Roles and Structures of Educational provision

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National

ACDAP

Advisory Committee on Degree Awarding Powers, reporting to the QAA.

ACE

Advisory Centre for Education.

ACEO

Association of Chief Education Officers.

Academy

Academies are, in this context, relatively new type of schools which are publicly funded independent schools for pupils of all abilities. They are established by sponsors from faith or voluntary groups and/or businesses, working in partnerships with central Government and local education partners. Their independent status is intended to allow more flexibility and for them to be 'innovative and creative' in their curriculum as well as with regard to staffing and governance, although they must follow the National Curriculum in Mathematics, English, Science and ICT.

Childminders

Childminders look after children under five and school age children after hours and in the holidays. The local authority decides how many children a childminder can care for, and childminders are able to register as part of a network to provide early education.

DfES

The Department for Education and Skills. The national government department with responsibility for education.

EA

Education Authority (Scotland).

EAB

Education Assets Board.

EAF

Education Action Forum.

EEC

Early Excellence Centre.

Edubase

The register of all educational establishments in England and Wales, maintained by the DfE.

EIP

Early Intervention Programme.

ELS

Early Literacy Support.

ELWa

Education and Learning Wales (National Council for Education and Training for Wales).

EMA

Education Maintenance Allowance. Also Ethnic Minority Achievement (Officer/tutor etc).

EMAP

Ethnic Minority Achievement Programme.

EMAS

Ethnic Minority Achievement Service.

EMIE

Education Management Information Exchange.

ESPP

Early Support Pilot Programme.

Flexi-schooling

Flexible school attendance. Since 2007, legislation in England has allowed for children to be educated partly at home; in practice this might mean a child attending school for four days per week and being home-schooled for one day per week.

Foundation Stage

A Key Stage; it is organised into six areas of learning rather than into subjects.

FS

Foundation Stage; see above.

FSP

Foundation Stage Profile.

The General Teaching Council for England. An independent voice for the teaching profession in England, it also registers all teachers in England and maintains professional standards for teaching

Key Skills

Can be distinguished from basic skills by reference to The Dearing Report (NCIHE, 1997). This refers to four skills: communication skills, numeracy, the use of information technology and learning how to learn.

KS/Key Stages

A child's progress through school in England and Wales is measured in Key Stages. Each Key Stage covers a number of school years. Starting at Key Stage 1 and finishing at Key Stage 4. The National Curriculum is divided into four key stages according to pupils' ages:

Key Stage 1 for 5-7 year olds

Key Stage 2 for 7-11

Key Stage 3 for years 11-14

Key Stage 4 for 14-16

Some schools use the term 'Key Stage 5' to refer to post-16 provision, but this is not an accurate use of the term, which refers only to the period of compulsory education.

KSM

Key Stage Manager.

L1 etc

Leadership (Pay) Scale or Spine, Point 1, etc.

Ofqual

The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator. It is a relatively new 'regulator' of qualifications, exams and tests in England.

OFSTED

An official body which regularly inspects all the schools in England which are mainly or wholly state funded. Ofsted inspectors produce education reports which are meant to improve standards of achievement and quality of education, provide public reporting and informed independent advice. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of HMCI. All the powers belong to HMCI or to Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI) who are office holders under the Crown. Ofsted itself has no statutory recognition but is usually identified with the functions of HMCI. In April 2007 the former Office for Standards in Education merged with the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) to provide an inspection service which includes all post-16 government funded education (but not HE institutions which are inspected by the QAA). At the same time it took on responsibility for the registration and inspection of social care services for children from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).

Registered Inspector

An inspector who has qualified to lead a school inspection (not necessarily an HMI).

Special Educational Needs

A term associated with the Warnock report of 1978 which advocated that children with 'special educational needs' be educated within mainstream schools. See SEN.

QCA

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. A government body responsible for the development of the national curriculum in England and the formal assessment of this.

TTA

The Teacher Training Agency. A national body set up in 1994 to plan, fund and supervise teacher education and to commission research on teaching.

