| ACCAC | Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales |
| AEA(s) | Advanced Extension Award(s) |
| AVCE | Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education |
| BA | Bachelor of Arts (first degree) |
| BA (Ed) | Bachelor of Arts (Education) |
| BEd | Bachelor of Education |
| BSc (Ed) | Bachelor of Science (Education) |
| BTEC | Business and Technology Education Council |
| C2K | Classroom 2000 |
| CACHE | Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education |
| CCEA | Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment |
| CCMS | Council for Catholic-maintained Schools |
| CDP | Community Development Plan |
| CPD | Continuing Professional Development |
| CYPFP | Children and Young People Funding Package |
| DE | Department of Education (Northern Ireland) |
| DEL | Department for Employment and Learning |
| DHSSPS | Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety |
| e2S | Entitled to Succeed |
| EAB | Examinations and Appeals Board |
| EAF | Education Advisory Forum |
| ELB | Education and Library Board |
| ELBs | Education and Library Boards |
| EMU | Education for Mutual Understanding |
| ESA | Education and Skills Authority |
| ETI | Education and Training Inspectorate |
| EU | European Union |
| GCE A level(s) | General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced-level qualification(s) (see glossary entry below) |
| GCSE(s) | General Certificate(s) of Secondary Education (see glossary entry below) |
| GNVQ(s) | General National Vocational Qualification(s) (see glossary entry below) |
| GTCNI | General Teaching Council Northern Ireland |
| HE | Higher education |
| HEI(s) | Higher education institution(s) |
| HNC | Higher National Certificate |
| HND | Higher National Diploma |
| ICLs | Ideas for Connecting Learning |
| ICT | Information and communication technology |
| IME | Irish medium education |
| ITE | Initial teacher education |
| ITT | Initial teacher training |
| JCGQ | Joint Council on General Qualifications (replaced by the Joint Council for Qualifications, JCQ) in January 2004 |
| JCQ | Joint Council for Qualifications |
| LMS | Local management of schools |
| NDPB | Non-departmental public body |
| NDPBs | Non-departmental public bodies |
| NICIE | Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education |
| NIHEC | Northern Ireland Higher Education Council |
| NQT(s) | Newly qualified teacher(s) |
| NVQ | National Vocational Qualification |
| PE | Physical education |
| PGCE | Postgraduate Certificate in Education |
| QCA | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority |
| RE | Religious education |
| RSCN | Registered Sick Children’s Nurse |
| RSE | Relationships and sexuality education |
| RTU | Regional Training Unit |
| SDP | School Development Plan |
| SEN | special educational needs |
| SEN | State Enrolled Nurse |
| SRN | State Registered Nurse |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| VCE (s) | Vocational Certificate(s) of Education (now A-levels in applied subjects) (see glossary definitions below) |
| Admissions number | The maximum number of children which may be admitted in any one school year in the normal age group for the admission of students to the school. |
| Advanced Extension Awards | Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs) are targeted at the top 10 per cent of students in post-compulsory upper secondary education (16+). These are single subject qualifications which aim to allow students to demonstrate their depth of understanding of a subject. |
| A-level | See General Certificate of Education Advanced-level. |
| A-levels in applied subjects | A-levels in applied subjects are single subject post-16 qualifications which aim to provide a broad introduction to a vocational area |
| Applied GCSEs | The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is a single-subject examination normally taken at age 16, and intended to be the main method of assessment at this age. Under the National Curriculum assessment arrangements, students take a range of subjects (normally between five and eight). Applied GCSE qualifications are those which are available in more vocational or applied subjects, rather than general or academic subjects. |
| Area(s) of learning/Area(s) of study | Term used to describe the compulsory subjectsprescribed by the Northern Ireland Curriculum. Currently known as areas of study, these will be replaced by areas of learning in the revised curriculum |
| Attainment targets | Attainment targets define the expected standards of student performance in terms of level descriptions at the end of key stages. They provide the basis for making judgements on student attainment in particular aspects of a subject at the end of each key stage. |
| Awarding body/Awarding bodies | Independent organisations, funded mainly by examination fees, which provide qualifications for students |
| Baseline assessment | The statutory assessment of children on entry to primary school, at age four or five. Although it is recommended that baseline assessment in Northern Ireland should take place in the September or October of a child's first year at school, it need, only, by law, take place before the end of a child’s first year in primary education. Baseline assessment is ending with the gradual introduction of the revised curriculum and assessment arrangements from September 2007. |
| Board(s) | See Education and Library Board(s) (ELBs) |
| Board(s) of govenor(s) | The legally required governing body of grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland. The board of governors comprises elected parents and teachers, and there is provision for members of the local and business community to be co-opted. |
| Catholic maintained school(s) | Are owned mainly by the Catholic Church, fully funded for revenue expenditure by the Education and Library Boards, but also receive capital funding direct from the Department of Education. The Council for Catholic-maintained Schools (CCMS) employs the staff and the school board of governors decides on admissions. |
| Contributory subjects | Areas of study in the current Northern Ireland Curriculum comprise contributory subjects, some of which are compulsory. The revised curriculum comprises areas of learning and statements of minimum content. As a result, there will no longer be compulsory contributory subjects. |
