In all fields of work jargon and acronyms are used that are known and understood by employees, but not necessarily by everyone else. We know that school staff use terminology and abbreviations that may be unfamiliar and we certainly don’t want to confuse anyone. So this page contains a glossary that is dedicated to clarifying exactly what is meant.
AfL – Assessment for Learning – a programme of teaching and learning activities which are designed to provide information to be used as feedback to modify the learning activities. Examples of AfL activities are: effective questioning, observations of students during teaching and learning activities, class discussions, analysing work and providing feedback to students.
AIP – Academy Improvement Plan – a projection of what a school hopes to achieve within a prescribed time limit.
CPD – Continued Professional Development – any activity that increases teachers’ knowledge or understanding, or effectiveness in schools.
DfE – The Department for Education – responsible for education and children’s services in England.
EAL – English as an Additional Language – refers to children whose first language is not English, and may not speak English fluently or at all.
EBD – Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties – Children who display these problems may be placed on the Special Needs Register and given extra support.
ECT – Early Careers Teacher – a teacher in their first two years of qualified teaching.
EHCP – Education Health and Care Plan – Students who are issues with an EHCP have serious special educational needs, and will receive extra assistance in their learning. Plans outline the child’s needs and required support, and are reviewed annually.
EYFS – Early Years Foundation Stage – sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted-registered early years’ providers must follow the EYFS curriculum, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes.
FSM – Free School Meals – Students on FSM will have access to extra funding to support their learning activities inside and outside of the classroom
HLTA – Higher Level Teaching Assistant – a HLTA does all the things a regular teaching assistant does but they have a greater level of responsibility, such as being able to teach classes on their own, cover planned absences and allow teachers time for planning and marking.
KS – Key Stage – the National Curriculum is organised into blocks of years called Key Stages.
LA – Local Authority – local government with responsibility for education
LAC – Looked after Children – children who are in care or looked after by foster parents. LACs have the highest status for admissions and provisions in schools.
MLD – Moderate Learning Difficulties – Students with MLDs receive extra assistance under the SEN provision. Students with MLD have attainments well below expected levels in all or most areas of the curriculum. Their needs will not be met by normal differentiation and the flexibilities of the National Curriculum.
Ofsted – The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills – the regulatory and inspection body for education and children’s care service providers.
PLP – Personalised Learning Plan – identifies the special educational needs of a child and outlines target and strategies to support their learning.
PPA – Planning, Preparation and Assessment time – 10% of teachers time is allocated to PPA.
PPF – Pupil Premium Funding – additional funding allocated to schools per student receiving fee school meals.
PRU – Pupil Referral Unit – established and maintained by an LA to provide education for pupils who would not otherwise receive a suitable education due to exclusion or other reasons.
QTS – Qualified Teacher Status – the accreditation that allows you to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales.
SATs – Standard Attainment Tests – SATs are national curriculum tests in England taken by Year 6 primary school pupils to measure school performance and assess individual student progress. They help identify students who may need extra support before starting secondary school and also provide data on school effectiveness. The tests cover core subjects like English (reading, grammar, spelling, punctuation) and Mathematics.
SALT – Speech and Language Therapy – “SALT” is a common acronym for Speech and Language Therapy, a healthcare profession dedicated to assessing, diagnosing, and treating individuals with communication and swallowing disorders
SEF – Self-Evaluation Form – an online form which helps schools evaluate their own performance, used by Ofsted inspectors prior to an inspection to help identity where they might need to focus their efforts.
SEMH – Social, Emotional, Mental Health – SEMH stands for Social, Emotional, and Mental Health and refers to a specific category of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for children and young people who have significant difficulties managing their emotions and behaviour.
SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disability– provision to support pupils with learning disabilities. This may be provided through mainstream or more specialised education.
SENDco – Special Education Needs Co-ordinator – teacher responsible for ensuring that students with learning difficulties, emotional problems and behavioural problems receive appropriate support, overseeing the completion of PLPs and liaising with external agencies.
SLT – Senior Leadership Team – consisting of Headteacher, Deputy Head and Assistant Headteachers
TA – Teaching Assistant – the role of a teaching assistant varies but usually includes some or all of the following: working on a 1-2-1 basis with a child, supporting a small group of pupils, supporting pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, preparing the classroom for lessons, creating resources and displays and attending school outings and events.