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Regional

Admission criteria

The method of allocating places to schools which are over-subscribed.

Admission

The process of admitting children into the roll of the school, which must be carried out by each school in accordance with LEA policies. Parents are able to appeal if their child is refused a place at the school of their choice.

Admissions Authority

Schools which handle their own pupil applications are admissions authorities; they send out pupil application forms and information about the school. Local education authorities are also said to be admission authorities because they are responsible for admissions to community and voluntary-controlled schools.

AT

Advisory Teacher.

AWPU

Age-Weighted Pupil Unit.

Behaviour Support Plan

A statement which sets out local arrangements for schools and other service providers for the education of children with behavioural difficulties.

BEST

Behaviour and Education Support Team.

BIP

Behaviour Improvement Programme.

Brothers and Sisters rule

A rule applied by some admissions authorities if a parent's/guardian's school of choice is over-subscribed. They will sometimes treat the application more favourably if the child concerned already has a brother or sister at the school.

Catchment Area

The area, usually in the immediate vicinity of schools, designated by some admissions authorities, which sometimes gives priority to children who live in it. It is the area from which a school traditionally draws the majority of its pupils. It does not, however, take precedence over the published admission criteria for allocating places when schools are over-subscribed.

CEO

Chief Education Officer.

CST

Curriculum Support Teachers.

CTF

Common Transfer File. Information sent from one school to another, using the s2s system.

DCS

Director of Children's Services.

EAZ

Education Action Zone; occasionally Education Achievement Zone. Education Action Zones consist of 15-25 schools which aim to create new partnerships, raise standards and generate innovation within education. These groups of schools receive extra money each year for up to five years.

EBP

Education Business Partnership (Company which organises links between schools and wider community).

Education Committee> The committee of elected councillors within a local government area which sets local education policy or interprets national policy for implementation by the LEA. EC

Excellence Cluster.

ELO

Education Liaison Officer.

ESIS

Education and School Improvement Service.

EWO

Education Welfare Officer. They are sometimes known as Education Social Workers and are employed by local education authorities to monitor school attendance and help parents meet their responsibilities.

EWS/ESWS

Education Welfare Service/Education Social Work Service.

Feeder Schools

Schools which 'feed' into the next phase of education. Some admission authorities give priority to children from certain primary schools to feed into specific secondary schools.

FDS

Foundation special school, maintained by the LEA, which is specially organised to make special educational provision for pupils with special educational needs.

HEI

Higher Education Institution. Colleges and universities offering degrees, many of which also provide courses for initial teacher training in partnership with schools and courses to support the Continuing Professional Development of Teachers.

LEA

Local Education Authority. The term 'local education authority' describes a type of council which has responsibility for providing education to pupils of school age in its area. Their overall education remit also includes early years, the youth service and adult education. LEAs are responsible for contributing to the spiritual, moral, mental and physical development of the community by ensuring that efficient primary and secondary education is provided and ensuring that there are enough primary and secondary places with adequate facilities to meet the needs of pupils living in the area.

LEA Advisers

LEA educationalists providing professional support to teachers and governors for ‘school improvement’.

LEA Inspectors

LEA educationalists who inspect school performance and report locally. Often, LEA advisers are also LEA inspectors.

LEA Education Officers

administrators who administer and advise schools on organisational systems relating, for instance, to pupil admissions, staff appointments, school budgets and central provision for children with special educational needs.

LMCE

Local Management in Community Education.

LMS

Local Management of Schools.

LMSS

Local Management of Special Schools.

Oversubscription Criteria

Often referred to as those rules applied by admission authorities when a school has more applications than places. They must by law be fair and objective and must be published annually in prospectuses and by local authorities in a prospectus explaining admissions at all schools in an area.

PAL

Published (or planned) Admissions Limit.

PAN

Published Admission Number.

Parental Preference

The legal right that parents have to express a preference for the school they would like their child to attend.

Parents' Summary

A short version of the inspection report that is sent to all parents of children at a school, and to the local media.