| Controlled schools | Controlled schools are owned by Education and Library Boards which fund them for capital and revenue expenditure and employ the staff. The school board of governors decides on admissions. |
| Controlled integrated schools | Controlled integrated schools are owned by Education and Library Boards which fund them for capital and revenue expenditure and employ the staff. The school board of governors decides on admissions. |
| Day nursery (nurseries) | A pre-school setting which provides day care for children under 5 years of age and is independently/ privately run. Education is often provided for children from age 3. Day nurseries in Northern Ireland may receive government funding for the education of children from the age of 3 years. If receiving government funding, pre-school settings are inspected by the relevant education inspection body and must work towards the curricular guidance for pre-primary education. |
| Education and Library Boards (ELBs) | The regional bodies in Northern Ireland which are (ELB(s))currently responsible for the local administration of primary and secondary education. Following a major review of public administration, it is intended that a single education authority (the Education and Skills Authority, ESA) will be created by 2008. |
| Enrolment number | The maximum number of students which may be admitted in any school year. |
| Entitlement Framework | The Entitlement Framework is a key feature of the new post-primary arrangements. In accordance with this framework, schools are required to provide their students with acess (either alone or in collaboration with further education colleges) to a broad range of general and applied courses. Schools have to provide access to a minimum of 24 courses at key stage 4 and 27 at post-16, and at least one third of courses have to be applied (vocational) and one third general. |
| Entry Level Qualfications | Designed for students who are not ready for GCSE or similar qualifications, Entry Level qualifications were originally available in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). An increasingly wide range of awards is now approved. |
| Foundation governor | Foundation governors are governors who represent the Interests of the founding body on the school board of governors. They are appointed to make sure that the character of the school is preserved and developed. |
|
Foundation stage |
A new stage of education to be introduced from 2006/07 and comprising the first two years of primary education (children aged 4 to 6 years). |
| Further education | Full- or part-time education and training for students over compulsory school leaving age (16 years) which is usually outside the university/higher education sector. |
| Further education college(s) | Establishments providing full- or part-time education and training for students over compulsory school leaving age (16 years) and outside the university sector. Traditionally, further education colleges offered vocational courses. They now tend to offer a combination of academic and vocational courses, but some remain specialised, as e.g. colleges of agriculture and horticulture, technical colleges, colleges of art and of commerce. |
| General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A-level) | A single subject examination, normally taken at age 18, usually following two years of full-time study after the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Students normally attempt three subjects, but there are no formal requirements for a minimum or maximum number. |
| General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Subsidiary qualifications | Taken by students on competion of the first year of a GCE A-level course (at around age 17), these three-unit qualifications cover half the content of a full (six-unit) GCE A-level. |
| General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) | A single-subject examination, normally taken at age 16, and intended to be the main method of assessment at this age. Students take a range of individual subjects (normally between five and eight). |
| General Certificate of Secondary Eduation in vocational/applied subjects | A single-subject examination, aimed at 14- to 16-year-olds (in key stage 4), which offers a general introduction to a broad sector of industry or business. |
| General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) short course/GCSE short courses | GCSE short courses are single-subject examinations which are designed to be studied in half the time of a GCSE. They are worth half a full GCSE. |
| General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) | GNVQs were broad vocational qualifications related to a particular industry or sector of the economy, which were aimed primarily at students aged 16+in full-time post-compulsory education, although some GNVQs were available for students in key stage 4 of compulsory education secondary education (14-to 16-years-olds). GCSEs in vocational/applied subjects and A-levels in applied subjects have largely replaced the GNVQ which will be withdrawn completely by 2007. |
| Grammar school(s) | Secondary schools which select their students by ability. |
| Grant-aided school(s) | Publicly funded schools in Northern Ireland. |
| Grant-maintained integrated school(s) | Provide education for Roman Catholic and Protestant children together and are owned by trustees or the school board of governors. They are fully funded for both revenue and capital expenditure by the Department of Education. The school board of governors employs the staff and decides on admissions |
| Independent school(s) | A private or independent school is a school at which full-time education is provided for five or more children of compulsory school age (whether or not such education is already provided for students over or under that age) at which parents pay fees. That is, independent schools are not publicly funded. |
| Integrated school(s) | Integrated schools aim to allow Protestant and Catholic children in Northern Ireland to be educated together, without either group becoming any less Protestant or any less Catholic. The curriculum is designed specifically to take account of the existence of two traditions. |
