachers to ensure good preparation of lessons. | ||
| PGCE | Post Graduate Certificate of Education. | ||
| PRU | Pupil Referral Unit. Pupils are transferred from mainstream school to a PRU for periods of time if they need help to modify their behaviour or attitude. | ||
| PSHE | Personal, Social, and Health Education. | ||
| QCA | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The Government department responsible for all that is taught and examined in state schools. | ||
| RAISEONLINE | Performance and assessment data available to schools online: replaces PANDAs | ||
| RAP | Raising Achievement Plan. | ||
| RE | Religious Education. | ||
| SACRE | Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education. Local statutory body which advises on religious education and collective worship. | ||
| SATs | Standard Assessment Tests used for assessing pupils’ performance at the end of the Key Stages 1-2. (SATS were removed at the end of KS3 in September 2008) | ||
| SCC | School Causing Concern. | ||
| SDP | School Development Plan (known also as the School Improvement Plan). | ||
| SEF | School Self Evaluation Form: an online management and evaluation tool prepared and updated by the school and made available to OfSTED for inspection purposes. Every school must judge all its activities and grade itself on a 1 (strong) to 3 (weak) rating. | ||
| SEN | Special Educational Needs. | ||
| SENCo | Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. | ||
| SIP | School Improvement Partner. An external adviser appointed to work with every school to support, challenge and advise in order to encourage continuous improvement. | ||
| SLA | Service Level Agreement. | ||
| SLT | Senior Leadership Team. | ||
| SMT | Senior Management Team. | ||
| Specialist Schools | 17 of the 18 East Riding secondary schools have ‘specialist status’ in defined subject areas. These schools have to meet full national curriculum requirements but have a focus on their chosen specialisms – e.g. science, maths, art, business etc. | ||
| Sure Start | Sure Start is the government programme (set up in 1999) seeking to deliver the best start in life for every child. It brings together early education, childcare, health and family support, particularly focusing on deprived areas but open to all children and their families. All Sure Start local programmes will eventually become Children’s Centres. | ||
| Target Setting | Each autumn, governing bodies of all maintained primary and secondary schools must set targets for improving pupil performance at Key Stages 2 and 4. | ||
| TDA | Training and Development Agency. | ||
| TA | Teaching Assistant. | ||
| TLR | Teaching and Learning Responsibility points. Payments made in addition to the MPS for specific teaching and learning responsibilities above and beyond the normal teaching role. | ||
| VA | Voluntary Aided. In these schools (often church schools), the governing body employs the staff and decides on the admission arrangements. | ||
| Value added | Shows the progress made by an individual pupil or groups of pupils compared with the average progress made by similar pupils nationally between the Key Stages. Contextual value (CVA) added takes account of particular circumstances such as free school meals. | ||
| VC | Voluntary Controlled schools are almost always church schools and the land and buildings are often owned by a charitable foundation. The LA employs the staff and has primary responsibility for admission arrangements. | ||
| Vertically grouped | Classes formed (usually in primary schools) with pupils of different age groups. | ||
| WRL | Work Related Learning. Those statutory parts of the KS4 curriculum which encourage pupils to explore aspects of the world of work | ||
