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A level General Certificate of Education, second public exam in the UK, taken at age 18 AS level Advanced Supplementary level public exam equivalent to half an A level, formerly taken as a supplement to A levels but now forming the first year of a standard A level course A2 The examinations at the end of the second year of an A level course ALIS A system of value-added measurement used by many schools to compare their GCSE and A level results Amanuensis Someone who sits with a special needs student to help them put their thoughts on paper ARCM Associate of the Royal College of Music Assistant A young person from abroad, usually French or German, who helps teach the language (not to mention taking rugby etc) AVCE Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education. A system of vocational qualifications, formerly GNVQ BA Bachelor of Arts. University first degree Bands Different academic levels for students. Some comprehensive schools divide their intake according to bands BD Bachelor of Divinity Beacon schools Exemplary state secondary and primary schools that have been identified as among the best performing in the country in some stated way(s), eg teaching French, training new teachers etc. They are expected to work in partnership with other schools to pass on their particular areas of expertise BEcon Bachelor of Economics BEd Bachelor of Education. A teaching qualification BHSAI British Horse Society Assistant Instructor – the lowest qualification needed to be a riding instructor BLit Bachelor of Literature. University qualification Brill Slang for brilliant BSc Bachelor of Science BTEC A vocational qualification – alternative to A level – awarded by the Business and Technology Education Council Bursary Contribution to the school fees, usually given to those who are poor C of S Church of Scotland CAD Computer-aided design CAE Computer-aided engineering Cantab Cambridge (from the Latin) CAT Cognitive ability test CCF Combined Cadet Force. Para-military training corps for the young (boys and girls) CDT Craft, design and technology CE Common Entrance. Qualifying exam taken usually at 11, 12 or 13 in the private sector for entry to senior schools CertEd Certificate of Education. A teaching qualification CLAIT Computer literacy and information technology Combined sciences GCSE exam covering biology, chemistry and physics, counts as one GCSE Comprehensive school Takes all pupils, regardless of their ability or aptitude. Some are fully comprehensive (no entrance exam whatsoever) and others have some selective measures Crammers Schools that cram knowledge into the reluctant child, especially those having to re-take A levels because of low grades; not a term the schools use of themselves – ‘independent sixth form colleges’, ‘tutorial colleges’ or ‘independent further education’ is more to their taste CReSTeD Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils, a charity that assesses and certifies the quality of teaching for dyslexic pupils CSYS Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (used occasionally in Scotland) CTC City technology college – a quasi-independent state school D of E Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. A combination of various different activities, including demanding physical exercise, culminating in a medal DCSF (Government) Department for Children, Schools and Families (formerly the DfES) DipEd A teaching qualification DPhil Doctor of Philosophy DT Design Technology Dual Award (Science) GCSE exam covering biology, chemistry and physics – counts as two GCSEs EAL English as an Additional Language – the latest and PC acronym EFL English as a Foreign Language ESL English as a Second Language Fab Slang for fabulous Forces The Army, Navy or Air Force, and adjuncts thereto Foundation school A state school owned by a foundation (generally religious) which appoints some – but not most – of the governing body FP Former pupil (Scottish expression) FRS Fellow of the Royal Society (very grand) FRSA Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (not grand) Gap Work experience projects, expeditions etc in year between school and university. Also (when in capitals) name of organisation specialising in this Gappies Foreign (usually Aus, NZ, SA) students in their gap year working in UK independent schools GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education. First public exam in the UK GDST Girls’ Day School Trust (formerly called the Girls’ Public Day School Trust). A foundation of private schools GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification. A system of vocational qualifications, now renamed AVCE Grammar school A type of school which selects pupils on academic merit and provides a rigorous academic education (and sometimes not much else) GSA Girls’ Schools’ Association. Female equivalent of HMC. See below Highers/Higher Grades Scottish public exam, usually taken one or two years after Standard Grade (qv) HMC Headmasters’ Conference. A sort of headmasters’ (and now one or two headmistresses) trade union, mostly for public schools, whose heads belong and are considered ‘top’ by those in it HND Higher National Diploma, a well-respected vocational qualification usually taken after A levels or AVCEs IAPS Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools. Organisation of prep schools. Again, generally considered the ‘top’ ones by those in it IB