An overview of frequently used acronyms and abbreviations in the field of education is provided below.

Some of the terms relate to programs or organizations that are no longer in operation, but are nonetheless listed because of their lasting influence.

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	ABE	Adult Basic Education
	ACE	Advisory Centre for Education
	ACL	Adult Community Learning
	ACPC	Area Child Protection Committee
	AI	Assigned Inspector
	ALI	Adult Learning Inspectorate
	ALIS	A Level Indicator System
	AoC	Association of Colleges
	ALPS	Advanced Level Performance System
	APT&C	Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical
	AQA	Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
	ASB	Aggregated Schools Budget
	ASPECT	Association of Professionals in Education and Children’s Trusts
	AST	Advanced Skills Teacher
	AT	Attainment Target (in National Curriculum)
	ATL	Association of Teachers and Lecturers
	AWPU(N)	Age Weighted Pupil Unit (Number)
B	BA	Bachelor of Arts
	BAC	Behaviour and Attendance Collaborative
	BAGA	British Amateur Gymnastics Association
	BDA	British Deaf Association
	BDA	British Dietetic Association
	BDA	British Dyslexia Association
	BECTA	British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
	BEd	Bachelor of Education
	BEI	British Education Index
	BITC	Business in the Community
	BME	Black and Minority Ethnic
	BSA	Basic Skills Agency
	BSc	Bachelor of Science
	BSP	Behaviour Support Plan
	BSS	Behaviour Support Service
	BTEC	Business and Technology Education Council
C	C&G	City and Guilds
	CAB	Citizens Advice Bureau
	CAD	Computer Aided Design
	CAF	Common Application Form
	CAF	Common Assessment Framework
	CAFM	Computer Aided Facilities Management
	CAL	Computer Assisted Learning
	CAM	Computer Aided Manufacture
	CAMHS	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
	CAP	Common Application Process
	CAP	Child Action Project
	CASE	Campaign for the Advancement of State Education
	CAT	Cognitive Ability Test
	CAT	Curriculum Attainment Target
	CATS	Credit Accumulation and Transfer System
	CCT	Compulsory Competitive Tendering
	CDT	Craft, Design and Technology
	CE	(Bradford) Confederations Executive
	CEG	Careers Education Guidance
	CEM	Centre for Education Management
	CFE	Countryside Foundation for Education
	CFET	Certificate in Further Education and Training
	CIF	Common Inspection Framework
	CLAIT	Computer Literacy and Information Technology
	CMIS	Central Management Information System (provided by Serco)
	CNAA	Council for National Academic Awards
	CoC	Changing Our Council (BMDC)
	CoVE	Centre of Vocational Excellence
	CP	Child protection
	CPA	Comprehensive Performance Assessment
	CPD	Continuing Professional Development
	CPS	Classroom Teachers Pay Spine
	CPVE	Certificate of Pre-vocational Education
	CRB	Criminal Records Bureau
	CST	Curriculum Support Team
	CTC	City Technology College
	CTF	Common Transfer File
D	D&T	Design and Technology
	DCPO	Designated Child Protection Officer
	DDA	Disability Discrimination Act
	DfE	Department for Education
	DI	The Dyslexia Institute
	DLO	Desirable Learning Outcomes
	DOB	Date of Birth
	DRC	Disability Rights Commission
	DTP	Desktop Publishing
	DWP	Department of Work and Pensions
E	EAB	Examinations Appeals Board
	EAL	English as an Additional Language
	EAZ	Education Achievement Zone
	EAZ	Education Action Zone
	EBD	Emotional and Behavioural Difficulty
	EBP	Education Business Partnership
	EC	Excellence Cluster
	eCAF	Electronic Common Assessment Framework
	EDU	Education Development Unit
	EENET	Enabling Education Network
	EFL	English as a Foreign Language
	EHP	Early Headship Provision
	EiC	Excellence in Cities
	EIP	Education Improvement Partnerships
	EMA	Ethnic Minority Achievement
	EMAG	Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant
	EMAS	Ethnic Minorities Achievement Service
	EMS	Education Management System
	EO	Education Otherwise
	EO	Equal Opportunities
