Glossary
UK education A–Z
The acronyms and terms that come up every day in alternative provision, tuition and small schools, explained in plain English for England and Wales.
A
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Academic year
The academic year is the school year used for teaching, year groups and official reporting. In England and Wales it runs from 1 September to 31 August, with pupils placed in year groups by their age on 31 August. Most schools teach across three terms: autumn, spring and summer.
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ALN Additional Learning Needs
ALN (additional learning needs) is the term used in Wales for a learning difficulty or disability that calls for additional learning provision. It replaced special educational needs (SEN) under the Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021, and the system covers children and young people from birth to 25.
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ALNCo Additional Learning Needs Coordinator
An ALNCo (additional learning needs coordinator) is the member of staff in a Welsh school, pupil referral unit or further education college who has strategic responsibility for learners with additional learning needs. The role was created under the ALN system in Wales and replaced the SENCo role there.
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Alternative provision
Alternative provision (AP) is education arranged for children who cannot attend a mainstream or special school, for example because of exclusion, illness, behaviour or anxiety. It can be a pupil referral unit, an AP academy, an independent provider, a tuition centre or another setting, and may be full-time or part-time.
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Attendance codes
Attendance codes are the standard letters and symbols schools use in the attendance register to record whether a pupil was present, attending an approved activity elsewhere, or absent, and why. In England they are set by regulations, and each code counts as present, authorised absence, unauthorised absence or not a possible session.
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Authorised absence
An authorised absence is a missed session that the school has approved or accepts as justified, such as illness, a medical appointment, religious observance or leave granted for exceptional circumstances. Authorised absence still counts towards a pupil's overall absence, including when working out persistent absence.
B
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Barred list
The barred lists are two lists kept by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): the children's barred list and the adults' barred list. People on a list are legally barred from regulated activity with that group. Employers check the lists through an enhanced DBS check with barred list information.
C
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Commissioned place
A commissioned place is a place at an alternative provision, tuition centre or independent school that a school, academy trust or local authority has arranged and usually pays for on behalf of a pupil. The commissioner agrees the hours, cost, expected outcomes and reporting with the provider, and stays involved throughout the placement.
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CTF Common Transfer File
A CTF (common transfer file) is a standard data file that schools use to send a pupil's key information to their new school when they move. It includes details such as name, date of birth, UPN, contacts, attendance, assessment and special educational needs, and is sent securely through the School to School (S2S) service.
D
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Data retention
Data retention is how long an organisation keeps personal information before securely deleting or archiving it. Under UK GDPR, personal data must not be kept for longer than necessary. Schools and education providers usually set out retention periods for pupil, attendance and staff records in a written retention schedule.
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DBS check Disclosure and Barring Service check
A DBS check is a criminal record check carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service for England and Wales. There are basic, standard and enhanced checks, and an enhanced check can include the barred lists. Most staff and regular volunteers working with children need an enhanced check, often with a children's barred list check.
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DBS Update Service
The DBS Update Service is an annual subscription that keeps a DBS certificate up to date, so it can be reused when changing roles. With the person's permission, an employer can do a free online status check to see whether any new information has been added since the certificate was issued.
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DPIA Data Protection Impact Assessment
A DPIA (data protection impact assessment) is a process for identifying and reducing the data protection risks of a project or system. Under UK GDPR, you must carry one out before any processing that is likely to result in a high risk to people's rights and freedoms, such as some new uses of children's data.
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DSL Designated Safeguarding Lead
A DSL (designated safeguarding lead) is the senior member of staff who takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection in a school or setting. In England the role is set out in Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). Staff report concerns to the DSL, who decides on next steps and makes referrals.
E
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EHCP Education, Health and Care Plan
An EHCP (education, health and care plan) is a legal document issued by a local authority in England for a child or young person aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs who needs more support than is normally available. It sets out their needs, the outcomes sought and the provision they must receive.
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Entitled hours
Entitled hours are the number of hours of education a pupil should receive each week from a provider, usually as agreed by the school or local authority that commissioned the place. Comparing the hours a pupil actually attends with their entitled hours shows how much of the agreed provision they received.
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EOTAS Education Other Than At School
EOTAS (education other than at school, sometimes written education otherwise than at school) is education arranged by a local authority for children who cannot attend a mainstream or special school. In Wales it is the umbrella term for provision such as pupil referral units, tuition and other commissioned settings.
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Estyn His Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. It inspects schools, pupil referral units, independent schools, further education, initial teacher education and other education and training providers in Wales. Since 2024 its school inspection reports focus on strengths and areas for improvement instead of summative grades.
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EWC Education Workforce Council
The EWC (Education Workforce Council) is the independent professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. Teachers, learning support workers and other practitioners in Wales must be registered with the EWC in the correct category before they start work, including many staff in independent schools.
F
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Fresh start
A fresh start gives a pupil who has struggled, often with behaviour or disengagement, the chance to begin again. It usually means a new school through a managed move or after a permanent exclusion, but can also describe a planned return after a suspension. It works best when schools, the local authority and the family plan it together.
I
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IDP Individual Development Plan
An IDP (individual development plan) is the statutory plan in Wales that describes a learner's additional learning needs and the additional learning provision they should receive. It replaced statements of SEN, individual education plans and learning and skills plans under the ALN Code for Wales 2021.
