Glossary
The world of education uses many acronyms and abbreviations. We hope that this glossary helps to explain them.
A
Academies
Academies are publicly funded independent schools. They are all ability schools
established by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups. Academies have
different governance arrangements to other schools. An academy’s Funding
Agreement sets out the details of the governance arrangements for each school
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder this is
characterized by problems paying attention, excessive activity or difficulty
controlling behavior which is not appropriate for a person’s age
AfC
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company set up and jointly owned
by Kingston and Richmond Councils which delivers children’s social care and
education in both boroughs
Admissions code
All state schools are required to have admission procedures which meet the School
Admissions Code. Where more pupils apply to be admitted to a school than the
school has room for, its over-subscription criteria will be applied. In community and
voluntary controlled schools, the Local Authority is responsible for admissions. In
foundation and voluntary aided schools, the governing body is responsible
Articles of Association
The Articles of Association set out regulations for academies, including the
composition of the governing body
ASC
Autistic Spectrum Condition is a condition that affects social interaction,
communication, interests and behavior. The spectrum covers autism and Asperger
syndrome
Associate members
Individuals appointed by the governing body of a LA maintained school. They are
not part of the governing body, but are allowed to attend meetings and sit on
committees and can be given voting powers. They are appointed for 1-4 years, with
the opportunity for re-appointment. An associate member could be a pupil,
member of staff, or someone with expertise in a particular area. Academies Articles
of Association allow them to appoint non-governors to committees and give them
voting rights
Attainment targets
These establish what children of differing ability should be expected to know and be
able to do by the end of each Key Stage of the Curriculum
AWPU
Age-Weighted Pupil Unit – the sum of money allocated to the school for each pupil
according to age. This is the basic unit of funding for the school
B
Baseline assessment
Assessment of pupils' attainment on entry to Reception – it is not statutory, but many
local authorities encourage schools to carry it out
Board of Trustees
Refers to academy trusts and MATs only
C
Capital expenditure
Spending on projects, improvements, and extensions to the school
CoG
Chair of Governors helps to lead governing body and ensure governors play part in
strategic leadership of the school and drive school improvement. Power and
authority rest with the governing body as a whole, the CoG has no individual power
Collaboration
An agreement between two or more schools to work together on one particular
issue. They keep their individual governing bodies, but may set up a joint committee
to which they can delegate powers
Community governor
A governor representing community and local businesses chosen by members of a
governing board who have themselves been elected or appointed
Community schools
LA maintained schools at which the LA is the employer, owns the land and buildings
and sets the admission criteria
Community special schools
LA maintained schools which make special educational provision for pupils with
statements of special educational needs (SEN), whose needs cannot be fully met
from within mainstream provision. The LA is the employer, owns the land and
buildings and sets the admission criteria
Competitive tendering
Obtaining quotes or tenders from alternative suppliers before awarding contracts
Coopted governor
A governor coopted by the Governing Body for their specific skills and/or
experience
CP
Child Protection refers to the protection of children from violence, exploitation,
abuse and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
provides for the protection of children in and out of the home
CPD
Continuous Professional Development for school staff or governors
D
DBS
Disclosure and Barring Service check (formerly CRB) helps to make safer recruitment
decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups,
including children
DDA
Disability Discrimination Act now repealed and replaced by The Equality Act 2010
Delegated budget
Money provided to schools, which governors can manage at their discretion
Delegated powers
Authority given to a committee, an individual governor or the
headteacher/principal to take action on behalf of the governing board. In multi
academy trusts, this also refers to powers delegated to local governing bodies
Designated person
Liaises with other services on behalf of young people in care and has a responsibility
for promoting their educational achievement
DfE
Department for Education – the government department responsible for education
and children’s services in England
Directed time
Time when a teacher must be available to carry out duties, including attending staff
and parent meetings, under the direction of the headteacher/principal – a
maximum of 1265 hours in a school year
Disapplication
A term used where National Curriculum requirements may not apply to a pupil
DHT
Deputy Headteacher
DSG
Dedicated School Grant - funding from central government to the local authority,
the majority of which is then delegated directly to individual schools through the LA's
funding formula
E
EAL
English as an Additional Language
EFA
Education Funding Agency. It is responsible for all revenue and capital funding for
schools, academies and building maintenance programmes
EHCP
Education, health and care plans - the document which replaces statements of
Special Educational Needs and Learning Difficulties Assessments
Equality Act 2010
Brings together four previous Acts of Parliament (Equal Pay, Sex Discrimination, Race
Relations and Disability Discrimination) requires equal treatment of people
irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership,
race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation
EWO
Education Welfare Officer – a professional worker who visits pupils' homes and deals
with attendance problems and other welfare matters in co-operation with the
school
Exclusion
The temporary or permanent removal of a pupil from school for serious breaches of
the school’s behaviour and discipline policy
Ex officio
Able to attend meetings by virtue of holding a particular office
