Glossary

Understanding the meaning of education words, acronyms and phrases is sometimes tricky. Use the glossary to look up the meaning of these terms. There are also useful links to websites for more information.

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A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T Y

A

Academies

Academies are publicly funded independent schools set up and run by sponsors, who provide up to 20% of the capital costs for each Academy, with the Government providing the balance and funding the recurrent costs. Academies will provide free education to secondary age pupils of all abilities, including provision for children with special educational needs and have state-of-the-art facilities, through which they will offer a broad and balanced curriculum including a specialism. Department for Education and Skills (DfES)website about Academies.

ACE

Advisory Centre for Education

Activity Sheets

Activity sheets give visitors the opportunity to use and develop skills during their visit. They can be for school pupils, families or any age group.
NB In other museum services they may be called Work Sheets and may be restricted to designs for children with schools or adults.

Activity Trolley

A trolley of some description housing activity resources e.g. paper, activity sheets, clipboards, pencils, discovery boxes.

Aimhigher

Aimhigher is a programme designed to increase the numbers of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who apply for and enter higher education. For more details visit Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) website for pages on Aim Higher.

Advanced Skills Teacher (AST)

The role of AST was devised to reward excellent teachers who wished to remain in the classroom and spend the equivalent of one day a week supporting other teachers in developing their skills and experience through the sharing of best practice ideas and approaches.Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Standards Site for an overview of the AST role.

AS and A Levels

AS (advanced subsidiary) and A levels offer flexible ways to learn. You can mix and match AS and A levels with vocational A levels and other qualifications. In Year 12, there's a large range of AS courses to select from. Then, in Year 13, teenagers can specialise in three or four of those subjects at A level or take more AS courses instead. Final assessment is based on coursework and end-of-course tests.

ADHD

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) website for more information.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships offer those aged 16 to 24 paid employment combined with the opportunity to train for jobs at craft, technician and management level. They are an exciting way of gaining skills and qualifications that will help to start a career without having to study full-time, and are available now across a wide range of industries. Go to the Learing and Skills Council website to find out more about apprenticeships.

Attainment Target

Each National Curriculum subject has one or more attainment targets. Each target identifies the knowledge, skills and understanding which pupils of different abilities and maturities are expected to have by the end of each Key Stage. Attainment targets for each statutory subject include eight level descriptions of increasing difficulty. During and at the end of each Key Stage a student's achievement will be measured by the level they reach.

B

Baseline Assessment

An assessment of a child's skills and abilities usually made by a teacher in the first weeks of starting school to help them plan lessons and measure progress. Areas covered include language, reading, maths and social skills.

BECTA

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Find out more from the BECTA website.

BSA

Basic Skills Agency. The Basic Skills Agency is the national agency for basic skills in England and Wales and is supported and funded by the Government. The agency defines basic skills as: "The ability to read, write, and speak in English (or Welsh), and to use mathematics at a level necessary to function at work and in society in general." They are committed to working with others to make sure that effective opportunities exist to help children, young people and adults strengthen their basic skills. Find out more at the BSA website.

BTEC National

An A level equivalent qualification, usually the equivalent of two A level courses. Subjects include nursery nursing, business studies and art and design. There are considerable practical elements to the courses with work placements offered.

C

Community School

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

CPD

Continuing Professional Development.

City & Guilds

Nationally recognised occupational awards in a variety of work areas - from floristry and ceramics to information technology and journalism and radio. For more information on City & Guilds qualifications, NVQs and key skills, phone 020 7294 2850

Co-educational

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

Comprehensive Schools

A school for pupils of all abilities aged between 11 and 18.

CRB

The Criminal Records Bureau is an executive agency of the Home Office, set up to help organisations make safer recruitment decisions. By providing wider access to criminal record information, the CRB will help employers in the public, private and voluntary sectors identify candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially that which involves contact with children or other vulnerable members of society. CRB website for more information.

D

DCFS

Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Disability

The definition of a disabled person on the government's website www.disability.gov.uk is "a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities". Disability is also defined by people not by badges; i.e. a person can be disabled because they consider themselves to be rather than because they have been issued an orange badge for their car. Directgov website for more information about disability.

Discovery Box

A box which contains objects and materials for relevant activities for schools or families.

E

EAZs

Education Action Zones. Parents Centre website pages for more information about EAZs.

EBD

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. SEBDA is a charitable organisation that exists to promote excellence in services for children and young people who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. SEBDA

EAL

English as an additional language. Children who speak English as an additional language, rather than as their first language, may need extra help with their reading and writing. They will need lots of opportunities to talk with English-speaking adults and children about their work, thoughts and feelings. Often what they need most is varied, vibrant teaching that involves visual resources, sound, speaking and writing to make it easier for them to learn English.

