Jargon Buster

A state funded school which is directly funded by the Department for Education and independent of Local Authority control. 

A school that has chosen through Governing Body Resolution and application to the Secretary of State to become an Academy under the Academies Act 2010. They can be a ‘stand alone’ Academy or choose to join a sponsor. 

A school that was directed by the Secretary of State to become an Academy under the Academies Act 2010. They can be a ‘stand alone’ Academy or choose to join a sponsor. 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 
A condition whereby a child has difficulty in maintaining concentration and is unable to stay on task due to hyperactivity. 

Assessment for Learning 
Using evidence from assessment to check student progress and inform teachers’ planning. 

Assessing Pupil Progress 
A system for using assessment criteria to assess progress and inform planning. 

Ways of judging how well students are progressing. 

What students accomplish. 

Attitude to Learning 
Every student is graded on this in every subject each term. 

The Exam Boards who award examination results. 

Behaviour for Learning 
A code that sets out the behaviour expected of students. 

A  Government initiative to promote tolerance and equality. The British Values are: 

Barrier to Learning 
Some students perform less well than we would like because of specific barriers. The BTL is an optional column when ATL data is reported which is designed to flag up students where organisation, literacy or numeracy or combinations of them are preventing the student from progressing as well as we would like. 

Centre Assessed Grades 
In 2020, CAGs were used to replace exams. They were estimated by teachers based on what the students would most likely have achieved if there had been exams. 

A defined geographical area from which a school takes its students. 

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy 

Exam boards and the JCQ refer to schools as ‘centres’ the places where exams take place. 

Current Grade 

The subject which covers three inter-related areas: social and moral responsibility, community involvement and political literacy. 

A guide to schools and Local Authorities (LAs) about the help they can give to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). 

Schools wholly funded by the Local Authority (LA). 

English, Mathematics and a Science; those subjects which must be studied by all students. 

All the courses and learning opportunities a school offers or a course of study being followed by a child. What is taught, when it is taught and how it is taught. 

The Department for Education 

The way in which the school’s curriculum and teaching methods are adapted to meet the needs of children of differing abilities. 

For statistical purposes, the DfE defines 'Disadvantaged' students as children who have qualified for Free School Meals (FSM) in the past six years, children with a parent in the armed services, looked after children (in the care system) and children who have previously been looked after. National trends are that these students tend to perform less well than their non-disadvantaged ('other') peers. Raising the attainment of disadvantaged students is a priority of the DfE. Disadvantaged students attract extra funding through the Pupil Premium process and the Academy is measure on their success. 

Depth of Learning Grid 
A collection of Depth of Learning Indicators (DLIs) for a particular subject. 

Depth of Learning Indicator 
Used for Key Stage 3 assessment. 

Designated Safeguarding Lead and 
Alternate Designated Safeguarding Leads 

The members of staff responsible for Child Protection.  At Fakenham Academy, the DSL is Romala Gill and the Alternate DSLs are Gavin Green, Joy Holland, Deborah Cubbin, Mellissa Heeley and Sarah Marshall. 

Dyscalculia affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Sufferers may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts and often have problems learning number facts and procedures. 

A learning difficulty of which the chief manifestation is a particular difficulty with reading and spelling. For more information go to the British Dyslexia Association. 

Dyspraxia is generally recognised as an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought. 

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance measure linked to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). It is not a qualification. It measures the percentage of students in a school who achieve 5+ A*- C grades in traditionally academic GCSE subjects (English, Mathematics, Science. History or Geography and a Language). 

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 

Education, Health and Care Plan 
An EHCP is a legal document which sets out a description of your child’s needs (what he or she can and cannot do) and what needs to be done to meet those needs by education, health and social care. Generally, only a very small number of children with especially complex and severe needs which require very high levels of support are issued with an EHCP. They are a more comprehensive replacement for ‘statements’. 

Education Funding Agency 
The EFA administers education revenue and capital funding for learners between the ages of 3 and 19, or up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. 

It also supports building and maintenance programmes for schools, academies, free schools and Sixth Form colleges. 

EFA is an executive agency of the Department for Education. 

The principle of non-discrimination which emphasizes that opportunities in school should be freely available to everyone irrespective of their age, race, sex, religion, political association, ethnic origin, or any other individual or group characteristic unrelated to ability, performance, and qualification. The chance for everyone, no matter what their ability background to participate in school life/curriculum. 

The making of a judgement about the success of something e.g. how well did it work? 

The organisation who decide on the content for exam courses and set and mark the exam questions. 

Further Education 
The FE sector in England includes further education colleges, Sixth Form colleges, specialist colleges and adult education institutes. It does not include universities. 

Free School Meals 

Any student who has been registered for Free School Meals in the last six years. 

