What is this page for?
Schools sometimes use words, abbreviations and phrases that may not be familiar to parents and carers. This page explains some of the terms you may hear at Barnes Primary School so that school information is easier to understand.
What do common school terms mean?
| Assembly. | Assembly is a time when pupils come together to listen, reflect and learn about important themes such as values, behaviour, faith, community and current issues. At Barnes Primary School, this may include stories, discussion, reflection and prayer. |
| Conferencing. | Conferencing is a one to one discussion between a teacher and a pupil about their learning, progress and next steps. These meetings take place each term. |
| School journey. | A school journey is an extended educational visit which includes an overnight stay. Barnes Primary School offers a one week school journey for Year 6 pupils. |
| Theme week. | A theme week is a special week in which pupils focus on a particular area of learning through a range of activities. Barnes Primary School uses theme weeks to support a broad and engaging curriculum. |
| Unit of learning. | A unit of learning is a sequence of lessons focused on one topic or area of learning. |
What do the different stages of primary school mean?
EYFS. EYFS stands for Early Years Foundation Stage. This includes Nursery and Reception.
KS1. KS1 stands for Key Stage 1. This includes Year 1 and Year 2.
KS2. KS2 stands for Key Stage 2. This includes Year 3 to Year 6.
What do assessment terms mean?
Teacher assessment. Teacher assessment is the professional judgement teachers make about a child’s learning, based on classwork, discussion, day to day learning and any tests completed.
Developing. Developing means that a pupil is working below the expected standard for their age, but is continuing to make progress.
Emerging. Emerging means that a pupil is currently working well below the expected standard for their age. Secure. Secure means that a pupil is working at the expected standard for their age.
Mastery. Mastery means that a pupil has a very strong understanding of what has been taught and is able to apply this knowledge confidently.
SATs. SATs are national assessments completed by pupils in Year 6. The current Barnes page also refers to Year 2 SATs, but national arrangements have changed over time, so it is helpful to keep this wording general unless you want to specify the current year group arrangements elsewhere on the site.
Year on year tests. These are annual tests used in school alongside teacher assessment to help staff understand pupils’ progress and attainment.
What do curriculum terms mean?
Learning themes. At Barnes Primary School, some subjects are brought together into themed units of learning. The current page explains that this includes art, design and technology, geography and history, to help create a richer curriculum experience.
Enrichment. Enrichment refers to additional opportunities that deepen learning and provide extra challenge.
Additional classes. Additional classes are extra sessions provided to support pupils who need help to make faster progress.
MFL. MFL stands for Modern Foreign Languages, such as French.
P.E. P.E. stands for Physical Education.
R.E. stands for Religious Education.
What do SEND and support terms mean?
SEN or SEND. SEN means Special Educational Needs. SEND means Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. These terms are used when a child needs additional support to access learning successfully.
SEN Support. SEN Support is the current term used when a school provides additional help for a pupil with special educational needs. Older terms such as School Action and School Action Plus have been replaced by SEN Support.
EHCP. EHCP stands for Education, Health and Care Plan. This is a legal document for children and young people who need more support than is normally available through SEN Support. It sets out the child’s needs and the support that must be provided. The national system moved from statements of SEN to EHC plans.
SENDCo. SENDCo stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator. This is the member of staff who coordinates support for pupils with SEND.
TA stands for Teaching Assistant. Teaching assistants support learning in the classroom.
LSA. LSA stands for Learning Support Assistant. Learning support assistants work closely with pupils who need additional help.
HLTA. HLTA stands for Higher Level Teaching Assistant. This is a teaching assistant who has completed further training and can take on additional responsibilities.
Looked after child. A looked after child is a child who is in the care of the local authority.
What do safeguarding and wellbeing terms mean?
DSL. DSL stands for Designated Safeguarding Lead. This is the senior member of staff who leads safeguarding and child protection in school. This is the term used in current statutory safeguarding guidance.
Wellbeing mentor. A wellbeing mentor supports pupils with emotional or social needs that may affect their wellbeing or learning.
What do some other common abbreviations mean?
DfE. DfE stands for the Department for Education, the government department responsible for education.
EAL. EAL stands for English as an Additional Language. This refers to pupils who speak another language as well as, or instead of, English at home.
GDPR. GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulation. This is the legal framework that governs how personal information is collected, stored and used.
SEF. SEF stands for Self Evaluation Form. This is a school document used to review strengths, priorities and areas for improvement.
Is there anything else I should know?
Some education terms change over time. If you are ever unsure about a word or abbreviation used by the school, please ask. We want all communication with parents and carers to be clear and accessible. This rewritten page is based on the current Barnes glossary and current national terminology for safeguarding and SEND.