Extended schools/services
Schools that provide a range of services and activities often beyond the school day,
to help meet the needs of the pupils, their families and the wider community
EYFS
Early Years Foundation Stage a statutory framework sets standards for the learning,
development and care of children from birth to 5 years old and therefore covers
both Nursery and Reception years
F
Federation
Two or more LA maintained schools governed by one governing body
FFT
Fischer Family Trust - a non-profit company that provides data and analyses to LAs
and schools in England and Wales
FGB
Full Governing Body
Form of entry
The number of classes that a school admits each year
Foundation governor
A governor appointed by the foundation body of a voluntary school
Foundation schools
LA maintained schools in which the governing body is the employer, owns the land
and buildings and sets the admission criteria
Foundation special schools
LA maintained special schools, which have the same freedoms as foundation
schools (see above)
Foundation stage
Curriculum followed by children below statutory school age, in schools and
nursery/pre-school provision
Free School
A type of academy, either a new school set up in response to parental demand or a
fee-paying school joining the state education system
FSM
Free School Meals - pupils are eligible for FSM if their parents receive certain benefits
G
G&T
Gifted and Talented describes pupils with the ability or potential to develop
significantly ahead of their peers in a particular subject
Governing board
An overarching term which refers to both the board of LA maintained schools
(governing bodies) and academies/MATs (board of trustees)
Governing body
Refers to LA maintained schools only
H
HLTA
Higher Level Teaching Assistant similar work to a TA with additional responsibility
often allowing teachers time to plan and mark
HMCI
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools
HMI
Her Majesty's Inspector
HT
Headteacher
I
IEP
Individual Education Plan for pupils with special educational needs
INSET
In-Service Education and Training – courses for practising teachers and other school
staff
Instrument of Government
A legal document setting out the name of the school and the constitution of the
governing board
K
Key Stages (KS1-4)
The four stages of the National Curriculum. The key stages are KS1 (age 5-7), KS2
(age 7-11), KS3 (age 11-14), KS4 (age 14-16). KS5 applies to 16-19 years-olds but is not
part of the National Curriculum
L
Local Authority (LA)
Local authorities (LAs) are part of local councils, i.e. borough, county, metropolitan
and city. Within local councils, LAs are accountable for early years education,
schools, adult education and youth services. Community, foundation and voluntary
schools are funded directly by their LA
Local Governing Body
The governors at an individual school in a multi-academy trust
LSA
Learning Support Assistant similar role to TAs but employed to support a specific pupil
M
MAT
Multi academy trust - where two or more academies are governed by one Trust (the
Members) and a board of Directors (the Governors)
MFL
Modern Foreign Languages
Mixed ability
A teaching group in which children of all abilities are taught together
N
NAHT
National Association of Head Teachers - a headteacher union
National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL)
The organisation responsible for national training programmes for school leaders,
aspiring school leaders and the development of leaders of Children's Services. In
particular, it is responsible for the National Professional Qualification for Headship,
the Chairs of Governors Leadership Development Programme and Clerks to
Governing Bodies Training Programme
National Curriculum
This was established by the 1988 Education Reform Act to ensure that all pupils
receive a broad and balanced education, which is relevant to their needs
Non-teaching (Support) Staff
Members of the school staff employed by the governors to provide services in a
school, such as teaching assistants, cleaners and office staff
NPQH
National Professional Qualification for Headship professional course to develop the
skills, knowledge and confidence needed to become a highly effective
headteacher
NUT
National Union of Teachers - a teaching union
O
Ofsted
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills – the body which
inspects education and training for learners of all ages and inspects and regulates
care for children and young people
Over subscribed
A school that has more applications from parents than places available
P
PAN
Published Admissions Number – the number of children the LA (or governing body of
a foundation or aided school or Academy Trust) determines must be admitted to
any one year group in the school
Peripatetic Teacher
A teacher who teaches in a number of schools to give specialist instruction
PGCE
Post Graduate Certificate of Education,one of the routes into teaching. A PGCE
can be studied full-time or part-time following the completion of a first degree
PFI
Private Finance Initiative is a way of funding public building through leasing
arrangements with private firms. Private firms design, build and often manage new
building programmes. The building is leased back to the public body, usually over a
period of 20-30 years
PPA
Planning, Preparation and Assessment – 10% guaranteed non-contact time for
teachers
PRP
Performance Related Pay - schools following the STCPD must now ensure teachers'
pay is linked to their performance
PSHE
Personal, social and health education
PTA
Parent Teacher Association – or PSA (Parent Staff Association)
PTR
Pupil/Teacher Ratio – this is calculated by dividing the number of pupils in a school
by the number of full-time equivalent teachers
Pupil Premium
This money goes with eligible pupils to the school they attend, and has been
distributed in addition to the underlying schools budget from 2011-2012. The funding
is allocated to pupils eligible for FSM, in care, or who have parents in the armed
forces
Pupil profile
Broad evaluation of a pupil's personality, interests and capabilities – this forms part of
the pupil's Record of Achievement
Q
QTS
Qualified Teacher Status awarded once NQT has successfully completed their first
year of teaching in school. All teachers in maintained schools must have QTS
Quorum
The minimum number of members present at a meeting before decisions can be
made
R
Reception baseline assessment
An assessment taken by pupils in reception, against which progress at the end of key
stage 2 will be measured.
