Glossary
Glossary of terms and abbreviations
Within the governing body, the school and the local authority, there are many terms and abbreviations used which may not be immediately obvious when seen for the first time. This page is intended to clarify the meaning of at least some of those terms.
ACS – Average Class Size.
AD(H)D – Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.
Admissions – In community schools part of a Local Authority policy but in foundation and voluntary aided schools the governing body is responsible for setting a policy.
Admissions Register – Register of the details of pupils in alphabetical order.
AEN – Additional Educational Needs.
ALS – Additional Literacy Support.
APA – Annual Performance Assessment.
Appraisal – The process of assessing how well a member of staff is carrying out his or her job.
APS – Average Points Score.
APTC – Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical
AS – Asperger’s Syndrome.
ASBO – Anti Social Behaviour Order.
ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
AMP – Asset Management Plan
ASPECT – Assessment Profile on Entry for Children and Toddlers.
Associate member – A person who is appointed by the governing body to work with a committee but who is not a governor.
AST - Advanced Skills Teacher.
At Risk Register – Children identified by Social Services or Schools as in danger of emotional, physical or sexual abuse or mental cruelty from within their families.
ATs - 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 – i.e. At ages 7,11, 14 and 16.
Audit Commission – Organisation established by Government to monitor the use of funds by local authorities and to promote good practice and efficiency in local government.
Authorised Absence – Where the absence has been agreed by the school. This could be for holiday or sickness absence.
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 from the LA.
Baseline assessment – An assessment of a child's skills and ability usually made by a teacher within the first 7 days of school entry.
Basic skills – Reading, writing and arithmetic.
BECTA – British Educational Communications and Technology Agency.
Behaviour Support Plan – A statement that sets out arrangements for schools and other service providers for the education of children with behavioural difficulties.
Benchmarking - Comparing school expenditure with broadly similar schools from the LA, the region and nationally.
BES – Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
BEST – Behaviour and Education Support Team.
Best Value – A policy confirming that governing bodies will work with regards to economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
BIP – Behaviour Improvement Programme.
BSA – Basic Skills Agency.
BST – Behaviour Support Team.
Budget Share – The total sum of money allocated to a school for the financial year by the LA.
Buy Back – Provision for schools to use part of their delegated budget to purchase services from the LA. The services are listed annually in the Trading Fair document sent to all schools.
BVP – Best value policy or plan
CAL – Computer-Assisted Learning.
CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Capital Expenditure – Spending on building projects and large items of equipment.
Carry-forward – Money left unspent at the end of the financial year that is carried forward to the school's budget for the following year.
CAF – Common Assessment Framework.
CAS – Control Assurance Statement – part of FMSiS - now known as SIC.
CASE – Campaign for State Education.
CAT – Cognitive Ability Tests for knowing, thinking and reasoning.
Catchment Area – A defined geographical area from which a school takes its pupils.
CFR - Consistent Financial Reporting aims to standardise, simplify and streamline the reporting of school finances in all maintained schools in England giving all maintained schools the opportunity to compare their incomes and expenditures with those of similar schools.
Child Protection Register – A central register maintained by Social Services which lists children in the area who are considered to be suffering from, or are likely to suffer, significant harm and for whom there is a protection plan.
Children’s Centres – Facilities run by Children’s Trusts which offer a one-stop shop for services for children and young people including local education, social care and some health services.
CIC – Children in the Community.
Circulars – Policy documents issued by the DCSF and LAs. They do not have the status of law but offer guidance on its interpretation.
Clerk to the Governing Body – A person appointed by governors to carry out administrative duties for the governing body and to advise on matters of legality and procedure.
CoGs – Co-ordinators of Governor Services.
Collaboration – Where two or more governing bodies may arrange for any of their functions to be discharged jointly, by holding joint meetings and/or having joint committees.
Collective Worship – All maintained schools should provide for collective worship for their pupils. The precise nature at a foundation or voluntary school will depend on the religious character of the school.
Community governors – Governors appointed by the governing body to represent community interests. Community governors can be persons who live or work in the community served by the school or persons who do not work or live close to school but are committed to the good governance and success of the school.