PATA

Parent and Toddler Association.

PAYP

Positive Activities for Young People.

PCT

Primary Care Trust.

PEO

Principal Education Officer.

Social Services

A department within a local government area which is responsible, among many other things, for children's welfare (in the home) under the term of the Children Act, 1989.

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Schools

Accountability

Various processes by which teachers, schools or governors are required to justify their practices, policies and performance to others, and in particular parents, including reports on pupil progress, convening of an annual meeting for parents and publishing OFSTED inspection reports.

Action plan

A plan, prepared by a school's governors, following an OFSTED inspection to address any issues raised.

Beacon School

A government programme which ran from1998-2005; it aimed to identify high achieving schools which could disseminate good practice. See also Hub school

CA

City Academy.

CC

Community College.

CLS

Curriculum and Learning Support (usually a department in a school).

CMT

College Management Team - Senior Management within a college (see SMT).

Community school

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

Comprehensive school

This refers to a state secondary school which admits pupils of all abilities, and therefore without any selection procedure. In England most (nearly 90%) of all pupils attend a comprehensive school; they were introduced into England during the late 1960s.

Controlled Schools

Schools in Northern Ireland which come under the control of Education and Library Boards.

County Schools

State schools in England and Wales which are wholly owned and maintained by local education authorities.

CTC

City Technical College; an independent all ability non-fee-paying school for students aged 11-18. CTCs teach the national curriculum to pre-16-year-olds with a focus on Science, Mathematics and Technology.

CY

A government abbreviation for community school maintained by the local education authority.

Day Nurseries

These take children under five for the whole working day. Children can attend on a part-time or full-time basis according to their parents' needs. They may be run by local authorities, voluntary organisations, private companies, individuals or employers. There must be at least one adult for every eight children and at least half of the staff must have a qualification recognised by the local authority.

Directed time

Time when a teacher must be available to carry out duties, under the direction of the head. A full-time teacher's directed time is usually reckoned to be 1,265 hours in any school year.

Exclusion

The process of banning a pupil from a school. This may be either temporary or permanent and is usually initiated by the headteacher, often on disciplinary grounds.

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.

EY

Early Years.

EYDCP

Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

EYDP

Early Years Development Plan.

EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage.

EYSP

The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. A statutory assessment for children at the end of the Foundation Stage and is a way of summing up each child's development and learning at the end of the Reception year.

EYU

Early Years Unit.

FD

Foundation school (see below).

First school

A school for children aged 5 - 8, or 5 - 9 in which appropriate parts of the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 National Curriculum are taught and assessed. It may include a reception class (children aged 4-5, Foundation Stage).

Foundation School

A type of state school which is run by the local authority but which has more freedom than community schools to manage their school and decide on their own admissions. They are maintained by the LEA but some may have a foundation (generally religious) which appoints some of the governing body (which acts as the admissions authority).

Free School

Free Schools are state-funded schools set up in response to what some local people say they want for children in their community. The first ‘Free School’ opened in September 2011.

GM

In the context of education, GM stands for Grant Maintained and refers to schools that are maintained by central government rather than the LEA.

GMSAC

Grant Maintained Schools Advisory Committee.

GMSF

Grant Maintained Schools Foundation.

Grammar Schools

A type of selective school associated with the tripartite system established by the 1944 Education Act. Most schools since 1976 in the UK are comprehensive schools, which are non-selective. However there are still about 160 grammar schools throughout England. These schools usually select pupils on the basis of their performance on a one-off test. It should be noted that there are some comprehensive schools which retain the name 'Grammar' in their title.

Grant Maintained Schools

State schools in England and Wales which are funded by central government through the Funding Agency for Schools.

Heterogeneous grouping

Grouping together pupils of varying abilities, interests, or ages.

Home schooling

One does not need to be a qualified teacher to educate a child at home, nor is the child obliged to follow the National Curriculum or take national tests. Parents are required by law to ensure that their children receive full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude.