Resolution
A formal decision which has been proposed, seconded and agreed – not
necessarily by a vote – at a meeting
RSE
Relationships and Sex Education; learning about the emotional, social and physical
aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health
S
SATs
Standard Assessment Tests given at the end of years 2, 6 & 9. Used to assess the
attainment of children attending maintained schools in England. They comprise a
mixture of teacher-led and test-based assessment depending on the age of the
pupils
School Census
A statutory return which takes place in October and January from which the school
budget is determined
Schools Forum
A Schools Forum has been established in each LA area to advise on the allocation
of the funding for schools – the majority of places on this body should be filled by
governors and headteacher/principals, preferably in equal numbers
SDP
School Development Plan highlights key priorities for school improvement over a
period of 3 years
Secondment
The release of staff on a temporary basis for work elsewhere
SEF
Self Evaluation Form although no longer statutory it is a crucial part of the schools’
on-going cycle of review and planning, often appraised by Ofsted in school
inspections as a summary of the school’s own evaluation of strengths and areas for
improvement
SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – learning difficulties for which special
educational provision has to be made
SENCO
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator – the teacher responsible for co-ordinating
SEND provision in the school
Setting
A system of organising pupils into ability groups for particular subjects
SFVS
Schools Financial Value Standard - a means for the governing board to assess its
financial processes, capabilities and skills
SIP
School Improvement Partner – consultant offering professional support and
challenge, provided by the local authority
SLT
Senior Leadership Team – this often includes the headteacher, deputy headteacher
and other senior members of staff
SPLD
Specific Learning Difficulty a classification used when a person has a difficulty
learning in a typical manner, such as dyslexia
Special school
Schools that make provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs
(SEN), whose needs cannot be fully met from within mainstream provision
Special Unit (or Resourced Provision)
A unit attached to a mainstream school to cater for children with specific special
needs
STPCD
School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document
Streaming
A system of organising pupils into classes according to their ability across a range of
subjects. Setting and streaming are not the same thing
T
TA
Teaching Assistant support teachers and help children with their educational and
social development both in and out of the classroom
Terms of reference
The scope and limitations of a committee's activity or area of knowledge
TLR
Teaching and Learning Responsibility - payment made to teachers for an additional
responsibility
Trust Deed
The deed by which a voluntary aided or a voluntary controlled school has been
established
Trust Schools
Foundation schools with a foundation body established under the Education and
Inspections Act 2006 – the foundation body may appoint either a minority or a
majority of the governing body
U
UNISON
Union of Public Employees
V
VA
Value Added, the progress schools help pupils make relative to their individual
starting points – rather than looking at raw results VA also takes into account the
prior attainment, thus enabling a judgement to be made about the effect of the
school on pupils’ current attainment
Vertical grouping
Classes formed (in primary schools) with children of different age groups
Virement
The agreed transfer of money from the budget heading to which it has been
allocated to another budget heading
VA
Voluntary Aided, a school set up and owned by a voluntary body, usually a church
body, largely financed by the LA. The governing body employs the staff and controls
pupil admissions and religious education. The school’s buildings and land (apart
from playing fields) will normally be owned by a charitable foundation
Y
Young Carer
A young carer is anyone under 18 years of age who helps to look after a family
member who is disabled, physically or mentally ill or has a substance misuse problem
November 2016