Competitive tendering – Obtaining quotes or tenders from two or more suppliers before awarding contracts.
Connexions – Government service offering an advice and support service for young people.
Contingency Fund – Money set aside for unexpected costs.
Core subjects – English, maths and science.
Coursework – Work completed over a period of time which counts towards a final mark along with an end of course examination in the case of GCSE and regular tests in the case of GNVQ.
CPD – Continuing Professional Development - any activity that increases teachers' knowledge or understanding.
CPI – Child Protection Issue.
CPS – Common Pay Scale.
CRB – Criminal Records Bureau.
CRE – Commission for Racial Equality.
CTC – City Technology College.
CT – Children’s Trust.
Curriculum – A broad definition including not just the list of subjects taught but all the pupils’ learning experiences at school and the processes of learning as well as the knowledge that is acquired.
CVA – Contextual Value Added.
DCSF – Department for Children, Schools and Families.
DDA – Disability Discrimination Act.
DIUS – Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Delegated budget – Money provided to schools which governors can manage at their discretion.
Delegated powers – Authority given to a committee or the Head teacher to take action on behalf of the governing body.
Delegation – A process where one body or person gives another body or person authority to take decisions on a particular matter.
DfES – Department for Education and Skills.
Disapplied Pupils – The National Curriculum has been designed to make sure that all children are assessed. However, there may be a small number of pupils who are not able to take part in some assessment, even allowing for the full range of arrangements that can be made.
DRC – Disability Rights Commission.
DSG – Dedicated Schools Grant.
Dyslexia – Used to describe the specific learning disorder of children who have difficulty in acquiring reading, spelling, writing and numeracy skills.
EAL – English as an Additional Language.
EAZ – Education Action Zones.
EBD – Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.
ECM – Every Child Matters.
EDP – Education Development Plan which each LA is required to prepare setting out its strategies for improving standards in schools and raising pupil attainment.
EiC – Excellence in Cities.
Eleven Plus – Elective test usually taken at age 11 so selective grammar schools can choose the most academic pupils.
EMAS – Ethnic Minority Achievement Service.
EOC – Equal Opportunities Commission.
EOTAS – Education other than at School – alternative education provision for children excluded from schools.
EP – Educational Psychologist.
Equal Opportunities policy – A governing body’s thinking and practice on issues of equality surrounding gender, race, sexuality, disability and class.
ES – Extended School.
ESO – Education Supervision Order which a LA may apply for to deal with cases of poor attendance at school.
ESS – Education Standard Spending.
EWO – Education Welfare Officer employed to help pupils and parents where there are problems, particularly regarding attendance.
Exclusion – The temporary or permanent banning of a pupil by the head teacher on disciplinary grounds.
Ex-officio – Someone who is a governor by virtue of their office e.g. Vicar.
Extended Schools – Schools which provide a range of extended services and facilities for the benefit of pupils, parents, families and the wider community.
EYFS – Early Years Foundation Stage.
Failing School – A school identified as requiring special measures following an unsatisfactory OfSTED inspection.
Family Centre – Provides pre-school education and opportunities for parents to be involved.
FE – Further Education.
Federation – The coming together under one governing body of not more than five maintained schools.
Feeder Schools – Some authorities give priority to children from certain primary schools.
FGB – Full Governing Body.
FMSiS – Financial Management Standard in Schools.
FOI – Freedom of Information.
Form Entry – The number of classes that a school admits each year.
Formula – The calculation of the funds given to schools by the LA.
Foundation Governors – Governors appointed by the foundation body of a voluntary school for the purpose of securing that the character of the school is preserved and developed, and in particular that the school is conducted in accordance with the provision of any trust deed.
Foundation schools – Type of school run by the Local Authority but with more freedom than community schools to manage their school and decide on their admissions. The school’s land and buildings are either owned by the governing body or by a charitable foundation.
Foundation Stage – The curriculum followed by children below statutory school age, in schools (Nursery and Reception) and pre-school provision.
FSES – Full Service Extended School.
FSM – Free School Meals.
FTE – Full Time Equivalent.
GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education.
GDT – Governor Development Team.
