Below you will find some examples of words that are used in the school environment, both on this website, in the school and in other educational establishments with an explanation of what they mean.

• Academy - a state-funded school independent of local authority control. Academies are self-governing non-profit charitable trusts. 
• Achievement - Describes both attainment i.e. the level achieved and the progress you have made from a starting point.
• AfL - Assessment for Learning - AfL is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there
• ASD  - Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Attainment - The actual level attained and/or results.
• Blending - To draw individual sounds together to pronounce a word, e.g. f-l-a-p, blended together, reads flap
• CLA - Children Looked After
• CIN - Child In Need
• Core Subjects - English, maths and science: all pupils must study these subjects up to Key Stage 4
• CP - Child Protection Plan
• CPD - Continuing Professional Development
• CSPA - Children's Single Point of Access
• DBS - Disclosure & Barring Service - DBS refers to the new agency created out of a merger between the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), its full title is The Disclosure and Barring Service. The checks and information provided will remain the same but will be branded DBS Checks.
• DfE - Department for Education
• Differentiation - a wide variety of teaching techniques and lesson adaptations that teachers use to pupils of differing abilities in the same class.
• EAL - English as an additional language
• EHC Plan - Educational Health Care Plan - An education, health and care plan is a document that says what support a child or young person who has special educational needs should have.
• EYFS – Early Years Foundation Stage. A framework of care and Education for children from birth to five years of age. This stage typically means Nursery and Reception Classes.
• FoSS - Friends of Sythwood School- raises money for the school and charity.
• FSM - Free School Meals
• HLTA - Higher Level Teaching Assistant
• HMI - Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools
• Inclusion - Removing barriers in learning so all pupils can participate at their own level.
• INSET - In-Service Education and Training - Training for staff which takes place during the school year.
• ITT - Initial Teacher Training
• IWB - Interactive Whiteboard
• Key Stage one – age 5-7 (Years 1 and 2)
• Key Stage two – age 7-11(Years 3,4, 5 and 6);
• LA - Local Authority
• LADO - Local Authority Designated Officer
• LSA - Learning Support Assistant
• MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulties
• More able - Higher performing pupils than the majority of the class.
• NAHT -National Association of Head Teachers
• NASUWT National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers
• NC - National Curriculum
• NGA - National Governors’ Association
• NLE - National Leader of Education
• NOR - Number on Roll
• NPQH - National Professional Qualification for Headship
• NQT - Newly Qualified Teacher
• NUT - National Union of Teachers
• NVQ - National Vocational Qualifications
• Ofsted - Office for Standards in Education
• PE - Physical Education
• Performance Table - Published by the DfE to compare schools' results.
• Phonics - Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write their language. It involves connecting the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters.
• PPA - Planning, Preparation and Assessment time to which teachers are entitled. Progression - pupils develop academically and personally from year to year and from one key stage to the next in a way which builds on what has already been achieved."
• PRU - Pupil Referral Unit
• PSHE - Personal Social Health and Economic education
• QTS - Qualified Teacher Status
• RE - Religious Education
• SACREs - Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education
• SATs - Standard Attainment Tests/Tasks - National Curriculum Tests and Tasks which take place at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of Key Stage 2.
• SCITT School - Centred Initial Teacher Training
• SCR - Single Central Record - Schools must hold a single central record of all adults working with pupils. The records hold security and ID checks among other specific information.
• SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
• SENCO - Special Educational Needs Coordinator
• SLT - Senior Leadership Team
• SMSC - Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (development)
• TAF - Team Around the Family
• Transition - The movement of pupils from Key Stage to Key Stage or school to school and the procedures associated with it.