Home-school agreements

All state schools are required to have written home-school agreements, drawn up in consultation with parents. They are non-binding statements explaining the school's aims and values, the responsibilities of both school and parents, and what the school expects of its pupils. Parents are invited to sign a parental declaration, indicating that they understand and accept the contents of the agreement.

Hub School

A school which acts as a 'hub' to disseminate good practice to other schools in a defined partnership role, for example as part of an initial teacher training consortium.

Independent Schools

These are schools which are not funded by the state and obtain most of their finances from fees paid by parents and income from investments. Some of the larger independent schools are known as public schools, while most boarding schools are independent.

IND

The official acronym for a registered independent school.

IND(SS)

Independent school approved under the Education Act 1996 to take pupils who have statements of special educational needs.

Infant school

A school for children aged 5 - 7 in which Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum is taught and assessed. It may include a reception class (children aged 4-5, Foundation Stage).

Junior school

A school for children aged 7 - 11 in which Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum is taught and assessed.

LSAC

Language Sports and Arts College(s).

LSU

Learning Support Unit.

Maintained School

Maintained schools are funded by central government via the LEA, and do not charge fees to students. The categories of maintained school are: community, community special, foundation (including trust), foundation special (including trust), voluntary aided and voluntary controlled. There are also maintained nursery schools and pupil referral units

Middle school

A school for children aged 8 - 12 or 9 - 13 in which appropriate parts of the Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 National Curriculum are taught and assessed.

Mixed ability

A teaching group in which children of all abilities are taught together rather than being streamed or set.

Nursery Classes

Operating within State Primary Schools, nursery classes take children from the age of three or four and are open during school term time. They usually offer five half-day sessions a week. There must be one adult for every 13 children.

Nursery nurses

Specialists who have qualified in the education and development of pre-school aged children (NNEB), and who sometimes work in primary schools under the direction of a teacher.

Nursery school (Foundation Stage)

A school offering suitable, but non-statutory, educational provision for children aged 2 - 4, including play, activity and language development. The recommended child/adult ratio is 13:1.

Nursery unit (Foundation Stage)

A unit, offering suitable educational provision for children aged 3 and 4, which is attached to a school for older children.

Open enrolment

A national requirement that all maintained schools must admit children whose parents wish it, until their standard number is reached.

Partnership Promotion Schools

Schools which accept the centrality of initial teacher training to their work and seek to work with other schools to develop their work in ITT.

PRC

Pupil Referral Centre.

Preparatory school

An independent school often catering for children from 5 - 13 years old in preparation for secondary education in ‘public schools’ (also independent).

Pre-school

Usually refers to children aged between 3 and 5, attending one of the following: playgroups (see below), governmental day nurseries (usually for children from disadvantaged backgrounds), private day nurseries, nursery schools run by the local authority, and nursery classes in primary schools. See also Nursery.

Primary school

A school for children aged 5 - 11 in which Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum is taught and assessed. It may include a reception class (children aged 4-5, Foundation Stage).

Private nursery schools

These take children between the ages of two and five and offer half or full-day sessions and some stay open in the school holidays. There must be at least one adult for every 13 children and at least half of the staff must be qualified teachers.

Prospectus

A brochure containing information about the school, giving facts and figures, which the governing body must publish each year for parents and prospective parents. Copies must be available at the school for reference or free of charge to parents on request.

Public school

In the UK, a 'public' school is in fact private and is not to be confused with State school. Public schools are often referred to as Independent schools. Public schools do not have a statutory obligation to deliver a national curriculum. It is not necessary to have gained QTS in order to teach in a public school.

Reception Classes

In state primary schools children are received at ages four and five, some schools starting children off with half-day sessions. There must be at least one adult for every 13 children.

Secondary Modern School

Pupils who were unsuccessful in the 11+ examination usually went to a secondary modern school where the emphasis tended to be on vocational and practical subjects. These schools became redundant in 1976 with the widespread introduction of comprehensive (non-selective) education. See also Grammar Schools.

Self-governing schools

The Scottish equivalent to grant-maintained schools in England.

