HOME PAGE Oldswinford C. E. Primary School
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Jargon Buster Some of the terms and abbreviations used in school can be confusing when you first see or hear them. This jargon busting page tries to explain what some of the more frequently used terms mean, listed from A-Z. Action Plan - A school's response to the report of its inspection by the Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED), which must be produced within 40 days. ALS - Additional Literacy Support - Extra support for pupils in Years 3 and 4, who have insecure literacy skills - DfES Literacy site AOT’s - Adults other than Teachers AT - Attainment Target - Sets out expected standards of pupils' performance at end of each key stage, Autism - Autism (Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)) affects over 500,000 people. People who are autistic have a disability that affects the way they communicate and relate to people around them. The three main characteristics of autism are problems with: social interaction, social communication and imagination. There is an autistic spectrum - from those that have the severist form and never learn to speak, to those with Asperger syndrome. Baseline Assesment - An assessment of a child's skills and abilities usually made by a teacher within the first seven weeks of starting primary school. It shows teachers what a child can do when starting school and helps them to plan lessons and measure progress. Areas covered include Language and Literacy, Maths and Personal and Social Development. CAL – Computer Aided Learning ChIL - Child Initiated Learning Clerk to the Governing Body - A person appointed to carry out administrative duties for the governing body, such as preparing an agenda, minuting meetings and dealing with correspondence, and to advise on legal and procedural matters. CPD - Continuing Professional Development - a balance of personal, professional development, attendance at nationally accredited courses and small-scale school-based activities for teaching and non-teaching staff. CRB - Criminal Records Bureau Curricular Governor - The terms Curricular, Link or Specific Subject Governor are often used for governors who are given responsibility for specific subjects eg. ICT, Numeracy, Literacy, RE, SEN etc. D & T - Design Technology Dep. - Deputy Headteacher DES, DFE, DfEE and DfES - Department for Education and Employment - The name of the Department of Education and Science (DES) changed to the Department for Education (DFE) on 6 July 1992, then to the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) on 4 July 1995 and to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in June 2001. Previous names are retained in references to printed material issued before the inception of the DfES and in other contexts as necessary. DLOs - Desirable Learning Outcomes DMBC - Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council d.o.b - Date of Birth DPA - Data Protection Act Dyslexia - A learning difficulty of which the chief manifestation is a particular difficulty with reading and spelling. Dyspraxia - Generally recognised as an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought. EAL - English as an Additional Language - Pupils whose first language is not English may receive extra support. Early Years [phase of education] - Early Years settings include private and voluntary day nurseries, pre-schools, playgroups, childminding networks, portage services and Local Authority day nurseries. EBD - Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties - Children who display these problems may be placed on the Special Needs Register and given extra support. Ed.Psych. - Educational Psychologist ELCs - The Government has set aside substantial funds for schools to spend on multimedia resources in the form of eLCs (Electronic Learning Credits). The money is distributed from central Government via LEAs to individual schools, which decide locally how to spend it. Further information can be found on the Curriculume Online site. e mail - Electronic mail [via the internet] EWO - Education Welfare Officer - Person employed by an LEA to help parents and LEAs meet their statutory obligations in relation to school attendance. Exclusion - The suspension or expulsion of a pupil from school for disciplinary reasons. 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 Fast Track - An opportunity for those seen as highly talented teachers to progress rapidly in their careers. Fielders Club - Name given to the school’s before and after school club [Field Lane] FLY – Foundation Learning Years [includes Reception Classes] G & T - Gifted and Talented Healthy Schools Initiative - Government scheme to help improve the health of both pupils and teachers. HMI - Her Majesty's Inspector OFSTED inspectors produce education reports which are meant to improve standards of achievement and quality of education, provide public reporting and informed independent advice. HT – Headteacher HLTA - Higher Level Teaching Assistant ICT - Information and Communications Technology IEP - Individual Education Plan - Programmes which are drawn up by the class teacher and/or special needs co-ordinator within a school to provide individual support for children deemed to have needs over and above that of other children in the class. IL - Independent Learning Inclusion Statement - Schools have a responsibility to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils. The National Curriculum is the starting point for planning a school curriculum that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of pupils. This statutory inclusion statement on providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils outlines how teachers can modify, as necessary, the National Curriculum programmes of study to provide all pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each key stage. INSET - In-Service Education and Training All teachers have access to INSET