	EOTAS	Education Other than at School
	EP	Educational Psychologist
	EPM	Education Plan Monitoring
	EPT	Educational Psychology Team
	ERA	Education Reform Act
	ESF	European Social Fund
	ESOL	English for Speakers of Other Languages
	ESW	Education Social Worker
	EU	European Union
	EWO	Education Welfare Officer
	EYCS	Early Years and Childcare Service
	EYDCP	Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership
	EYDP	Early Years Development Plan
	EYFSP	Early Years Foundation Stage Programme
F	FAETC	Further and Adult Education Training Certificate
	FAP	Fair Access Protocol
	FE	Further Education
	FEFC	Further Education Funding Council
	FEX	Fixed Term Exclusions from school
	FF	Fair Funding
	FFS	Farms for Schools
	FFT	Fischer Family Trust (a charity that provides estimates of pupil performance)
	FL	Family Learning
	FLLN	Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy
	FMS	Financial Management System (Capita)
	FOI	Freedom of Information (Act)
	FORM 7	DfE form sent every January requesting school statistics (replaced by PLASC which has, in turn, been replaced by School Census from January 2007)
	FRESA	Framework for Regional Employment and Skills Action
	FRS	Fire and Rescue Service
	FS	Foundation Stage
	FSA	Financial Services Authority
	FSM	Free School Meals
	FSP	Foundation Stage Profile
	FSS	Formula Spending Share
	FTE	Full Time Equivalent
G	G&T	Gifted and Talented
	GBA	Governing Bodies Association
	GCE A	General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
	GCE AS	General Certificate of Education Advanced Supplementary
	GCSE	General Certificate of Secondary Education
	GLD	Good level of development (an Early Years judgement)
	GM	Grant Maintained
	GNVQ	General National Vocational Qualification
	GOYH	Government Office of Yorkshire and Humberside
	GSA	Girls’ School Association
	GSB	General Schools Budget
	GTC	General Teaching Council
	H&S	Health and Safety
H	HACSG	Hyperactive Children’s Support Group
	HE	Higher Education
	HEADLAMP	The Headteachers’ Leadership and Management Programme
	HEFC	Higher Education Funding Council
	HESA	Higher Education Statistics Agency
	HiMP	Health Improvement Plan
	HIP	Headteachers’ Induction Programme (now replaced by EHP)
	HMC	Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference
	HMCI	Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
	HMI	Her Majesty’s Inspector(ate)
	HMM	Healthy Minds Matter
	HMSO	Her Majesty’s Stationery Office
	HODs	Heads of Departments
	HRF	Health Related Fitness
	HSE	Health and Safety Executive
	HT	Headteacher
I	IAG	Individual Advice and Guidance
	IB	International Baccalaureate
	ICS	Integrated Children’s System
	ICT	Information and Communications Technology
	IEC	Interfaith Education Centre
	IEP	Individual Education Plan
	IfL	Institute for Learning
	IiC	Investors in Children
	IIP	Investors in People
	ILP	Individual Learning Plan
	ILR	Individual Learner Record
	ILS	Integrated Learning Systems
	INSET	In-service Education and Training
	IRT	The Identification, Referral and Tracking of children and young people at risk
	IS Index	Information Sharing Index
	ISA	Information Sharing and Assessment
	ISA	Independent Schools Association
	ISB	Individual Schools Budget (i.e. the delegated budget for each school)
	ISC	Independent Schools Council
	ISEB	Independent Schools Examination Board
	ISI	Independent Schools Inspectorate
	ISIS	Independent Schools Information Service
	ISP	Integrated Service Plan
	ISR	Individual School Range
	IT	Information Technology
	ITT	Initial Teacher Training
	IYSS	Integrated Youth Support Service
J	JAR	Joint Area Review
	JCQ	Joint Council for Qualifications
K	KS	Key Stage
	KS1	Key Stage 1 Years 1-2 (5 – 7 year olds)
	KS2	Key Stage 2 Years 3-6 (8 – 11 year olds)
	KS3	Key Stage 3 Years 7-9 (12-14 year olds)
	KS4	Key Stage 4 Years 10-11 (15 – 16 year olds)
L	LA	Local Authority
	LAC	Looked After Children
	LAP	Local Achievement Partnership
	LDP	Local Delivery Plan
	LEA	Local Education Authority