K
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KCSIE Keeping children safe in education
KCSIE (Keeping children safe in education) is the Department for Education's statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England. It sets out what staff, leaders and proprietors must and should do to protect children, including safer recruitment, the designated safeguarding lead and the single central record. It is usually updated each September.
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Key stage
A key stage is a stage of the national curriculum in England that groups school years together. Key stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2, key stage 2 Years 3 to 6, key stage 3 Years 7 to 9 and key stage 4 Years 10 and 11. The early years foundation stage comes before key stage 1.
L
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Local authority
A local authority is the local council responsible for public services in an area, including many education and children's services. For schools, it arranges education for children who cannot attend school, oversees SEN or ALN support, supports attendance, and acts as corporate parent for children in its care.
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Looked After Child
A looked after child is a child in the care of a local authority, either under a care order or because the authority has provided them with accommodation for more than 24 hours. Examples include children living in foster care or children's homes. Local authorities have a legal duty to promote their educational achievement.
M
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Managed move
A managed move is a planned, voluntary transfer of a pupil to another school, agreed by the parents, both schools and the admission authority of the new school. It is used to give a pupil a fresh start and to avoid a permanent exclusion. In England, the move is permanent and trial managed moves are not allowed.
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MIS Management Information System
An MIS (management information system) is the software a school or education setting uses to store and manage pupil and staff information, such as contact details, attendance registers, needs, timetables and reports. Large schools usually use a full MIS; smaller settings may use a simpler pupil database.
O
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Ofsted Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) is the independent body that inspects and regulates education and children's services in England. It inspects state schools, pupil referral units, many independent schools, colleges, early years settings and children's social care, and publishes reports for parents.
P
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Persistent absence
Persistent absence is when a pupil misses 10% or more of their possible school sessions, for any reason. In England this is defined in the Department for Education's attendance guidance and equals about one day or more every fortnight across a school year. Wales now uses the same 10% threshold in its statistics.
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Pupil referral unit
A pupil referral unit (PRU) is a type of school run by a local authority for children who cannot attend a mainstream or special school, for example because they have been permanently excluded, are unwell or are at risk of exclusion. PRUs exist in both England and Wales and are a form of alternative provision.
Q
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QTS Qualified Teacher Status
QTS (qualified teacher status) is the professional status needed to work as a qualified teacher in maintained schools in England and Wales. It is usually gained by completing initial teacher training. It is awarded by the Department for Education in England and by the Education Workforce Council in Wales.
S
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School census
The school census is a statutory data collection in which state-funded schools in England send pupil-level information to the Department for Education three times a year, in the autumn, spring and summer terms. It covers pupils' characteristics, attendance, special educational needs and more, and informs funding and national statistics.
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SEN Special Educational Needs
SEN (special educational needs) describes a child or young person in England who has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision. Most are supported through SEN support in their setting; those with more complex needs may have an education, health and care plan (EHCP).
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SENCo Special Educational Needs Coordinator
A SENCo (special educational needs coordinator) is the teacher in an English school who coordinates support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Mainstream schools must have one, and a SENCo in England must be a qualified teacher or the headteacher and complete the required SENCo qualification.
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SEND Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities. It is the umbrella term used in England for children and young people who need extra or different support with their learning because of a learning difficulty or disability. The system is set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice.
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Severe absence
Severe absence is when a pupil misses 50% or more of their possible school sessions, meaning they are absent more often than they are present. In England, the Department for Education's attendance guidance says severely absent pupils should be the top priority for joined-up support from schools, local authorities and other services.
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Single central record
The single central record (SCR) is a register of pre-appointment checks that schools and colleges in England must keep for their staff. It records whether identity, enhanced DBS, barred list, prohibition from teaching, qualification, overseas and right to work checks were done, and the date each was completed.
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Subject access request
A subject access request (SAR) is when a person asks an organisation for a copy of the personal information it holds about them, under the right of access in UK GDPR. Organisations must respond within one calendar month, which can be extended by up to two further months for complex or multiple requests.
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Suspension and permanent exclusion
A suspension is when a pupil is removed from school for a fixed period for disciplinary reasons. A permanent exclusion means the pupil is no longer allowed to attend that school. In England, only the headteacher can suspend or exclude, and suspensions cannot exceed 45 school days in a single academic year.
T
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TRN Teacher Reference Number
A TRN (teacher reference number) is a unique 7-digit number that identifies a teacher in the education sector in England. A teacher only ever has one TRN and keeps it throughout their career. Employers use it to check a teacher's record, including qualified teacher status and any prohibitions.
U
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UK GDPR UK General Data Protection Regulation
UK GDPR is the main data protection law in the UK. Together with the Data Protection Act 2018, it sets the rules for how organisations collect, use, store and share personal information, including pupil and staff records. It is regulated by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and applies across the whole UK.
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ULN Unique Learner Number
A ULN (unique learner number) is a 10-digit number that identifies a learner, usually from age 14, across education and training in England and Wales. It is issued through the Learning Records Service and links to the learner's personal learning record, which shows their qualifications and achievements throughout their life.
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Unauthorised absence
An unauthorised absence is a missed session that the school has not approved, such as a holiday taken without permission, arriving after the register has closed, or an absence with no satisfactory explanation. High levels of unauthorised absence can lead to local authority action, including penalty notices in England.
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UPN Unique Pupil Number
A UPN (unique pupil number) is a 13-character code that identifies a pupil in the state-funded school system. It is allocated when a child first enters a state school, usually at nursery or primary, and stays with them throughout their school career, even if they move school or local authority.
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