in schools, helping them to refine their teaching and management skills. IPT - Individual Pupil Target IT - Information Technology Key Stage - A child's progress through school 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. KS1 - Key Stage 1 (3-7 years) -Infants KS2 - Key Stage 2 (7-11 years) - Juniors LD - Level Description - Basis for making judgements about pupils' performance at the end of key stages 1, 2 and 3. LEA - Local Education Authority The term 'local education authority' (or LEA) describes a type of council which has responsibility for providing education to pupils of school age in its area. Leave of Absence Form - Form to be completed before you remove child from school on holiday League Tables - See Performance Tables Levels - National Curriculum tests / assessments of attainment are measured in levels [end of Key Stage 1 expected level is Level 2 and above / end of Key Stage 2 expected level is Level 4 and above] Link Governors - The terms Link, Curricular or Specific Subject Governor are often used for governors who are given responsibility for specific subjects. Literacy – English / learning to read and write in school. Loco Parentis - The responsibility and rights given to Teachers to look after children in their care LSA - Learning Support Assistant - job title for an assistant providing in-school support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. LST - Learning Support Teacher [Learning support with teacher qualification] Mental Maths - Skill in the manipulation of numbers and problem solving in the Head Mufti - Attending school out of uniform MFL - Modern Foreign Languages National Numeracy Strategy - A government initiative which aims to raise standards of numeracy for all children in infant, primary and junior schools. NC - National Curriculum - Covers what pupils should be taught in state maintained schools. The National Curriculum provides a balanced education for a child covering 11 subjects overall, and is divided into four Key Stages according to age. NFER - National Foundation for Educational Research [tests] NGfL - National Grid for Learning - Government funded project to connect schools to the Internet and to provide learning materials for them via the world wide web - responsible for information and communications technology (ICT) in schools. NOF - New Opportunities Fund A lottery distributor created to award grants to education, health and environment projects throughout the UK. NQT - Newly Qualified Teachers Numeracy - Mathematics OCEPS - Oldswinford C. E. Primary School OfSTED - Office for Standards in Education - Ofsted is a non-ministerial government department established under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 to take responsibility for the inspection of all schools in England. PANDA - Performance and Assessment Data from OfSTED Produced by the Office For Standards in Education (OFSTED) and issued annually to schools.. Provides comparative data for schools to use for self-assessment and target setting. Performance Tables - Primary school performance tables are published by local education authorities and report the achievements of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. Peripatetic - Music Peripatetic [instrumental music teachers who visit Dudley Schools] Phase Co. - Phase Coordinator [Leadership Scale Teacher coordinating 2 or 3 Year Groups] PI - Performance Indicators PPA - Planning, Preparation and Assessment time. Teachers spend 10% of their teaching time as PPA time. PSHE - Personal, Social and Health Education PTA – Parent Teacher Association Pupils with statements of Special Education Needs (SEN) - These statements describe any learning difficulties which pupils have, and specify the extra help or equipment they need. Around 3% of school pupils nationally have statements. Some pupils with special educational needs are academically able. But schools face challenges in achieving Level 4 at Key Stage 2 for many pupils with SEN. The information on the numbers of pupils with SEN in each school helps you take this into account when looking at the school's results. Pupils without Statements - These are other pupils registered as having special educational needs but whose schools meet the pupils' needs without statements. QCA - Qualifications and Curriculum Authority RM - [Real Machines] providers of all Dudley Schools ICT hard and software in schools SATs - Standard Assessment Tasks School Profile - The school profile will be designed to give parents and students up to date and relevant information about a school. Performance data will be coupled with information provided by the school on its priorities and performance and their vision / ethos. It will be a short, accessible document. SDP - School Development Plan - A projection of what a school hopes to achieve within a prescribed time limit. SEN - Special Educational Needs. Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. SENCo - Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator - Teacher responsible for ensuring that children with learning difficulties and emotional/behavioural problems receive appropriate support, overseeing the completion of IEPs and liaising with external agencies. Standards Fund - A collection of specific grants which enables schools and LEAs to achieve improvement in education standards set out in agreed targets, particularly for literacy, numeracy, social inclusion. SLT - Senior Leadership Team Statement - Pupils, who are issued with a statement, have a serious SEN requirement and will receive extra assistance with their learning. TA – Teaching Assistant TA – Teacher Assessment Twilight - The time between 3:30pm and 6:00pm Unauthorised Absence - Absence of a pupil from school not authorised by the Headteacher UPN - Unique pupil reference Number Webmaster - Appointed individual who coordinates and updates the School Website Workstation - Computer set up for use. Years 1 to 6 – Reception year = 4-5 year olds |