Glossary

ACAC

Qualifications, Curriculum & Assessment Authority for Wales

Access courses

Courses designed to prepare those without A-levels for the challenges of higher education

ASCL

Association of School and College Leaders
Formerly the Secondary Heads Association

AST

Advanced skills teacher
A school leadership role which is mainly classroom-based, allowing experienced, excellent teachers to continue developing their careers without having to take on management responsibilities

ATL

Association of Teachers and Lecturers

ATP

Approved Training Provider

AVCE

Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education

BA with QTS

Bachelor of arts with qualified teacher status
A degree in an arts or humanities-based subject which also leads to qualified teacher status. Find out more about BA with QTS courses.

Becta

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
The lead government body for ICT in education

BEd with QTS

Bachelor of education with qualified teacher status
A degree in education which also leads to qualified teacher status. Find out more about BEd courses.

BSc with QTS

Bachelor of science with qualified teacher status
A degree in a science-based subject which also leads to qualified teacher status. Find out more about BSc with QTS courses.

CATE

Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education

CCEA

Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment

CILT

Centre for Information on Language Teaching

City Academies

Publicly funded independent schools set up and run by sponsors, providing free education to secondary age pupils of all abilities, including provision for children with special educational needs. City Academies have state of the art facilities, through which they offer a broad and balanced curriculum, including a specialism.

CLEA

Council of Local Education Authorities

Co-educational

The teaching of pupils of both sexes in the same school or college

Community schools

State schools in England and Wales which are wholly owned and maintained by the local education authority. The LEA has main responsibility for deciding arrangements for admitting pupils

Community Special Schools

The special school equivalent of mainstream community schools which cater wholly or mainly for children with statutory statements of special educational needs

Comprehensive

A secondary school for pupils of all abilities

Connexions

A government support service for young people which aims to ensure success through learning and a smooth transition to adulthood and working life for every young person

CPD

Continuing professional development

CTC

City Technology College

D&T

Design and technology

DENI

Department of Education (Northern Ireland)

Denominational school

A school with its own particular beliefs, organisation and practices

DfE

Department for Education
The English government department that creates policy

DfES

Department for Education and Skills
The former English government department that created policy – as of June 2007, DfES was replaced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)

DfTE

Department for Training and Education (Wales)
The Welsh government department which creates policy

DHT

Deputy headteacher

DIUS

Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The English government department responsible for science and innovation, with further and higher education and skills

DRB

Designated recommending body (see EBITT)

EAL

English as an additional language

EBITT

Employment based initial teacher training (formerly DRB)
A partnership responsible for providing the Graduate Teacher Programme and Registered Teacher Programme in England, including planning and preparing training

EBR

Employment-based routes into teaching (see EBTTS)

EBTT

Employment-based teacher training

EBTTS

Employment based teacher training scheme (formerly EBR)
For example, the Graduate Teacher Programme and the Registered Teacher Programme

EEA

European Economic Area

Extended school

A school that provides a range of services and activities often beyond the school day to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community

FAQ

Frequently asked question

FE

Further education

FEI

Further education institution
A school or college offering pre-degree level education

Foundation school

Type of state school which is run by the local authority but which has more freedom than community schools to manage the school and decide on its own admissions

Foundation special schools

A foundation schools that caters wholly or mainly for children with statutory statements of special educational needs.

Foundation stage

The earliest years of schooling for UK children (ages 3-5 years)

GCSE

General Certificate of Secondary Education
Examination usually taken at the end of compulsory schooling in England and Wales

GMS

Grant maintained school

GNVQ

General National Vocational Qualification
Examination in a subject which is not academic

Grammar schools

Grammar schools select all or almost all of their pupils with reference to academic ability

GRTP

Graduate and Registered Teacher Programmes
An collective term for the GTP and the RTP

GSA

Girls' Schools Association

GTCE

General Teaching Council for England
The professional body for teachers and teaching in England

GTCW

General Teaching Council for Wales
The professional body for teachers and teaching in Wales

GTP

Graduate Teacher Programme
An employment-based teacher training programme for graduates. Find out more about the GTP

GTTR

Graduate Teacher Training Registry
The central agency responsible for processing applications for most postgraduate initial teacher training courses (ie PGCEs)

HEI

Higher education institution
A university, school or college offering degree-level and postgraduate education

HESA

Higher Education Statistics Agency

HLTA

Higher level teaching assistant

HMCI

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools

HND

Higher National Diploma
A two-year intermediate level qualification, equating to two years of a degree course

HOD

Head of department

HOY

Head of year

Humanities

A collective term for a range of subjects including: history, geography, religious studies, sociology and others

ICT

Information and communication technology

Inset

In-service education and training
Training for qualified teachers

ISIS

Independent Schools Information Service

ITT

Initial teacher training
Course of training that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS). Find out more about initial teacher training.

ITT provider

A school, college or university that offers initial teacher training courses. Find out more about ITT providers.

Key stages

The different stages of compulsory schooling in the UK. The teacher training you receive will be provided according to the needs the key stages you intend to teach.

