Glossary
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A
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
AST Advanced skills teacher
ATL Association of Teachers and Lecturers
ATP Approved Training Provider
AVCE Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education
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B
BA with QTS Bachelor of arts with qualified teacher status Find out more about BA with QTS courses .
Becta British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
BEd with QTS Bachelor of education with qualified teacher status Find out more about BEd courses .
BSc with QTS Bachelor of science with qualified teacher status Find out more about BSc with QTS courses .
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C
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
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D
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
DfES Department for Education and Skills
DfTE Department for Training and Education (Wales)
DHT Deputy headteacher
DIUS Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
DRB Designated recommending body (see EBITT)
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E
EAL English as an additional language
EBITT Employment based initial teacher training (formerly DRB) 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) 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
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F
FAQ Frequently asked question
FE Further education
FEI Further education institution
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)
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G
GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education
GMS Grant maintained school
GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification
Grammar schools Grammar schools select all or almost all of their pupils with reference to academic ability
GRTP Graduate and Registered Teacher Programmes GTP and the RTP
GSA Girls' Schools Association
GTCE General Teaching Council for England
GTCW General Teaching Council for Wales
GTP Graduate Teacher Programme Find out more about the GTP
GTTR Graduate Teacher Training Registry PGCEs )
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H
HEI Higher education institution
HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency
HLTA Higher level teaching assistant
HMCI Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools
HND Higher National Diploma
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
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K
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
KS2 Key stage 2
KS3 Key stage 3
KS4 Key stage 4
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L
LA Local authority
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
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M
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
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
MQ Mandatory qualification
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N
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
NCSL National College for School Leadership
NPQH National Professional Qualification for Headship
NQT Newly qualified teacher
NUT National Union of Teachers
NVQ National Vocational Qualification
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O
Ofsted Office for Standards in Education
OTT Overseas trained teacher
OTTP Overseas trained teacher programme Find out more about the OTTP .
OU Open University
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P
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 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.
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Q
QAF Quality assessment framework
QCDA Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority
QTS Qualified teacher status
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R
RB Recommending body
RTP Registered Teacher Programme Find out more about the RTP .
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S
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 Find out more about SCITT .
SEN Special educational needs
SENCO SEN coordinator
SHA Secondary Heads Association
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.
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T
TA Teaching assistant
TDA Training and Development Agency for Schools Find out more information about our organisation.
TEFL Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TES Times Educational Supplement
TIL Teaching Information Line
TILE Training to Teach in London Event
TTRS Teacher training recruitment scheme in Wales
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V
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
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