Jargon Buster
Assessment without levels - A common phrase to describe changes to the primary curriculum. Grade descriptions and levels have now been removed from the national curriculum and it is up to primary schools to decide how they track pupil progress and attainment. Children will still sit SATs exams in KS 1 and KS 2 as a national benchmark, however they will no longer be given a grade. Instead, they will be given a scaled score, with a score of 100 or above showing that a pupil has met national expectations.
Attainment targets - These establish what children of different abilities should be expected to know and be able to do by the end of each key stage of the national curriculum.
Baseline assessment - Assessment of pupils' attainment on entry to year 1 - it is not statutory, but many local authorities encourage schools to carry it out.. Schools may now decide to conduct baseline assessment in reception, but again this is not a statutory requirement.
Clerk - The Clerk is the 'constitutional conscience' of the governing board. They provide advice on governance, constitutional and procedural matters. They also offer administrative support to the governing body and relay information on legal requirements.
Collaboration - An agreement between two or more schools to work together on one particular issue. They keep their individual governing boards, but may set up a joint committee to which they can delegate powers.
Community schools - Maintained schools at which the local authority (LA) is the employer, owns the land and buildings and sets the admission criteria. The LA also take a proportion of income known as 'top slice' for the provision of central services such as HR, legal etc.
Community special schools - Maintained schools which make special educational provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or education, health and care plans (EHCs), whose needs cannot be met from within mainstream provision. The LA is the employer, owns the land and buildings and sets the admission criteria.
Co-opted governor/trustee - Appointed by the governing board, generally on the basis of their skills.
CPD - Continuing Professional Development for school staff or the governing board.
DDA - Disability Discrimination Act.
Designated person - liaises with other services on behalf of young people in care and has a responsibility for promoting their educational achievement.
EAL - English as an Additional Language
EHC plans - Education, health and care plans - a document which replaces statements of SEN and Learning Difficulty Assessments for children and young people with special educational needs.
Ethos - The morals, values and beliefs that do, or at least should, underpin the school culture.
EWO - Educational Welfare Office - a professional worker who visits pupils' homes and deals with attendance problems and other welfare matter in cooperation with the school.
Ex officio - Able to attend meeting by virtue of holding a particular office.
Exclusion - The temporary or permanent removal of a pupil from school for serious breaches of the school's behaviour and discipline policy.
Executive headteacher - Unlike a traditional headteacher who leads one school only, and executive headteacher is the lead professional of more than one school;or a lead professional who manages a school with multiple phases; or who has management responsibility significantly beyond that of a single school site.
FSM - Free school meals - pupils are eligible for FSM if their parents receive certain benefits.
Governing body - Refers to the governing body of a maintained school only.
HLTA - Higher Level Teaching Assistant
HMCI - Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools
HMI - Her Majesty's Inspector
IEP - Individual Education Plan for pupils with special educational needs.
Instrument of Government - A legal document setting out the composition of maintained school governing bodies.
KS1 - 4 - The four stages of the national curriculum: KS1 for pupils ages 5-7; KS1 for 7-11; KS3 for 11-14; KS4 for 14-16.
LA - Local authority - the LA has certain responsibilities regarding education, for example the educational achievement of looked-after children and for school places planning. It will also provide other services to schools, which may be provided via a service level agreement to maintained schools and in many cases academies.
LA Governor - Nominated by the LA but appointed by the governing body.
LAC - Looked After Children - Children who are in care provision. May also refer to children who have been in care at any time in the last six years.
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. Academies do not need to follow the national curriculum, but many still choose to.
Non-teaching (support) staff - Members of the school staff employed to provide services in a school, such as teaching assistants, cleaners and office staff.
NOR - Number on roll
NQT - Newly Qualified Teacher
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.
Parent governor/trustee - Member of the governing board elected by the parents of the school's pupils.
PE and Sports Premium - Funding for years 1 to 6 to provide additional PE and sport beyond that already provided in the curriculum.
PI - Performance Indicators (sometimes called key performance indicators). Used to evaluate the success of a school or of a particular activity in which it engages.
PPA - Planning, Preparation and Assessment - 10% guaranteed non-contact time for teachers.
Pupil Premium - Funding allocated to schools to support pupils eligible for FSM, in care, or who have parents in the armed forces.
RAISEonline - Reporting and Analysis for Improvement through School Self-Evaluation is the web-based system to disseminate school performance data to schools.
SATs - Standard Assessment Tasks - used for national curriculum assessment.
School census - A statutory return which takes place during the autumn, spring and summer terms. Maintained schools and academies should take part in the census.
School Development Plan - The operational document describing how the school will work towards the strategic priorities set by the governing body.
SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - learning difficulties for which special educational provision has to be made.
SENCO - SEN Co-ordinator - the teacher responsible for coordinating SEND provision in the school.
Short Inspection - A one day Ofsted inspection carried out at 'good' schools (or special schools, nurseries and PRU's judged 'outstanding').
SIMS - Schools Information and Management System - a computer package to assist schools in managing information on pupils, staff and resources, provided by Capita.
SLT - Senior Leadership Team
SMSC - Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development.
Staff/governor trustee - Elected by those that are paid to work at the school.
TA - Teaching Assistant
Terms of Reference - The scope and limitations of a committee's activity or area of knowledge.
TLR - Teaching and Learning responsibility - payments made to teachers for an additional responsibility.
Value Added (VA) - 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.