GNVQ – General National Vocational Qualification.
GTC – The General Teaching Council - an independent professional body for teachers.
G&T – Gifted and Talented.
HE – Higher Education.
Healthy Schools Initiative – Government scheme to help improve the health of both pupils and teachers.
HLTA – Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
HMCI – Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools.
HMI – Her Majesty's Inspectorate.
HOD – Head of Department.
Home-School Agreements – a written contract between school, parents or carers and the pupil. It sets out expectations of attendance, behaviour, standards of education and homework. This is a statutory document for the governing body.
HOY – Head of Year.
IAN – Income Allocation Notification.
ICT – Information and Communication Technology.
IEP – Individual Education Plan devised for meeting the special education needs of individual pupils with needs over and above that of other children.
IIP – Investors in People.
Inclusion – used to denote that pupils with special and other needs are included in a mainstream school.
Increments – Process by which individuals move through their salary scale until they reach the top.
INSET – In-Service Education and Training - professional development for teaching and support staff.
Instrument of Government – A legal document setting out the composition of a governing body.
Internal Control - A system which encompasses the policies, processes, tasks, behaviours and other aspects of an organisation which is effective and efficient.
IPF – Institute of Public Finance.
ISB – Individual Schools Budget.
ISC – Independent Schools Council.
ISR – Individual School Range.
ITT – Initial Teacher Training.
JAR – Joint Area Review.
KS – Key Stages - The four stages of the National Curriculum for pupils aged 5-16.
KSI –Key Stage 1 (age 5 –7) at which assessment is based on the teacher's assessment, taking into account the child’s performance in several tasks and tests.
KS2 – Key Stage 2 (age 7 – 11) at which assessment will reflect the teacher’s assessment as well as the child’s national test results.
LA – Local Authority (previously known as the LEA – the Local Education Authority).
LAC – Looked After Children.
Liaison Governor – A governor who acts as a critical friend to the Governor Development Team to monitor the training provision and evaluate the quality of the service provided to all governors.
LMS – Local Management of Schools
LSA – Learning Support Assistant – more commonly known as TA – Teaching Assistant.
LSC – Learning and Skills Council.
Mentor Governor – An experienced governor who will work with a new governor.
MFG – Minimum Funding Guarantee.
MFL – Modern Foreign Languages.
Mixed Ability – A Teaching group in which children of all abilities are taught together and not streamed or set.
MTA – Meal Time Assistant.
Multi-disciplinary – Two or more professional trained in different specialisms working together to provide support, help and advice.
NAHT – National Association of Head teachers.
NAPE – National Association for Primary Education, covering the ages from 3 to 13.
NASUWT – National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers.
NC – National Curriculum - Established by the 1988 Education Act to ensure that all pupils receive a broad and balanced education.
National Curriculum – Disapplication - A term used where Curriculum requirements may not apply to a pupil.
NCOGS – National Co-ordinators of Governor Services.
NCSL – National College for School Leadership.
NFER – National Foundations for Educational Research.
NGA – National Governors’ Association.
NGfL – National Grid for Learning.
NNEB – The National Nursery Examination Board.
NOF – New Opportunities Fund.
NOR – Number On Roll.
NOV – Notes Of Visit.
NPQH – National Professional Qualifications for Headteachers.
NQT – Newly Qualified Teacher -Teachers who obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) must successfully complete an induction period of three school terms (or equivalent) in order to remain eligible for employment as a teacher in maintained schools and non maintained special schools.
NRA – National Record of Achievement.
NRWS – New Relationship with Schools.
NUT – National Union of Teachers.
OCR – Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations Board.
OFSTED – Office for Standards in Education. The body which sets standards and arranges school inspections.
Outturn – Statement of what the school actually spent by the end of the financial year.
PAN – Planned Admissions Number - The number of children the LA (or governing body of an Aided School) determines can be admitted to a school.
PAT – Pupil Achievement Tracker.
Performance Management – A review of teachers’ performance both as individuals and in teams. It sets a framework for heads, teacher and their team leaders to establish and review priorities and objectives.
Peripatetic teacher – Normally a teacher who provides specialist instruction e.g. music at a number of schools.