International Baccalaureate. A public exam at secondary level, increasingly recognised for entry to university in the UK IBMYP International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme IBPYP International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme ICT Information communications technology IGCSE International GCSE ILEA Inner London Education Authority – local administration of state schools, now defunct Inclusion The concept that all children with special educational needs should be educated, if at all possible, in mainstream schools Independent Word used by fee-paying schools to describe themselves – erroneously Inter-denom Inter-denominational (refers to religious affiliation, supports more than one brand of Christianity) IQ Intelligence Quotient ISC Independent Schools Council – inspects independent schools (but not itself independent; owned and run by the schools) ISCis information service of the above ISCO Independent Schools Careers Organisation IT Information technology KS (Key Stage) The National Curriculum is divided into four key stages according to pupils’ ages: KS1 for 5–7-year-olds, KS2 for 7–11, KS3 for 11–14, KS4 for 14–16 LesL Licencié ès Lettres. French university degree Lab Laboratory LAMDA London Academy of Music and the Dramatic Arts LNat National admissions test for Law LTA Lawn Tennis Association MA Master of Arts. University degree MCSP Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy MEd Master of Education. Teaching qualification MIDYIS See ALIS, but this measures value-added up to GCSE MoD Ministry of Defence MSc Master of Science. University qualification NFER National Foundation for Educational Research NNEB Nursery nurses official qualification Non-denom Non-denominational (refers to religious affiliation, generally means pretty low-key) NQT Newly qualified teacher NVR(Q) Non-verbal reasoning (quotient), a test of ability used by some selective schools OB Old Boy (ie former pupil of a school) OED Oxford English Dictionary Ofsted Office for Standards in Education. Officially the Office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools. Inspects schools and publishes reports on them OG Old Girl (ie former pupil of a school) OSB Order of St Benedict OTT Over the top, as in unacceptable behaviour Oxbridge Short for Oxford and/or Cambridge universities Oxon Oxford Pastoral care Care of pupil on matters not related to their work, eg personal and social ones PE Physical education PFI Private finance initiative: off-balance-sheet funding for the government, with private firms providing finance and facilities management PGCE Postgraduate Certificate of Education. A teaching qualification PhD Doctor of Philosophy (postgraduate degree) PPP Public private partnership, see PFI PSD Personal and Social Development PS(H)E Personal, social (and health) education (courses) PTA Parent–teacher association QCA Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, a government agency operating in England only qv quod vide – for which see, ie it has its own entry in this book RCSLT Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists RE Religious education – learn about beliefs RI Religious instruction – learn to believe RS Religious studies – learn about beliefs RSA Royal Society of Arts RSA CLAIT The RSA’s computer literacy and information technology qualification RYA Royal Yachting Association San Sanatorium, sick bay SATs Tests sat by English state (and some private) school kids at 7, 11 and 14 SATS Test sat by American kids to get into US universities School Action/School Action Plus Extra help/arrangements provided by the school to help children who are not making the progress expected. School Action Plus involves help from outside, perhaps a therapist or educational psychologist Scotvec A Scottish vocational qualification SEN Special educational needs – having disabilities (eg dyslexia, deafness) which require special provision to be made for a child’s education Services The Army, Navy or Air Force, and adjuncts thereto Set A group of children of similar ability within a subject and year (children can be in the top set for one subject and the bottom for others, and may move between sets) Six-inch rule Rule applied at some co-educational schools whereby boys and girls may not come closer to each other than six inches (in case they get over-excited) SpLD Specific learning difficulties, a portmanteau phrase covering dyslexia, dyspraxia etc. SSSI Site of special scientific interest – designated as such by the government and, as such, protected Standard Grades The Scottish equivalent of GCSEs Stooge A foreign gap-year student employed by a school Streaming The practice of dividing a year group into streams of similar ability – if you are in the top stream you are in the top stream for all subjects Suss Slang for find out, get to the bottom of, investigate, sniff out Twoccer One who Takes a car Without the Owner’s Consent UK CAT UK clinical aptitude test used by some universities to test a candidate's aptitude to study medicine or dentistry V very Vs Versus Vibes Slang for vibrations VIP Very important person VCE Vocational Certificate in Education VR(Q) Verbal reasoning (quotient), a test of ability used by many selective schools WASP White Anglo-Saxon Protestant YE Young Enterprise. A hands-on business studies course YELLIS See ALIS, but this measures value-added at primary level
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