School effectiveness

A judgement or measure of the efficiency of the school overall in producing educational outcomes given the characteristics of its pupil intake and the resources which are deployed.

School ethos

The taken-for-granted pattern of values, interpersonal relationships and expectations about the education being provided which gives each school a particular subjective ‘feel’. Often very influenced by the headteacher.

School funding

This usually refers to the amount of money that is allocated to state schools. There are several terms associated with school funding and its implications:

The local government settlement

The finance which is made available annually by national government from general taxation to support local government expenditure. Education usually accounts for a high proportion of such funding.

The community charge

The means by which local governments raise funds from their electorate to contribute to their expenditure on local services, such as education.

The aggregated schools budget

The total funds made available for expenditure by schools by an LEA. This must be at least 85% of its overall funding for education and is allocated using an approved funding formula.

Formula Funding

The method by which funds for school budgets are calculated, with a particular emphasis on numbers of pupils on roll as reflected in age weighted pupil units.

Age weighted pupil units (AWPUs)

The number of ‘units’ allocated to children of particular ages which is reflected in levels of school funding. In 1995 a 16 year old counted for nine units and a 7 year old for one unit.

Teacher salaries

A School Teachers’ Review Body makes recommendation to the Secretary of State for Education each year on teachers’ pay.

Pupil-teacher ratios

The proportion of pupils to all teachers in a school or within an education system - a figure which includes teachers in administrative or other posts.

Class size

The number of children in a class who are taught by one teacher. Often aggregated for a school, LEA on the national system to produce an average figure.

School policies

Guidelines for action and practice within a school. Some policies are legally required and must be set by governors.

SDP

School development plan. An annual form of whole-school evaluation and planning, promoted by government and LEAs and expected to be produced by headteacher, teachers and governors together.

Special school

A school for children of any age who have 'statements' of special educational needs. The National Curriculum may be taught, parts of it 'disapplied' to particular children or they may be 'exempted'.

Specialist Schools

This type of school includes technology, languages, sports and art colleges operating in England.

SST

Specialist Schools Trust (formerly known as the Technology Colleges Trust).

State Nursery Schools

These take children from the age of three or four and are open during school term time and normally offer five half-day sessions a week. There must be at least one adult for every thirteen children. Staff are qualified teachers and assistants.

Standard number

The number of pupils which, based on the capacity of its buildings, a school is deemed to be able to accommodate.

State Schools

Otherwise known as publicly funded schools; parents do not pay any fees. They are attended by most (over 90 per cent) of pupils. Scottish state schools are maintained and controlled by the local education authority.

TC

Technology College.

Training Schools

Schools which have enhanced responsibility for teacher training, both continuing and initial, usually in conjunction with an institution of Higher Education.

Transfer

The process of movement from one school to another.

Underachieving school

This is an outcome of the inspection process. The Registered Inspector will have concluded that the school's performance is below that of schools in similar circumstances.

Voluntary aided schools

Schools in England and Wales which are maintained by the Local Education Authority, with a foundation (generally religious) which appoints most of the governing body. The governing body is the admissions authority.

Voluntary controlled schools

Schools in England and Wales which are maintained by the Local Education Authority, with a foundation (generally religious) which appoints some, but not most, of the governing body. The LEA is the admissions authority.

Voluntary grammar schools

Grant-maintained, integrated schools in Northern Ireland which take both Protestant and Roman Catholic pupils.

Voluntary Maintained Schools

Schools in Northern Ireland which are mainly managed by the Catholic Church.

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People in schools

AOT

Adult other than Teacher.

APT

Assistant Principal Teacher (Scotland).

AST

Advanced Skills Teacher.

BTA

Bilingual teaching assistant.

Computer technicians

Some primary schools may employ the services of a computer technician to manage the school computer network.

Deputy headteacher

A teacher who has been specifically appointed to deputise for the headteacher and who is likely to have been delegated a range of important management functions by the headteacher, as well as maintaining responsibility for a class of children. A similar position to that of Vice Principal and Assistant Head.

