ADD/ADHD Online Information

ADD/ADHD Information

Some Useful Educational Terms

Term	Meaning
A2	second year of Advanced Level course
ACE	Advisory Centre for Education, advisory service for parents
Academies	publicly funded independent secondary schools with sponsors from private or voluntary sectors, or from churches or other faith groups. Capital costs are provided by the sponsor and DfES and running costs are fully met by the DfES
AEN	Additional Educational Needs
AS	first year of Advanced Level course
AST	Advanced Skills Teacher
ATL	Association of Teachers and Lecturers
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. There are eight levels
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 LEA
Baseline Assessment	Assessment of infant children's basic skills on entry to school
Beacon Schools	an initiative designed to raise standards through the dissemination of good practice between schools
Behaviour Support Plan	the action plan implemented by the LEA to deal with behavioural problems
Benchmarking	comparing school expenditure with broadly similar schools at local, regional and national levels
Best Value	aims to ensure local authorities continually improve the ways that they function, having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness
CASE	Campaign for State education
CATS	Cognitive Ability Tests for knowing, thinking and reasoning
Catchment Area	The area from which a school takes its pupils
Connexions	Government advice and support service for all young people aged between 13- providing guidance in planning further education and employment
Core Curriculum	English, maths and science studied by all pupils from 5-16
CPD	Continuing Professional Development: activities that increase teachers' knowledge, or understanding and effectiveness in schools
DDA	Disability Discrimination Act
DfES	Department for Education and Skills
Differentiation	The organisation of teaching programmes and methods specifically to suit the age, ability and aptitudes of individual children
EDP	Education Development Plan which each LEA is required to prepare setting out its strategies for improving standards in schools and raising pupil attainment
EMA	The Education Maintenance Allowance is available nationally across England to eligible young people on courses such as AS/A2, GNVQs, NVQs, GCSEs studying in schools, sixth form colleges and FE colleges.
ESO	Education Supervision Order which an LEA may apply for to deal with cases of poor attendance at school
EWO	Education Welfare Officer
Exclusion	Temporary or permanent banning of a pupil from school.
Extended Schools	Schools can provide a range of extended services and facilities for the benefit of pupils, parents, families and the wider community
Foundation Schools	Previously Grant Maintained schools
Foundation Stage	The curriculum followed by children below statutory school age, in schools (Nursery and Reception) and pre-school provision
GSA	Girls' School Association
GCSE	General Certificate of Secondary Education
GNVQ	General National Vocational Qualification
GTC	General Teaching Council an independent professional body for teachers
HMC	Headmaster's and Headmistress's Conference
HMI	Her Majesty's Inspector
Home-School Agreement	the written contract drawn up between the school, parents or carers and the pupil. It sets out expectations of attendance, behaviour, standards of education and homework.
IAPS	Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools
IEP	Individual Education Plan devised for meeting a pupil's requirements with special education needs
IIP	Investors in People
INSET	In-Service Education and Training: professional development for school staff. Each year 5 days during term time are set aside
Inclusion	: used to denote that pupils with special needs are included in a mainstream school
ICT	Information and Communication Technology
Key Stages (KS)	the four stages of the National Curriculum for pupils
KS1	pupils aged 5-7
KS2	pupils aged 7-11
KS3	pupils aged 11-14
KS4	pupils aged 14-16
LEA	Local Education Authority
LEP	Leading Edge Partnership: programme aimed at identifying, extending and disseminating innovation and excellence amongst groups of secondary schools in order to contribute to school improvement
LSC	Learning and Skills Council
NAHT	National Association of Headteachers
NASUWT	National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers
National Curriculum	Established by the 1988 Education Act to ensure that all pupils receive a broad and balanced education
NCMA	National Childminding Association
NCPTA	National Confederations of Parent Teacher Associations
NFER	National Foundation for Educational Research
NQT	Newly Qualified Teacher
NUT	National Union of Teachers
NVQ	National Vocational Qualification
OFSTED	Office for Standards in Education sets standards and arranges school inspections
PAN	Plan Admissions Number: The number of children the LEA (or 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.
PANDA	Performance and Assessment reports are produced by Ofsted and rate schools according to similar circumstances
PAT	Professional Association of Teachers
Peripatetic Teacher	A teacher who provides specialist instruction eg music at more than one school
PGCE	Post-Graduate Certificate of Education for newly qualified teachers (NQT).
Progress File	Formerly the National Record of Achievement. Supports pupils from Year 9 in planning their future progression
PSP	Pastoral Support Programme for pupils at serious risk of permanent exclusion
PTA	Parent Teacher Association
QCA	Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
Remodelling	A process for relieving teachers of administrative chores and more time to engage with pupils
RgI/RI	Registered Inspector, who is authorised by Ofsted to lead an inspection team
SACRE	Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education. Local statutory body which advises on religious education and collective worship
SATS	Standard Assessment Tasks used for Curriculum Assessment.
SEBD	Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.
SEN	Special Educational Needs. Pupils with learning difficulties for which special education provision has to be made. May include children with physical disabilities or emotional and behavioural disorders
SENCO	Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. The teacher responsible for co-ordinating SEN provision in the school
Setting	The organising of pupils into ability groups for particular subjects
SHA	Secondary Heads Association
Special School	A school for children whose special educational needs cannot be met within a mainstream school
Specialist Schools	The Specialist Schools Programme helps secondary schools, in partnership with private sector sponsors and supported by additional Government funding, to establish distinctive identities through their chosen specialisms and achieve their targets to raise standards
Special Unit	A unit attached to a mainstream school for children with specific special needs
Standard Number (SN)	The legally determined number of pupils in the admission year group below which the PAN may not be set
Standards Fund	Programme of specific grants from the DfES for school improvement projects some of which may be earmarked for specific purposes eg National Literacy and Numeracy strategies
Statementing	The procedure by which a child is formally assessed under the 1996 Education Act as having significant special education needs
Streaming	Placing pupils in classes according to their ability
Target Setting	Each autumn, governing bodies of all maintained pri mary and secondary schools must set targets for improving pupil performance
TTA	Teaching Training Agency.: involved in the initial training of teachers and their on-going professional development after qualification
VA	Voluntary Aided Schools provide the same range of education as community schools but reflect the ethos or religious nature of the foundation that established them. The governing body sets out its own admissions policy, and, because of the nature of the school, children may come from a wider area than the immediate local community
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
VC	Voluntary Controlled Schools. They provide the same range of education as community schools but also reflect the ethos of the foundation that established them
Vertical Grouping	Classes formed (in primary schools) with pupils of different age groups
Walking Distance	The statutory distance beyond which the LEA must provide free school transport is two miles for children up to 8 years old and three miles for those aged 8 and over

If you come across any we have missed please feel free to let us know so we can add them in.

Also for any others that you may come across and are not sure the meaning of you may like to check out TheFreeDictionary "English, Medical, Legal, Financial, and Computer Dictionaries, Thesaurus, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, a Literature Reference Library, and a Search Engine all in one!" by Farlex

Just type the Acronym into their search box and click search - normally it will say something like "is not available in the general English dictionary and thesaurus" it will give a link to try Acronyms.

Back to Information

---

Home  About Us  ADD/ADHD News  ADDerwards  Advertising  Books  Contact Us  Creative ADDers  Donate

 Events  Forums  Information  Links  Natural Remedies  ADDers.org News  Research  Resources  Search adders.org

 Site Map  Social Stories  Sponsor Events  Student/Researchers  Support Groups  Supporters

Join us on.... Twitter Facebook

Home