| Key stage(s) | The four phases of compulsory education are known as the four key stages. Key stages 1 and 2 cover primary education (key stage 1: 4- to 8-year-olds; key stage 2: 8- to 11-year-olds); key stages 3 and 4 compulsory secondary or post-primary education (ages 11-14 and 14-16 respectively). Some changes will be introduced from 2006/2007 when the foundation stage, covering Years 1 and 2 of primary school begins to be introduced. As a result, key stage 1 will then comprise Years 3 and 4 (6- to 8-year-olds) only. |
| Level description(s) | Level descriptions are the basis for judging children's levels of attainment at the end of key stages 1, 2 and 3, and indicate the type and range of performance which children working at a particular level should characteristically demonstrate. There are eight level descriptors in the scale, with children at the end of key stage 1 typically expected to reach level two, and those at the end of key stage 2, level four. By the end of key stage 3, students are expected to be performing within the range three-seven (typically at level five), with level eight being for very able students. |
| Local management of schools | The policy whereby responsibility for the financial and general management of schools, including many of the responsibilities relating to the recruitment, deployment and remuneration of teaching and non-teaching staff is delegated from the Education and Library Boards (ELBs) to school boards of governors. |
| Maintained school(s) | A legal category of grant-aided school. Most maintained schools in Northern Ireland are owned by trustees, usually representatives of the Roman Catholic churches, and are fully funded by the Education and Library Boards (ELBs) for revenue expenditure and mainly funded by the Department of Education (DE) for capital expenditure. No fees are payable. |
| Minimum content | The revised curriculum comprises areas of learning with statements of minimum content. These set out the skills, knowledge and understaning that students should develop. |
| National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) | Job-specific vocational qualifications aimed largely at people who have already left full-time education. |
| Nursery education | Pre-compulsory, pre-school education, provided in a variety of settings for children usually aged between 2 and 4 years. |
| Nursery school(s) | Provide pre-school education for children usually between the ages of 2 and 4 years. |
| Pastoral care | The guidance given to students by school staff relating to their academic, personal and social development, attendance and behaviour. |
| Post-primary | The term used in Northern Ireland to describe secondary schools and secondary level education. |
| Post-primary education | The term used in Northern Ireland to describe secondary level education. |
| Post-primary school(s) | The term used in Northern Ireland to describe secondary schools. |
| Pre-school settings | The collective term used to describe the range of public, private and voluntary provision of pre-primary education, for children aged two to four years. Pre-school settings include nursery schools, nursery units attached to primary schools, voluntary playgroups and private day nurseries. |
| Principal | headteacher |
| Programmes of study | The knowledge, skills and processes which must be taught to students in each subject area during each key stage, in order for them to meet the objectives set out in the attainment targets. Programmes of study are to be replaced by less prescriptive minimum content as a result of the curriculum review. |
| Reception classes | The first class in primary education. |
| Scheme(s) of work | These are non-statutory teaching plans, which are designed to relieve teachers of some of the pressures of planning. They are intended to help teachers to turn programmes of study into practical and manageable teaching programmes. |
| Secretary of State | A government Minister (appointed by the Prime Minister) who is responsible for a government department. The Secretary of State is a member of the Cabinet and is assisted by the Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is accountable to Parliament for giving direction to and controlling the public education system in England. In Northern Ireland, similar duties are carried out by the Northern Ireland Executive's Minister for Education and the Minister for Employment and Learning. |
| Sixth forms | Where students follow courses of post-compulsory upper secondary education in schools, the sixth form is the term used to describe this school phase. Students are usually in Years 13 and 14 of education and aged 16+ to 18 years. |
| Special educational needs (SEN) | Term used to describe the requirements of children with difficulties in one of the following areas: learning, behaviour or emotional, social or physical development, which either affect their educational progress or require provision other than that normally made |
| Special school(s) | Special schools provide education for children whose special educational needs cannot be met in an (ordinary) mainstream school. Special schools are generally much smaller than mainstream schools and have a lower student/teacher ratio. |
| Statement of special educational needs | A formal statement identifying the specific educational needs of a child with special educational needs. |
| Transfer tests | The tests (in English (Irish in Irish-medium schools), mathematics, and science and technology) which children currently take in the final year of primary education if they wish to be considered for entry to grammar school. The last transfer tests will be held in autumn 2008. Future transfer arrangements will be based on parental and student choice. |
| Vocational Certificates of Education (VCEs) | The previous name for A-levels in applied subjects. |
| Voluntary grammar schools | Are owned by trustees or the school’s founding body. The school board of governors is the employer and the admissions authority. Most voluntary grammar schools are fully funded for revenue and capital expenditure by the Department of Education, but some contribute towards capital costs. |