	Learndirect	National Education and Training Helpline
	LIF	Local Initiative Fund
	LIG	Leadership Incentive Grant
	LLDD	Learner with Learning Difficulties or Disabilities
	LMS	Local Management of Schools
	LMSS	Local Management of Special Schools
	LPSA	Local Public Service Agreement
	LPSH	Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers
	LRM	Local Resource Management
	LSB	Local Schools Budget (i.e. the total budget available to be spent on schools)
	LSC	Learning and Skills Council
	LSDA	Learning Skills Development Agency
	LSE	Library Services for Education
	LSP	Local Strategic Partnership
	LSW	Learning Support Workers

M	MA	Master of Arts
	MCI	Management Charter Initiative
	MENCAP	Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults
	MFL	Modern Foreign Languages
	MIND	National Association for Mental Health
	MIS	Management Information System
	MLD	Moderate Learning Difficulty
	MSc	Master of Science
	MTFS	Medium Term Financial Strategy
N	NACAB	National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
	NACE	National Association for Able Children in Education
	NAGC	National Association for Gifted Children
	NAGM	National Association of Governors and Managers
	NAHT	National Association of Headteachers
	NAPE	National Association for Primary Education
	NAS	National Autistic Society
	NASUWT	National Association of School Teachers/Union of Women Teachers
	NATFHE	National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
	NC	National Curriculum
	NCB	National Children’s Bureau
	NCER	National Consortium of Examination Results
	NCMA	National Childminding Association
	NCPTA	National Conference of Parent Teacher Associations
	NCSL	National College of School Leadership
	NCT	Non-contact time
	NCT	National Curriculum Tests
	NCVQ	National Council for Vocational Qualifications
	NCY	National Curriculum Year
	NDS	New Deal for Schools
	NEET	Not in Education, Employment or Training
	NEOST	National Employers Organisation for School Teachers
	NETTS	National Education and Training Targets
	NFER	National Federation for Educational Research
	NGC	National Council for Governing Bodies
	NGFL	National Grid for Learning
	NHS HT	National Health Service Hospital Trust
	NHS PT	National Health Service Partnership Trust
	NIACE	National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
	NLP	National Literacy Project
	NOVA	End of Key Stage results analysis tool provided by the NCER
	NN	Neighbourhood Nurseries
	NNEB	National Nursery Examination Board
	NOCN	National Open College Network
	NOF	New Opportunities Fund
	NoR	Number on Roll
	NPQH	National Professional Qualification for Headship
	NPQSL	National Professional Qualification for Subject Leaders
	NQT	Newly Qualified Teacher
	NSPCC	National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
	NUPE	National Union of Public Employees
	NUT	National Union of Teachers
	NVQ	National Vocational Qualifications
O	O and A	Observation and Assessment
	OCN	Open College Network
	OCR	Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
	OFSTED	Office for Standards in Education
	OJC	Officers’ Joint Committee (BMDC) with Unison
	OOHL	Out of Hours Learning
	OU	Open University
P	PAC	Public Affairs & Communications (BMDC)
	PAN	Planned Admission Number
	PANDA	Performance and Data Analysis
	PANDAS	Performance and Assessment Documents
	PAT	Professional Association of Teachers
	PATA	Parent and Toddler Association
	PCT	Primary Care Team
	PDC	Professional Development Consultancy
	PE	Physical Education
	PEACH	Parents for the Early intervention of Autism in Children
	PEO	Principal Education Officer
	PEPs	Personal Education Plans
	PEX	Permanent Exclusion from school
	PfS	Playing for Success
	PGCE	Postgraduate Certificate of Education
	PID	Project Initiation Document
	PIN	Parents Information Network
	PIP	Performance Improvement Plan
	PIs	Performance Indicators
	PLASC	Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (replaced by School Census from January 2007)
