Jargon Buster!
There are so many acronyms and technical words to learn and understand, so to make it easier we have created our Jargon Buster! We hope that we have listed words or phrases that might need explaining. Please let us know if there are others that you think could be added and be helpful.
Academy |
A state-funded school independent of local authority control. Academies are self-governing non-profit charitable trusts. |
AfL |
Assessment for Learning - Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there. |
AFO |
Ankle-Foot Orthosis. A type of moulded splint to support the ankle and foot |
ASC (ASD) |
Autism Spectrum Condition. Sometimes known as ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder. |
Blending |
To draw individual sounds together to pronounce a word, e.g. f-l-a-p, blend together, read flap. |
Bristol Stool Chart |
A chart that describes the consistency of bowel movements. It makes it easier to accurately describe things, and especially helpful for comparing them against a young person's normal consistency. |
CiC |
Children in Care. |
CiN | Child in Need. The status when a child has a Social Worker who helps to support the child and family. |
CLA |
Children Looked After. |
CPD |
Continuing Professional Development. |
CPOMS |
Child Protection Online Management System. It is used by schools to collate their safeguarding information. |
CSS |
Children’s Support Service. This is the new name for a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). |
CTA |
Curriculum Teaching Assistant |
DAFO |
Dynamic Ankle-Foot Orthosis. A hinged type of ankle support. |
DBS |
Disclosure & Barring Service - DBS refers to the new agency created out of a merger between the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). Its full title is The Disclosure and Barring Service. The checks and information provided will remain the same but will be branded DBS Checks. |
DfE |
Department for Education. |
DSL |
Designated Safeguarding Lead Member of Staff who leads on all matters regarding Safeguarding. Currently, this is Rob Mulvey (Deputy DSL is Gayle Bowmer) |
EAL |
English as an additional language. |
EBD |
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. |
ECT | Early Career Teacher - previously referred to Newly Qualified Teacher. |
EHC Plan |
Educational Health Care Plan - An education, health and care plan is a document that says what support a child or young person who has special educational needs should have. All Fountaindale School Students have an EHC Plan. |
EWO |
Education Welfare Officer. |
EYFS |
Early Years Foundation Stage. A framework of care and Education for children from birth to five years of age. This stage typically means Nursery and Reception Classes. |
FSM |
Free School Meals. |
GCSE |
General Certificate of Secondary Education. |
GRAFO |
Ground Reactive Ankle-Foot Orthosis. |
HI |
Hearing Impairment. |
HLTA |
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (In school we use Cover Supervisers). |
HMI |
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools. |
Inclusion |
Removing barriers in learning, so all pupils can participate at their own level. |
INSET |
In-Service Education and Training - Training for staff which takes place during the school year. |
KS |
Key Stage The stages of the national curriculum: KS1 for pupils ages 5-7; KS1 for 7-11; KS3 for 11-14; KS4 for 14-16. KS5 17-19 (sixth form). |
LA |
Local Authority. |
LAC |
Looked After Children. |
MLD |
Moderate Learning Difficulties. |
M&H |
Moving and Handling-The team in school that focusses on the safe practice of moving and handling of students and equipment in school. |
NC |
National Curriculum. |
Ofsted |
Office for Standards in Education. |
PCA | Personal Care Assistant |
PE |
Physical Education. |
Phonics |
Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write their language. It involves connecting the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters (e.g, where the sound /k/ can be represented by c, k, ck or ch spellings) and teaching them to blend the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations of unknown words. In this way, phonics enables people to use individual sounds to construct words. For example, when taught the sounds for the letters t, p, a and s, one can build up the words "tap", "pat", "pats", "taps" and "sat." |
PPA |
Planning, Preparation and Assessment time to which teachers are entitled. |
PMLD |
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. |
PMP |
Postural Management Program. A plan used by Physios to deliver specific postural activities. |
PRU |
Pupil Referral Unit. |
PSHE |
Personal Social Health and Economic education. |
PTA |
Parent Teacher Association |
Pupil Premium |
Funding is allocated to schools to support pupils eligible for FSM, in care, or who have parents in the armed forces. |
PPG+ |
Funding is allocated to schools to support Children Looked After (CLA) who are: living in the care of the local authority, living with foster carers or in residential children's homes. |
RfL |
Routes for Learning - An assessment framework that addresses the individual needs of learners where sensory impairments, motor disabilities and medical problems complicate the learning process. |
SATs |
Standard Attainment Tests/Tasks - National Curriculum Tests and Tasks which take place at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of Key Stage 2. Fountaindale School students don’t normally apply to this. |
SCR |
Single Central Record - Schools must hold a single central record of all adults working with pupils. The records hold security and ID checks amongst other specific information. |
SEND |
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. |
SENDCO |
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator. |
SDP |
School Development Plan – the plan that the school annually sets to promote school improvement. |
SEMH |
Social Emotional Mental Health |
Sensology |
Sensology ™ is an educational approach emphasising sensory stimulation. It covers the five basic senses (see, hear, touch, smell, taste) but also the movement. |
SaLT |
Speech and Language Team |
SLCN |
Speech Language Communication Need |
SLD |
Severe Learning Difficulties. |
SLT |
Senior Leadership Team. |
SMSC |
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (development). |
Sports Premium |
Funding for years 1 to 6 to provide additional PE and sport beyond that already provided in the curriculum. |
SRE |
Sex and Relationship Education. |
TAC |
Teams around the Child – Meetings for students that need team support for one or more issues. |
Tacpac |
An activity that combines the sense of touch and music through social interaction. |
TAF |
Team around the Family – Meetings for families that need multi agency support for one or more issues. |
TaSSeLs |
Tactile Signing for Sensory Learners. A technique used in school to 'cue' learners before a learning activity. |
VI |
Visual Impairment |