Engage

National Association for Gallery Education.

Exclusion

The suspension or expulsion of a pupil from school for disciplinary reasons.

Evaluation

Everything we do involves a process of evaluation in terms of quality and meeting visitor needs. This can be evaluation of the text in a gallery or evaluation of someone leading a session with a school or family.

EVC

Educational Visits Co-ordinator

F

Family

Two or more people of different generations and potentially spanning the complete age range. Often related to each other.

FE

Further Education

FSM

Free School Meals

G

GEM

Group for Education in Museums promotes the importance of learning through museums and galleries. It is based in the UK but has members around the world. http://www.gem.org.uk/

GLOs

Generic Learning Outcomes. MLA website Inspiring Learning for All for more information.

G&T

Gifted and Talented Department for children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Standards website pages about Gifted and Talented. See also Y, G & T below.

H

HE

Higher Education

I

Interpreter

An effective communicator who has the ability to engage visitors and demonstrate or show a particular concept, idea or action.
NB In other museums this post may be called Demonstrator, Gallery Enabler, Museum Attendant/ Assistant. In some museums the title Interpreter may be given to staff whose sole purpose is to work in a costumed role.

IiP

Investors in People.

ITE

Initial Teacher Education Training and Development Agency for more information.

K

Key Stage

A description and measurement of pupils' progress through school: - Key Stage 1: pupils aged 5 to 7 - Key Stage 2: pupils aged 7 to 11 - Key Stage 3: pupils aged 11 to 14 - Key Stage 4: pupils aged 14 to 16

L

Local Area Agreements (LAA)

New, statutory Local Area Agreements (LAAs) to set out how local and national priorities will be delivered. Each LAA will contain ’up to 35’ targets agreed with Government, drawn from the National Indicator Set (NIS)

Learning Development Officer

Person appointed to support or lead lifelong learning initiatives by identifying, encouraging, developing and evaluating the quality of learning that stems from using museum collections. The title Education Officer is also used for this role; other services may use Education, Access or Interpretation Officer.

Learning Disability

Often referred to as Learning Difficulty. This refers to those substantial and long-term mental impairments which effect an individual's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. British Institute of Learning Disabilities for more information.

Lifelong Learning

Museums offer people of all ages the opportunity to learn. Learning is a process which people are engaged in all of their lives - whether formal education (school, university) or informal, self-directed education (museums, reading books, evening classes, watching documentaries, experiencing something new). This is lifelong learning and it is at the centre of what we do as a museum.

LSA

Learning Support Assistant

LSC

Learning and Skills Council. Aim: to improve the skills of England's young people and adults. LSC is responsible for planning and funding high-quality vocational education and training for everyone.

LSU

Learning Support Unit

M

MFL

Modern Foreign Language

N

National Indicator Set (NIS)

National Indicator Set (NIS) of 198 outcome focussed indicators for local government to deliver (alone or in partnership), replacing all existing indicator sets including PAF and BVPIs. (See also LAAs above)

NQT

Newly Qualified Teacher

O

Ofsted

A Government department that works with the Department for Education and Skills to monitor all schools. Ofsted

P

Pilot

Part of the evaluative process, this enables us to trial a new activity or programme with key users and then consult them to see if we are meeting their needs.

Programme

A set pattern of activities for a school to book - e.g. Victorian Britain, Britain Since 1930, Toys & Discovery.
N.B. In some museum services these may be referred to as workshops.

PSHE

Personal Social and Health Education.PSHE includes everything schools do to promote pupils' good health and well-being. It is backed by the National Healthy Schools Standard. Curriculum Online forinformation about PSHE.

Q

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)

The QCA assists in maintaining and developing the school curriculum and associated assessments. It accredits and monitors qualifications in schools, colleges and work. QCA

R

Reminiscence Session

While visitors to many museums reminisce as a natural part of their visit, some museums services also offer a formal session for older or elderly visitors. These sessions are managed and structured and are therefore distinct from informal encouragement to remember the past during a visit.

SEN

Special Educational Needs. Teacher net for pages about Special Needs.

SENCO

Special Needs Co-ordinator

Session Plan

A plan of what each programme and its activities entail. This is not a script and does not hamper individual style; rather, it ensures consistency and quality across a Service for Schools.

Specialist School

Specialist schools are required to develop a particular specialist character and ethos and through that character to raise standards in their chosen specialism, and more generally across the school. This should be in partnership with their sponsors, other schools and the community at large. Schools are required to be a resource for other local schools and the community, and to disseminate good practice. There are eight specialisms: technology, languages, arts, sports, business & enterprise, engineering, science, and mathematics & computing. DCSF Standards Site for pages about Specialist Schools.

Sure Start

A strategy to improve services for children under 4 and their families in disadvantaged areas. Sure start.