Designated Teachers

Advocates who liaise with other services on behalf of young people in care.

DOL

Director of learning.

DOSP

Director Of Student Progress.

Generalist class teacher

A teacher who teaches all subjects of the National Curriculum to his or her class of children. Allows great flexibility and is often associated with the statement that ‘I teach children not subjects’. Reflects the assertion of an important quality in the commitment of primary school teachers to the social and emotional development of children. Particularly common in work with young children, where the balance of advantage is seen to lie with generalism and knowing the personalities of the children very well. See Specialist subject teacher

Governors

A school or college governor is a voluntary position that involves overseeing the running of the institution. Duties include playing a part in appointing staff (including the headteacher); setting the strategic direction, policies and objectives; approving the budget and reviewing progress against the budget and objectives. Below are definitions of some aspects of school governance:

Instrument of Government

The legal document which specifies the composition of governing bodies and defines the rules and procedures through which they function.

Chair of governors

A governor who is elected annually to chair meetings and represent the governing body between meetings.

Parent governor

A parent who has been elected by other parents of pupils at a school, to serve on the governing body.

Local Education Authority governor

A school governor who has been appointed, and can be removed, by the LEA. Normally these appointments reflect the balance of political representation in the area.

Minor authority governor

A school governor who is a representative of a minor authority, such as a parish council.

Teacher governor

A governor who is a teacher at the school and has been elected by his or her colleagues.

Staff governor

A governor who is a non-teaching member of staff (although there is a proposal to remove this category of governor).

Headteacher governor

A headteacher has a right to attend all meetings of the governing body and is a governor unless he or she opts not to be.

Co-opted governor

A governor of a county or controlled school who are added to the governing body by other governors for a particular reason, such as having relevant expertise, representing an underrepresented part of the community, etc.

Foundation governor

A governor who has been appointed, and can be removed, by the church or other organisation which provides the school.

Clerk of governors

The secretary to the governing body who issues agendas and compiles minutes.

Governors’ sub-committees

Groups of governors who meet between meetings of the full governing body to work on particular aspects of a school’s affairs, such as staffing, curriculum, finance, sites and buildings. They report back to the governing body.

Governing body

The group of parents, LEA, community representatives and teachers set up under the terms of School’s Articles of Government to direct school policy and oversee school management (see Education Act, 1986).

Quorum

The minimum number of governors who must be present for most decisions to be taken as a governing body - usually one third of all governors, rounded up.

Headteachers

The senior teacher and leader of school staff who is responsible for the implementation of National Curriculum and assessment requirements, school policies as set by governors, school staff, external liaison and effective use of financial and other resources.

HLTA

Higher level teaching assistant. A relatively recent designation, introduced to afford higher status to more experienced TAs.

HoD

Head of Department.

LSA

Learning Support Assistant.

MDS

Midday supervisor.

MDA

Mid-day Assistant.

Parents Parental rights

Legal rights under the 'Parents Charter' (1991) include the right to information about schools and pupil performance and the right to 'choose' a school to which to send their child.

Parental responsibilities

Enshrined in homework policies and Home-School contracts. Parental responsibility has been highlighted by the recent case of a mother imprisoned due to her truanting daughters.

Parent-teacher partnership

A form of cooperative liaison, commonly promoted in primary schools, particularly to support the early stages of literacy but beneficial in enhancing all forms of pupil learning.

Parent-teacher Associations (PTAs)

A voluntary organisation normally set up to support a school with fund-raising activities and through encouraging parent-teacher cooperation.

Pupils Child culture

The perceptions, values and social practices of children, for instance, developing in the playground or community which can affect friendship and social adjustment to school.

Child perspectives on curriculum

Young primary aged children like to express themselves through play, artistic media and activity.

Child perspectives on teachers

Children often think of whether teachers are 'strict' or 'soft', whether they are 'fair' and whether they are 'kind'. Children also watch carefully for teacher mood so that they can predict what the teacher might do next.

Child perspectives on assessment

Children who are confident often welcome assessment, particularly if a teacher offers praise. Children who feel more vulnerable tend to feel uneasy about it, particularly in public situations.

