Abbreviations and acronyms
Glossary
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AVCE |
Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education |
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Becta |
British Educational Communications Technology Agency |
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BTEC |
Business and Technology Education Council |
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CCEA |
Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment |
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DE |
Department of Education |
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DEL |
Department for Employment and Learning |
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DENI |
Department of Education Northern Ireland (predecessor to the DE) |
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EBD |
Emotional and behavioural difficulties |
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ECNI |
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland |
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ELB, ELBs |
Education and Library Board(s) |
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GCSE, GCSEs |
General Certificate(s) of Secondary Education |
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GNVQ, GNVQs |
General National Vocational Qualification(s) |
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HEI, HEIs |
Higher education institution(s) |
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HNC |
Higher National Certificate |
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HND |
Higher National Diploma |
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ICT |
Information and communications technology |
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ITE |
Initial teacher education |
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JCQ |
Joint Council for Qualifications |
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NI |
Northern Ireland |
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NITEC |
Northern Ireland Teacher Education Committee |
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RSCN |
Registered Sick Children’s Nurse |
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SEN |
Special educational needs |
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SEN |
State Enrolled Nurse |
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SENCO, SENCOs |
Special Educational Needs Coordinator(s) |
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SENDO |
Special Educational Needs and Disability Order |
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SRN |
State Registered Nurse |
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UK |
United Kingdom |
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Applied GCSE(s) |
See GCSEs in vocational subjects. |
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Board(s) of governors |
The legally required governing body of grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland, that is, those which receive financial support from the Department of Education (DE). 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. |
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Controlled school(s) |
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 school(s) | 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. |
| Education and Library Board(s) | The regional bodies in Northern Ireland which are responsible for the local administration of primary and secondary education. |
| Entry level qualification | Qualifications which have been approved for those 16-year-old students who, on reaching compulsory school-leaving age, are judged not to be ready for GCSEs or similar qualifications. |
| Foundation stage | A new phase of education, which took effect from August 2006, and comprises the first two years of primary education (children aged four to six years). |
| Further education | Full- and part-time education, outside the higher education sector, for persons over compulsory school age (16 years) including vocational, academic, social, physical and recreational courses. The education of young people over compulsory school age is not considered to be further education when it is provided in schools. |
| Further education college(s) | Establishment 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, e.g. colleges of agriculture and horticulture, technical colleges, colleges of art and of commerce. |
| Further education institution(s) | Institution which provides full- and part-time education, institution(s) outside the higher education sector, largely for persons over compulsory school age (16 years), including vocational, academic, social, physical and recreational courses. Includes further education colleges. Further education institutions are publicly funded autonomous bodies. Fees are not payable for full-time participants under age 19 and for other participants in receipt of certain state benefits. |
| GCE ‘A’ Level(s) | A single subject examination normally taken at age 18, usually following two years of post-compulsory upper secondary study. |
| GCE ‘AS’ Level(s) | Single subject examinations, introduced in 1989, to broaden the curriculum of those studying for GCE 'A' Levels. They were designed to be of the same standard as GCE 'A' Levels, but included only half the content. There were no formal requirements regarding the number to be taken, but students were likely to take two GCE 'AS' examinations in place of one of three GCE 'A' Level subjects. Since August 2000, however, all GCE 'A' Levels have been divided into six modules, three of which are usually studied in year one of the course and the final three in the second year. Successful completion of the first three modules entitles the student to the new GCE Advanced Subsidiary qualification (which began to replace the GCE 'AS' Level examination in August 2000) after the first year. |
| GCSEs in vocational subjects | Asingle-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. GCSEs in vocational subjects may also be offered in post-16 education. GCSEs in vocational subjects are now increasingly known as Applied GCSEs. |
| General Certificate(s) of Secondary Education | Replaced both the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Certificate (GCE 'O' Level) and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) in 1988. It is a single subject examination normally taken in a range of subjects (eight to nine is the average number) at age 16, which is intended to be the main method of assessment at this age. An increasing range of GCSEs in vocational subjects is becoming available. |
| General National Vocational Qualification(s) | Broad vocational qualifications related to a particular industry or sector of the economy and designed to offer a comprehensive preparation for employment as well as a route to higher level qualifications. GNVQs are gradually being phased out and replaced by Vocational Certificates of Education (VCEs) and GCSEs in vocational subjects. |
| Grant-aided school(s) | Publicly funded primary or secondary schools which include controlled schools, controlled integrated schools, grant-maintained integrated schools, and voluntary grammar schools. |
| Grant-maintained integrated school(s) | These 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 any 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). The term does not include a school maintained by an Education and Library Board (Board). |
| Individual education plan | An individual education plan includes information about short-term targets and teaching strategies for children with special educational needs. |
| Key stage(s) | The periods in each child’s education to which the elements of the Northern Ireland Curriculum apply. There are four key stages, normally related to the age of the majority of the children in a teaching group. In Northern Ireland they are: the beginning of compulsory education, age 4, to 8, 8-11, 11-14 and 14 to the end of compulsory education at 16. |
| Post-primary | The collective term used in Northern Ireland to describe secondary schools and secondary level education. |
| Principal | Headteacher |
| Responsible body (Responsible bodies) |
A responsible body with regard to the assessment of a child’s special educational needs is: |
| Sixth form(s) | 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 | The 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 provided. |
| Special school(s) | Provides 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 which an Education and Library Board issues to identify the specific educational needs of a child. The document also lists the special educational provision required and various other proposals to meet these needs. |
| Transition plan | A plan drawn up at the first annual review of a statement after a child’s fourteenth birthday. It sets out the steps needed for him or her to move from school to adult life. |
| Voluntary grammar school(s) | These 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. |