Jargon buster

This glossary of terms was last updated July 2018.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS/JARGON BUSTER

AfL: Assessment for Learning

ADHD: Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder

AHT: Assistant Head Teacher

AMP: Asset Management Plan

ARE: Age related expectation

Articled Teacher: A teacher who is being trained on the job

ASD: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

AST: Advanced Skills Teacher

Attainment Targets: ATs provide the objectives for what is to be learned in each subject set in the National Curriculum at ages 7, 11, 14 and 16

Core Curriculum: English, Mathematics and Science

CiC: Child in Care (not adopted)

CIN: Child in Need

COSHH: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

CP: Child Protection

CPD: Continuing Professional Development

CSE: Child Sexual Exploitation

DAG: Devon Association of Governors

DAF: Devon Assessment Framework

DAPH: Devon Association of Primary Heads

Delegated Budget: Money provided under LMS which governing bodies can use at their discretion. Devolved funds are those which have to be used for specified purposes

DFC: Devolved Formula Capital

DfE: Department for Education

DSL: Designated Safeguarding Lead

DUG: depth and understanding grid

E3 Funding: LA funds for higher needs children with SEN needs.

EAL: English as an additional language

EBD: Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

EHCP: Education, Health and Care Plan

ELG: Early Learning Goal

EWO: Education Welfare Officer, employed to help pupils and parents where there are problems, particularly regarding attendance. They are a valuable link between home and school

Exclusion: Heads may exclude pupils from school for serious misconduct but the chair of governors and the LEA must be informed and the parent has a right of appeal. Exclusions must now be either fixed or permanent

FSM: Free school meals

FTE: Full-time equivalent; used when calculating or comparing how much time is worked

GD: Greater Depth

HLTA: Higher Level Teaching Assistant

HMI: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (See OFSTED)

HT:  Headteacher

IEP: Individual Education Plan; drawn up for children with Special Needs

INSET: In-service Education and Training

Instrument of Government: The legal document setting out the composition of the governing body

ISB: Individual Schools Budget

KCSiE: Keeping Children Safe in Education (statutory safeguarding guidance)

Key Stages: The National Curriculum is divided into four stages; KS1 for pupils aged 5-7 years; KS2 aged 7-11; KS3 aged 11-14; KS4 aged 14-16. See also NCTs, Attainment Targets

LA: Local Authority

LCVAP: LA Co-ordinated Voluntary Aided Programme  (money)

MASH: Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (safeguarding concerns)

MPS: Main Pay Scale

MTA: Meal Time Assistant

National Curriculum (NC): The curriculum required by law to be taught in all schools. The governing body shares with the LEA and the headteacher the responsibility for ensuring that it is implemented. (See also Core Curriculum)

NGA: National Governor Association

0121 643 5787 governorhq@nga.org.uk

NOR: Number on Roll

NPQH: National Professional Qualification for Headteachers

NQT: Newly Qualified Teacher

OFSTED: Office for Standards in Education; the body which arranges and sets standards for school inspections; also produces some publications.  (Tel: 0207 421 6673 Alexandra House, 29-33 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SE)

PAN: Planned Admission Number. The number of children the LEA (or the governing body of an Aided School) determines can be admitted to the school. It can be above the Standard Number (see below) but may not be below it

Portage: A scheme for providing home-based pre-school education for children with special needs

PPA: Planning, Preparation and Assessment (time for teachers)

PPG: Pupil Premium Grant

PSE: Personal, Social and Health Education

PSHE: Personal, Social, Health Education

PTR: Pupil Teacher Ratio, obtained by dividing the number of pupils by the number of teachers

Pupil Profile: A broad evaluation of a pupil’s personality, interests and capabilities. Part of his/her NRA (see above)

RE: Religious Education

Reading Age: A child’s ability to read may be compared against an average national ability level at any given age. The age level a child attains is their reading age

Rising Fives: Compulsory schooling begins at the start of the term directly following a child’s fifth birthday. Some LEAs, including Devon, admit children before this point as ‘Rising Fives’

RWM: Reading, Writing and Maths

SaLT: Speech and Language Therapy

SATs: Standard Assessment Tasks

SBM: School Business Manager

SBS: School Budget Share

SDP: School Development Plan

SEN: Special Educational Needs.

SEND: Special Educational Needs and Disability

SENDCo: Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator: teacher responsible for co-ordinating SEN provision in a school.

SIAMS: Statutory Inspection of Anglican & Methodist Schools – Diocesan ‘Ofsted style’ Inspection every 5 years

Sibling: A brother or sister

SIP:  School Improvement Plan

SLA: Service Level Agreement

SLT: Senior Leadership Team

SMT: Senior Management Team

SPAG:  Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar

SpLD: Specific Learning Difficulties (eg. dyslexia)

Special Measures: A school which, when inspected, has failed to provide an acceptable standard of education will need special measures

Special School: For children and young people whose needs cannot be met in a mainstream school

Standard Number (SN): The legally determined figure for the number of pupils in the admission year-group, below which the PAN (see above) may not be set

Statementing: The procedure by which a child is formally assessed under the 1981 Education Act as having significant educational needs. The statement, which must be reviewed annually, identifies these needs and the provision necessary to meet them.

STPCD: School Teachers’ Pay and

Conditions Document

STRB: School Teachers’ Review Body

TA: Teacher Assessment

TAC: Team Around the Child meeting – collective support and sharing of information regarding a child.

TAF: Team around the Family

Thrive: Working with children and families to change behaviour through understanding emotions.

TOR: Terms Of Reference

Unauthorised Absence: Absence by a pupil from school which is not otherwise authorised. Statistical information about such absences must be given in the governors’ Annual Report to Parents

UPS: Upper Pay Scale

VA: Voluntary Aided. A school set up and owned by a voluntary body (usually a church) largely financed through an LEA. The governing body employ the staff, control pupil admissions and religious education

VC: Voluntary Controlled. A denominational school wholly maintained by the LEA but with certain residual rights regarding religious education

Virement: The transfer of certain sums of money from one expenditure heading to another.

Walking Distance: The statutory distance beyond which the LEA must provide free school transport is two miles for children up to eight years and three miles for those aged eight and over

(July 2018)