Jargon Buster

This is a guide to commonly used acronyms and abbreviations found in education.

If you know of other acronyms/abbreviations not listed here please let us know.

ORGANISATIONS

ACAS – Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service
ACE – Advisory Centre for Education
ADEW – Association of Directors of Education in Wales
CES – Catholic Education Society
DDE – Diocesan Director of Education
DfES - Department for Education and Skills
DfE - Department for Education
EFQM – European Foundation for Quality Management
EHRC – Equality and Human Rights Commission
ESRC – Economic and Social Research Council
ESTYN * – Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales
EWC – Education Workforce Council
HSE – Health & Safety Executive
NAEL – National Academy of Educational Leadership
NAC – National Assembly Commission
NAfW – National Assembly for Wales
NFER – National Foundation for Educational Research
NGfL – National Grid for Learning
OECD – Office for Economic Cooperation and Development
OfSTED – Office for Standards in Education
Parentkind * – Parent Teacher Associations UK
QW – Qualifications Wales
SNAP – Special Needs Advisory Project
TES – Times Educational Supplement
WG – Welsh Government
WJEC – Welsh Joint Education Committee
WLGA – Welsh Local Government Association

LEGISLATION / INITIATIVES

ALNET – Additional Learning Needs Education Tribunal
DBS – Disclosure and Barring Service
DPA – Data Protection Act
FOIA – Freedom of Information Act
UK GDPR – The UK General Data Protection Regulation
IiP – Investors in People
PFI – Private Finance Initiative
SI – Statutory Instrument
SSFA – Schools Standard and Framework Act
SENDIST – Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
STP&CD – School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document

LOCAL AUTHORITY / REGIONAL CONSORTIA

CA – Challenge Advisers
CSCJES – Central South Consortium Joint Education Service
CEO – Chief Education Officer
CSO – Chief Schools Officer
DOE – Director of Education
EAS – Education Achievement Service for South East Wales
ESP – Education Strategic Plans
EWO – Education Welfare Officer
GSU – Governor Support Unit
GwE – North Wales Regional School Effectiveness and Improvement Service
ITT- Initial Teacher Training
LA – Local Authority
NNEB – National Nursery Examination Board
PGR – Parent Governor Representative
PRU – Pupil Referral Unit
SIP – School Improvement Partner
SSA – Standard Spending Assessment
VA – Value Added
WESPs – Welsh in Education Strategic Plans

INSPECTION

CIF – Common Inspection Framework
HMI – Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools
IA – Inspection Area
LI – Lay Inspector
PI – Peer Inspector
PIC – Pre-Inspection Commentary
RI – Reporting Inspector
SAP – School Action Plan

UNIONS

ASCL - Association of School and College Leaders
GMB – Britain’s General Union
NAHT – National Association of Headteachers
NASUWT – National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers
NEU – National Education Union
UCAC – National Association of Teachers in Wales
UNISON – Union of Public Service Employees
UNITE * – Union formed by the merger of T&G and Amicus

SCHOOL-RELATED / GENERAL

‘A’ Level – Advanced Level
ACS – Average class size
ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
AEN – Additional Educational Needs
AfL – Assessment for learning
ALS – Additional Literary Support
ALN – Additional Learning Needs
ALNCO – Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator
AN – Admission Number
AOLE – Area of learning and experience
ARP – Annual Report to Parents
APG – Associate Pupil Governors
‘AS’ Level – Advanced Subsidiary Level
AT – Attainment Target
AWPU – Age-Weighted Pupil Unit
AWPS – Average Wider Points Score (6th form)
BM – Benchmarking
BTEC – Business and Technology Education Council
CI – Challenge Index
CFR – Consistent Financial Reporting
CfW – Curriculum for Wales
CLA – Children Looked After
CP – Child Protection
CPD – Continuing Professional Development
CPS – Capped Points Score
CSI – Core Subject Indicator
CWRE – Careers and Work Related Education
CYP – Children and Young People
DEWi – The Data Exchange Wales Initiative
DPO – Data Protection Officer
EAL – English as an Additional Language
EBD – Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties
EHC – Education, Health and Care Plan
EMA – Education Maintenance Allowance
EMAS – Ethnic Monitoring Advisory Service
EOTAS – Educated Otherwise than at School
EPD – Early Professional Development
EYDCP – Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership
EWO – Education Welfare Officer
FE – Further Education
FEI – Further Education Institution
FFT – Fischer Family Trust
Ffynnon * – Ffynnon (school data portal)
FSM – Free School Meals
FTE – Full Time Equivalent
GB – Governing Body
GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education
GNVQ – General National Vocational Qualification
HE – Higher Education
HLTA – Higher Level Teacher Assistant
HOD – Head of Department
HOF – Head of Faculty
HOY – Head of Year
HSA – Home-School Agreement
ICT – Information Communications Technology
IDP – Individual Development Plan
IEP – Individual Education Plan
INCERTS * – Assessment tool for schools
INSET – In-Service Education and Training
ISF – Innovative Schools Fund
ISR – Individual School Range
ITT – Initial Teacher Training
KS – Key Stage
LAC – Looked After Children
LAP – Language and Play
LLC – Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
LNF – Literacy and Numeracy Framework
LPSH – Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers
LSA – Learning Support Assistant
MAT – More able and talented
MD – Mathematical Development
MFL – Modern Foreign Languages
MLD – Moderate Learning Difficulties
NC – National Curriculum
NDC – National Data Collection
NOR – Number on Roll
NPQH – National Professional Qualification for Headship
NQT – Newly Qualified Teacher
NRA – National Record of Achievement
NSP – National Support Programme
NVQ – National Vocational Qualification
OSHL – Out of School Hours Learning
PDG – Pupil Development Grant
PGCE – Post-Graduate Certificate of Education
PHIP – Professional Headship Induction Programme
PI – Performance Indicator
PLC – Professional Learning Community
PLP – Professional Learning Passport
PLASC – Pupil Level Annual School Census
PPA – Preparation, Planning and Assessment time
PTA – Parent Teacher Association
PTR – Pupil Teacher Ratio
QTS – Qualified Teacher Status
RSE – Relationships and Sexuality Education
ROA – Record of Achievement
SDP / SIP – School Development / Improvement Plan
SEAL- Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
SEN – Special Educational Needs
SEP – Special Education Provision
SER – Self-Evaluation Report
SIMS – School Information and Management System
SL – Subject Leader
SLA – Service Level Agreement
SLD – Severe Learning Difficulties
SLMs – School Leadership Modules
SLO – Schools as Learning Organisations
SLT – School Leadership Team
SMT – Senior Management Team
SSSP – Summary of Secondary School Performance
STA – Statutory Teacher Assessments
STEPS * – Assessment tool for schools
STF – Specialist Teaching Facility
S3i – Supported School Self-Improvement
TA – Teaching Assistant
TGB – Temporary Governing Body
TLR – Teaching and Learning Responsibility
UPN – Unique Pupil Number
UPS – Upper Pay Scale
VA – Voluntary-Aided
VC – Voluntary Controlled
WED – Welsh Examinations Database
WIMD – Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation
WSL – Welsh Second Language
YPLA – Young People Looked After