Children's rights in school

Some primary schools include Pupils' Councils to allow children the opportunity to voice their opinions about school rules and regulations.

School caretakers

Staff who have responsibility for daily maintenance and security of a school.

School cleaners

Cleaners, normally employed by a company who have won a contract to clean a school.

School secretaries

Staff who support the work of the headteacher and deal with many facets of routine school administration, from greeting parents, simple first aid, typing letters and maintaining budget records.

SMSAs

School meal supervisory assistants. Staff employed to supervise children at dinner times.

SMT

Senior Management Team. A small group of senior staff in a school, normally receiving additional pay allowances, who support the headteacher in implementing school policies by acting as ‘middle-managers’.

TA

Teaching Assistant. Staff who support teachers in their classroom work but who do not have formal teaching qualifications. There are also STAs, Special teaching assistants, who work with particular children who have been identified as having Special Educational Needs.See also HLTA. Can also stand for Teaching Agency and Teacher Assessment.

Teachers Initial teacher training (ITT)

The basic training to become a teacher. The established HEI routes are via a BA (Hons) of three or four years or via a PGCE of one year following a degree. Courses are run in `partnership' with schools and have large school-based elements. There are also numerous 'school-based' routes, including the Graduate Teacher Programme, and flexible/modular courses.

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

The professional qualification awarded following a course of teacher training which has been recognised by the Teacher Training Agency.

Induction period

The early years of a newly qualified teacher's professional work during which time particular training and support may be available, perhaps through a mentor.

Teachers' conditions of service

Contractual requirements made of teachers, set by the Secretary of State on the advice of the School Teachers' Review Body.

Teacher associations

The trade unions which represent teachers' interests as employees; the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Headteachers are two of these.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO)

A teacher who has responsibility for managing provision for children with Special Educational Needs within the School.

Induction Tutor

A teacher who has responsibility for managing the professional development and assessment of newly qualified teachers in school.

Advanced Skills Teacher

A teacher who is recognised as an excellent classroom practitioner who works for part of the week in other schools to spread good practice.

Advanced Skills Teacher (ITT)

A teacher who is recognised for their work in school-based initial teacher training and who works in other schools or Higher Education Institutions for part of the week.

Peripatetic teachers

Specialist teachers who visit schools in their area to offer particular forms of expertise. The most common group are teachers of musical instruments.

In-service education for teachers

The training and professional development activities of teachers working in schools, often in the form of short courses on in-school activities.

Specialist subject teacher

A teacher who specialises in the teaching of a limited number of National Curriculum subjects and teaches them to several classes across the school. The specialist teacher is the norm in secondary schools and is becoming more common in work with older children in the primary phase, where the balance of advantage is seen to lie with specialism and knowing the subject to be studied very well. See Generalist class teacher. A semi-specialist teacher is a hybrid of generalist and specialist in which the roles are enacted selectively for particular purposes. For instance, four teachers in a junior school may teach English, maths and some topics which integrate history, geography, technology and art as a generalist to their own class. However, music, science, physical education and information & communication technology may be taught by these same four teachers, working in each other’s classrooms so that each can share a particular expertise which he or she has.

Semi-specialist teacher

A hybrid of generalist and specialist in which the roles are enacted selectively for particular purposes. For instance, four teachers in a junior school may teach English, maths and some topics which integrate history, geography, technology and art as a generalist to their own class. However, music, science, physical education and information & communication technology may be taught by these same four teachers, working in each other’s classrooms so that each can share a particular expertise which he or she has.

Supply teachers

Qualified teachers who are not in full-time teaching posts who make themselves available for occasional work to cover for absent school staff.

Continuing professional development (CPD)

On-going, provision of progressive activities to ensure appropriate staff development throughout a teacher's career.

Early Professional Development (EPD)

EPD is a government initiative that focuses on professional development for teachers in their second and third years of teaching. A main purpose is to secure the retention of new teachers through good quality professional development.