KS1

Key stage 1
First stage of compulsory schooling for UK children (ages 5-7 years)

KS2

Key stage 2
Second stage of compulsory schooling for UK children (ages 7-11 years)

KS3

Key stage 3
Third stage of compulsory schooling for UK children (ages 12-13 years)

KS4

Key stage 4
Fourth stage of compulsory schooling for UK children (ages 14-16 years)

LA

Local authority
These organisations provide services for schools in their area

Leadership group

Headteachers, deputy heads and assistant heads

Leading edge schools

Schools selected from the country's best schools to act as a lever to transform secondary education, to engineer the growth of collaborative learning communities and federations, and to promote innovation, research and development to push the boundaries of current teaching practice.

LMS

Local management of schools

LPSH

Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers

LSA

Learning support assistant

Mainstream schools

Belonging or relating to the mainstream in accordance with what is 'normal' or 'standard,' as opposed to a 'special school'

Maintained school

A school that is maintained by the state

MFL

Modern foreign languages
French, Spanish, German

Middle school

A middle school has pupils from KS2 and KS3. Depending on the age balance of those pupils the school can be deemed primary or secondary.

MPS

Main Pay Scale
Determines classroom teachers' basic salaries. There are now two scales: one for England and Wales and one for inner London

MQ

Mandatory qualification

NAHT

National Association of Headteachers

NASUWT

National Union of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers

NATFHE

National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education

NC

National Curriculum
Covers what pupils should be taught in state maintained schools. The National Curriculum embraces 12 subjects overall, and is divided into four Key Stages according to age

NCSL

National College for School Leadership

NPQH

National Professional Qualification for Headship

NQT

Newly qualified teacher
A teacher who has just been awarded qualified teacher status

NUT

National Union of Teachers

NVQ

National Vocational Qualification
A vocational qualification completed in the workplace and available at levels 1-5

Ofsted

Office for Standards in Education

OTT

Overseas trained teacher
Individuals who have teaching qualifications gained outside the UK.

OTTP

Overseas trained teacher programme
An individually tailored programme of training and assessment enabling OTTs to achieve qualified teacher status in England. Find out more about the OTTP.

OU

Open University

Partially selective schools

Partially selective schools select a proportion of their pupils according to ability or aptitude.

PAT

Professional Association of Teachers

PE

Physical education

PGCE

Postgraduate Certificate of Education
A postgraduate-level teacher training qualification. Find out more about PGCEs.

Priority subjects

Mathematics, English (including drama), information and communication technology (ICT), design and technology (D&T), science, modern languages, Welsh – teachers teaching these subjects qualify for additional financial incentives.

PRP

Performance related pay

PSHE

Personal, social and health education

PTA

Parent-teacher association

Pupil referral unit

Schools established and maintained by LEAs to cater for children of compulsory school age who may otherwise not receive suitable education. Their focus is on getting pupils back into a mainstream school.

QAF

Quality assessment framework

QCDA

Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority

QTS

Qualified teacher status
The status trainee teachers achieve by meeting all of the required Standards. You must have this qualification to teach in a state-maintained school.

RB

Recommending body
A school, local education authority, higher education institution or any other body that can organise an appropriate teacher training plan.

RTP

Registered Teacher Programme
An employment-based teacher training programme. Find out more about the RTP.

Schools in special measure

Schools deemed by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools to be failing to provide an acceptable standard of education to its pupils.

SCITT

School-centred initial teacher training
Teacher training provided by schools in partnership with higher education institutions and local education authorities. Find out more about SCITT.

SEN

Special educational needs

SENCO

SEN coordinator
The teacher in school with responsibility for the delivery of services for children with special educational needs

SHA

Secondary Heads Association
Now known as the Association of School and College Leaders, see ASCL above

Special schools

State schools in England and Wales provided by local education authorities for certain children with special educational needs.

State schools

Otherwise known as publicly funded schools and attended by over 90 per cent of pupils. Parents do not pay any fees.

TA

Teaching assistant

TDA

Training and Development Agency for Schools
Formerly the Teacher Training Agency. Find out more information about our organisation.

TEFL

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TES

Times Educational Supplement
A good source of information about teaching job vacancies

TIL

Teaching Information Line
Telephone helpline staffed by specialist consultants who provide advice and information for people interested in a career in teaching.

TILE

Training to Teach in London Event

TTRS

Teacher training recruitment scheme in Wales

UCAS

Universities & Colleges Admissions Service
The agency responsible for processing applications for undergraduate courses in the UK

Voluntary aided schools

Schools in England and Wales, maintained by the local authority, for which a foundation (generally religious) appoints most of the governing body.

Voluntary controlled school

Schools in England and Wales, maintained by the local authority, for which a foundation (generally religious) appoints some – but not most – of the governing body

Year 1 to Year 13

The way year groups are divided in English schools, from nursery through to sixth form:

• Reception year: 4/5-year-olds
• Year 1: 5/6-year-olds
• Year 2: 6/7-year-olds
• Year 3: 7/8-year-olds
• Year 4: 8/9-year-olds
• Year 5: 9/10-year-olds
• Year 6: 10/11-year-olds
• Year 7: 11/12-year-olds
• Year 8: 12/13-year-olds
• Year 9: 13/14-year-olds
• Year 10: 14/15-year-olds
• Year 11: 15/16-year-olds
• Year 12: 16/17-year-olds
• Year 13: 17/18-year-olds