Fixed Term Exclusion 

Functional Skills are practical skills in English, Maths and ICT that help learners gain the most out of work, education and everyday life. 

Gifted and Talented 
The gifted are those with high ability in one or more academic subject and the talented are those with a high ability in sport, music, visual arts and/or performing arts. 

General Certificate of Secondary Education 

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great achievement. 

Higher Level Teaching Assistant 

Head of Department

Head of House 

Head of Year 

Information Advice and Guidance 
To inform students about their options for further education and training. 

Information and Communication Technology 

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. 

The process by which schools, Local Education Authorities and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include and provide for ALL students’ needs no matter what their background or ability is. 

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

Joint Council for Qualifications 
The National organisation that oversees examination administration. 

Keeping Children Safe in Education 
The statutory guidance from the Department of Education that sets out the legal duties that govern all schools and colleges in England when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under the age of 18. 

Your child’s progress through school is measured in Key Stages. Key Stage 1 covers students aged from 5-7, Key Stage 2 from 7-11, Key Stage 3 from 11–14, Key Stage 4 from 14–16 and Key Stage 5 from 16-18. 

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. 

Looked after Children 
The term ‘looked after children’ is defined in law under the Children Act 1989. A child is looked after by a Local Authority if he or she is in their care or is provided with accommodation for more than 24 hours by the authority. 

Local Education Authority 
This was the part of the Local Council that was responsible for education. The phrase is now obsolete in official use and has been replaced by the Children Services Authority or commonly known as Local Authority. 

If a child has a learning difficulty, he or she may find it harder to learn, understand and communicate than it is for other children. 

Learning Support Assistant 
A non-teaching member of staff who helps to meet the educational needs of children. LSAs support teachers in classes and work with small groups or individual students in extraction. 

Leadership Team 
The Leadership Team is made up of the Executive Principal, Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal, Associate Assistant Principals, Director of Administration and Director of Student Support. 

The Minimum Expected Grade a Key Stage 4 student should be aiming for. 

The Minimum Expected Level a Key Stage 3 student should be aiming for. 

Moderate Learning Difficulties 

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

The Office of Qualifications and Examination Regulations 
The Government body that oversees exams/qualifications. 

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

One Page Profile 
Drawn up by the Student Support Team, it sets targets for a child to achieve and a date for a review of progress. 

Do all students join in? Can they? 

Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare 

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan 

Permanent Exclusion 

Parent Focus Group 
Representative of the Academy's parental body, the PFG serves as a consultative and advisory group (but without delegated monitoring and reporting responsibility) and meets with the LT on a termly basis. 

Prepared for Learning 
This is our protocol to ensure students are ready for lessons (i.e. have the correct stationary equipment etc). 

Pupil Premium 
The Pupil Premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. 

Progress 8 is a measure of the progress children make between the end of primary school and the end of secondary school. It considers English, Maths and six other subjects. 

Public Sector Equality Duty 
The PSED is a duty on public authorities to consider or think about how their policies or decisions affect people who are protected under the Equality Act. The Academy's PSED objectives are published on the website. 

To promote the safety and wellbeing of all students and staff at  Fakenham Academy. This includes Child Protection. 

Social, Emotional Mental Health Difficulties 

Special Educational Needs 
Learning difficulties, talents or other needs, for which a child requires extra help. 

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities 
A child or young person has special educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need special health and education support. 

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator 
The teacher in a school who is responsible for arranging the extra help for children with Special Educational Needs. 

Sapientia Education Trust 
The family of schools that Fakenham Academy belongs to. 

Senior Leadership Team 
The Academy’s Senior Leadership Team includes the Headteacher, Deputy Headteachers, Assistant Headteachers and Extended Leaders. 

Middle Leaders - Heads of Departments 

Specific Learning Difficulty 
A child has a Specific Learning Difficulty if they have an identified problem with one or more areas of the curriculum, usually reading, writing, spelling and/or number work. 

Specialist Resource Base 
The SRB extracts some students from lessons to give them support as individuals or in small groups. 

Student Support Mentor 
Student Support Mentors form the Student Support Team. 

Senior Student Support Mentor 
A senior member of the Student Support Team who hold additional responsibilities such as being an Alternate Designated Safeguarding Leads and line managing other members of the team. 

Members of staff employed by the Academy to provide all support other than teaching. 

Teacher Assessed Grades 
In 2021, TAGs were used to replace exams. They required teachers to gather, mark and moderate evidence to show what grades students were working at. 

The grades given have to be based on evidence only. 

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

Virtual Staff Room 
Our Intranet where staff can access the most important documents in a SharePoint Library, known as the ‘VSR’ (Virtual Staff Room). 

Wider Leadership Team 
The Wider Leadership Team is made up of members from the Senior Leadership Team, the Extended Leaders and the Heads of Departments.