Jargon Buster

Assessment -  Ways of judging how well pupils are progressing.

Attainment -  What pupils accomplish.

Catchment area -  A defined geographical area from which a school takes its pupils.

C.L.D. - Complex Learning Difficulties (includes autism and Asperger's Syndrome).

Code of Practice  - A guide to schools and Local Authorities (LAs) about the help they can give to children with special educational needs.

Connexions -  Service A youth service providing advice, guidance, support and personal development for all 13 to 19 year olds.

Community Schools - Schools wholly funded by the Local Authority (LA).

Core curriculum  - English, Mathematics and a Science ~ those subjects which must be studied by all pupils.

Curriculum  - All the courses and learning opportunities a school offers, or a course of study being followed by a child.

DfES -  Department for Education and Skills: the government department responsible for education and adult skills.

Differentiation -  The way in which the school's curriculum and teaching methods are adapted to meet the needs of children.

E.B.D.-  Emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Equal Opportunities - Chance for everyone to participate in school life/curriculum.

Evaluation -  How well did it work?

E.W.O. - Education Welfare Officer ~ a person employed by the LA to make sure that children are getting the education they need. They deal mainly with school attendance. Our E.W.O. is David Winston.

Exclusion -  Exclusion means that your child may not attend lessons or go on to the school premises for a set period of time, or permanently in the case of expulsion.

G.C.S.E. - General Certificate of Secondary Education.

I.E.P. -  Individual Education Plan ~ drawn up by a school's SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). It sets targets for a child to achieve and a date for a review of progress.

I.C.T. -  Information and Communication Technology ~ refers to the whole area of computers.

Inclusion -  A process by which schools, local education authorities and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include pupils.

INSET -  Days In-Service Education and Training. INSET days are set aside to allow teachers to update their skills and knowledge in order to raise pupil achievement.

Key Stage - Your child's progress through school is measured in Key Stages. Key Stage 1 covers pupils from 5-7, Key Stage 2 from 7-11, Key Stage 3 from 11 to 14 and Key Stage 4 from 14-16.

L.A. -  Local Authority. A body responsible for providing education for pupils of school age in its area. It also has responsibility for early years, the youth service and adult education.

Learning Difficulty -  If a child has a learning difficulty s/he finds it much harder to learn than most children of the same age do.

L.S.A. -  Learning Support Assistant. A non-teaching member of staff who helps to meet the educational needs of children.

Mainstream School  - Any school that is not a special school or an independent school.

M.L.D. - Moderate Learning Difficulties.

National Curriculum - The basic framework setting out what children aged 5 to 16 in state schools should learn.

National Curriculum Levels -  All pupils undergo national tests and teacher assessments at age 7, 11 and 14, commonly known as SATs. The school then sends a report telling you what levels your child has reached.

Non-teaching or Support staff - Members of school staff employed by the governors to provide services in school other than teaching, such as cleaners, administrators.

OFSTED (Office For Standards in Education) - The body which inspects state funded schools. OFSTED inspectors produce education reports to help improve schools.

Participation - Do all pupils join in? Can they?

Progress - Continuous proven improvement

Progression - Do pupils move forward with their learning?

S.A.T.s -  Standard Assessment Tests (taken in Year 9)~ which check children's progress.

S.E.N.-  Special Educational Needs. Learning difficulties, talents or other needs, for which a child requires special help. One in five children may have some sort of learning difficulty during their school life.

S.E.N.C.O.  - Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. The teacher in a school who is responsible for arranging the extra help for children with special educational needs. Our SENCO is Mr. Brian Skilbeck

Sp.L.D. -  A child has a Specific Learning Difficulty if s/he has a problem with one or more areas of the curriculum, usually reading, writing, spelling and/or number work.

Statement - A document that sets out a child's needs and all the extra help (provision) s/he should get.

Targets - The individual goals set for a child. Targets are a way of checking the child's progress.

Work Experience - A system which allows students approaching the end of their secondary education the opportunity to take part in work placements.