PFI – Private Finance Initiative.
PGR – Parent Governor Representatives.
PI – Performance Indicators.
PIB – Pre-Inspection Briefing.
PIPs – Performance Indicators for Primary Schools.
PLASC – Pupil Level Annual Schools Census.
Plenary – The time at the end of a lesson in which the teacher finds out what children have learnt.
PPA – Planning, Preparation and Assessment – 10% non contact time for teachers.
Professional Development Days – Non pupil days set aside for teachers to attend for planning, in service training curriculum or staff development.
Progress File – Formerly the National Record of Achievement. Supports pupils from Year 9 in planning their future progression.
Prospectus – Document describing the school’s ethos for prospective parents. The Education Act defines sections which must be included to allow parents to compare schools.
PRP – Performance Related Pay.
PRS – Pupil Referral Service.
PRU – Pupil Referral Unit.
PSHE – Personal, Social and Health Education.
PSP – Pastoral Support Programme/Plan for pupils at serious risk of permanent exclusion.
PTA – Parent Teacher Association.
PTR – Pupil/Teacher Ratio, calculated by dividing the number of pupils in a school by the number of full-time equivalent teachers.
QCA – Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
QTS – Qualified Teacher Status.
Quorum – The number of governors who must be present to validate the proceedings of a governors’ meeting.
Raise Online – Reporting and Analysis for Improvement through School Evaluation – Online performance and assessment reports produced nationally.
RAP – Raising Attainment Plan.
Record of Achievement – A profile detailing the pupil’s formal and informal achievements in secondary school. May include samples of work and pupil’s own self assessment.
Remodelling – Remodelling is set out in a national agreement that aims to reform the workforce. It is about giving teachers more time and support in order to raise standards, increase job satisfaction and improve the status of the profession.
Resolution – A formal resolution made at a meeting which has been voted upon and agreed.
RI – Registered Inspector, who is authorised by Ofsted to lead an inspection team.
RIG – Rewards and Incentives Group.
ROA - Record of Achievement
SACRE – Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education. Local statutory body which advises on religious education and collective worship.
SAFE – Security Action for Education.
SALT – Speech and Language Therapist.
SATs – Standard Assessment Tasks used for curriculum assessment.
School Profile – A report by governors on the school’s performance, pre-populated with data supplied by the DCSF.
SDP – School Development Plan.
SEAL – Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning.
SEBS – Social Environmental Behaviour Skills.
SEF – Self/School Evaluation Form.
SEN – Special Educational Needs.
SENCO – SEN Co-ordinator. The teacher responsible for co-ordinating SEN provision in the school.
SHA – Secondary Heads Association.
SI – Statutory Instrument.
SIC – Statement of Internal Control.
SIMs – Schools Information Management Systems.
SIP – School Improvement Partner.
SIP – School Improvement Plan.
SMART Targets – An acronym for School Attainment Targets – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-limited.
SMT – Senior Management Team.
Special school – A school for children whose special educational needs cannot be met within a mainstream school.
Sure Start – An innovative cross-departmental strategy to improve services for children under 4 and those in disadvantages areas.
Target Setting – Each autumn, governing bodies of all maintained primary and secondary schools must set targets for improving pupil performance.
T&L – Teaching and Learning.
Teachers TV – A digital television channel and website which enables teachers and schools to learn by sharing practical ideas and information.
TES – Times Educational Supplement.
Threshold – Teachers may apply to be assessed to be paid above the threshold of their incremental ceiling.
TLRs – Teaching and Learning Responsibility – additional payment for specific teaching and learning responsibilities over and beyond the normal teaching role.
UNISON – Union of local authority, health and other public sector employees.
UPS – Upper Pay Spine.
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.
VA – Voluntary Aided – Schools with a foundation which appoints most of the governors. The governing body is the admission authority and employs the staff.
VC – Voluntary Controlled – Schools with a foundation which appoints some of the governors. The LA (Local Authority) is the admission authority and employs the staff.
Vertical grouping – Classes formed (in primary schools) with pupils of different age groups.
Virement – A local authority term to enable monies to be transferred from one budget heading to another.