	PLP	Primary Leadership Programme
	PO	Project Officer
	PoCA	Protection of Children Act
	PoS	Programmes of Study (in National Curriculum)
	PPA	Pre-school Playgroups Association
	PRB	Performance Review Board
	PRC	Pupil Referral Centre
	PRP	Performance Related Pay
	PRU	Pupil Referral Unit
	PSA	Parent School Association
	PSE	Personal and Social Education
	PSHE	Personal, Social and Health Education
	PSHE+C	Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education
	PSS	Pupil and Student Services Group
	PTA	Parent Teacher Association
	PTR	Pupil Teacher Ratio
	QA	Quality Assurance
Q	QAA	Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
	QAN	Qualification Accreditation Number
	QCA	Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
	QTA	Qualified Teacher Status
	QTPS	Qualified Teachers Pay Spine
	QTS	Qualified Teacher Status
R	R (Y1, Y2 etc)	Reception (Year 1 etc)
	RARPA	Recognising and recording progress and achievement
	RDA	Regional Development Agency
	RE	Religious Education
	READS	Racial Equality and Diversity Service
	Reg 33	Regulation 33 relation to the inspection of children’s homes
	RgI	Registered Inspector
	RoA	Record of Achievement
	RSA	Royal Society of Arts Examination Board
	RSU	Research and Statistics Unit
S	s2s	School to school secure data transfer system
	SACRE	Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education
	SAR	Self Assessment Report
	SATs	Standard Assessment Task/Test
	SCC	School causing concern
	School Census	Pupil level statistics collected termly by DfE
	SCR	Single Central Record
	SDP	School Development Plan
	SEF	School self-evaluation form issued by Ofsted
	SEMT	School Emergency Management Team
	SEN	Special Educational Needs
	SENCO	Special Educational Needs Coordinator
	SENDA	Special Educational Needs Discrimination Act
	SEP	Single Education Plan
	SEU	Standards and Effectiveness Unit
	SFR	Statistical First Release (DfE data release)
	SHA	Secondary Heads Association
	SHMIS	Society of Headmasters and Headmistresses of Independent Schools
	SIMS	Schools Information Management System (provided by Capita)
	SIP	School Improvement Partner
	SLA	Service Level Agreement
	SLC	Student Loans Company
	SLD	Severe Learning Difficulty
	SM	Special Measures
	SMART	Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-scaled targets
	SMSC	Spiritual Moral Social Cultural
	SMT	Senior Management Team
	SN	Standard Number (replaced PAL – Planned Admission Level
	SOP	School Organisation Plan
	SoS	Secretary of State
	Soulbury	Pay scale for education staff
	SoW	Scheme of Work
	SPAW	School Performance Award Scheme
	SpLD	Specific Learning Difficulty
	SRB	Single Regeneration Budget
	SRS	Safer Routes to Schools
	SSA	Standard Spending Assessment
	SSCO	School Support Coordinators
	SSE	School Self Evaluation
	SSF	School Standards Fund
	SSFA	School Standards and Framework Act 1998
	SSM	Strategic Support Managers (BMDC)
	STABIS	State Boarding School Information Service
	STRB	School Teachers’ Review Body
	SURE Start	Sure Start is a government programme bringing together, early education, childcare, health and family support agencies
	SW	Serious Weaknesses
T	TEFL	Teaching English as a Foreign Language
	TES	Times Educational Supplement
	TP	Teachers’ Pensions
	TSC	Transactional Services Centre (BMDC)
	TTA	Teacher Training Agency
	TUC	Trade Union Congress
U	UCAS	University and Colleges Admissions Service
	UfA	University of the First Age
	ULN	Unique Learner Number
	UPN	Unique Pupil Number
V	VA	Voluntary Aided
	VC	Voluntary Controlled
	VRQ	Verbal Reasoning Quotient
W	WEA	Workers Educational Association
	WBL	Work Based Learning
	WYLP	West Yorkshire Learning Providers
Y	Y1, Y2 etc	Year 1, Year 2 etc
	YELLIS	Year 11 Indicator System
	YIST	Youth Inclusion and Support Team
	YPLA	Youg Person’s Learning Agency
	YOT (or S)	Youth Offending Team (or Service)
	YTS	Youth Training Scheme

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