Free tool for governors, clerks and school leaders
Governance glossary.
The words governors meet in board meetings, from quorum and pupil premium to CPD and age-related expectations, each explained in plain English with a link to the guidance it comes from. Search for a term, or browse from A to Z.
199 terms, A to Z.
A plain-English guide to the words, with a link to the guidance each comes from where there is one. It does not replace the guidance or professional advice.
A
- Academy
A state school funded directly by the Department for Education and run by an academy trust, independent of the local authority. Its governance is set by the trust’s articles of association and funding agreement.
- Accessibility plan
A plan, usually for three years, of how the school will make the curriculum, its buildings and its information more accessible to disabled pupils.
- Action log
The list of what the board agreed to do, who will do it and by when, carried from meeting to meeting until each action is done.
- Adaptive teaching
Teaching that responds to what pupils know and need, such as by changing explanations or giving extra support, while keeping high expectations for all.
- Age-related expectations (ARE)
What pupils are expected to know and do by the end of their year group, based on the national curriculum. Schools often report the share of pupils working at, below or above them.
- Agenda
The list of business for a meeting. The clerk sends the agenda and papers at least seven clear days before a full board meeting, unless the chair agrees a shorter notice for an urgent matter.
- Alternative provision (AP)
Education away from a pupil’s school, arranged by the school or local authority, such as for a pupil who has been excluded or cannot attend for health reasons.
- Annual cycle of business
The board’s plan of what it covers at each meeting through the year, so duties such as the budget, policies and pay decisions are dealt with at the right time.
- Any other business (AOB)
Items raised at the end of a meeting that were not on the agenda. Boards usually take only urgent or minor matters here; anything needing a decision should go on the agenda with papers.
- Apologies and consent to absence
A governor who cannot attend sends apologies, and the board decides whether to consent to their absence. A governor of a maintained school who misses meetings for six months without the board’s consent stops being a governor.
- Appraisal
The yearly review of a teacher’s or other staff member’s work, with objectives for the year ahead. It can inform pay decisions under the school’s pay policy.
- Areas of learning
The seven areas of the early years foundation stage: three prime areas (communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development) and four specific areas (literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design).
- Associate member
Someone the board appoints to sit on one or more of its committees for their skills. Associate members are not governors: they can attend full board meetings, but cannot vote there.
- Attainment
What pupils know and can do at a point in time, such as their results at the end of key stage 2.
B
- Balances
Money the school has not spent by the end of the financial year, carried into the next. The board should know why balances are held and what they are for; a school that spends more than it has is in deficit.
- Book look
Looking at a sample of pupils’ books or work to see what they have been taught and how well they are learning it. Also called a work scrutiny or work sample.
- Budget plan
The school’s plan for its income and spending. The board approves the first formal budget plan of each financial year, and checks spending against it through the year.
C
- Capability procedure
The formal process a school follows when a member of staff is not meeting the standards expected, after support has not worked.
- Casting vote
When a vote is tied, the chair of the meeting has a second, deciding vote. Most decisions are reached by agreement without a vote.
- Chair
The governor the board elects to lead it. The chair makes sure meetings run well and the board does its work, and is the headteacher’s main link with the board. The chair cannot be a member of staff at the school.
- Chair’s action
A decision the chair, or the vice-chair if the chair is away, takes alone because waiting for a meeting would seriously harm the school, a pupil, a parent or a member of staff. It is reported to the next board meeting.
- Charging and remissions policy
The school’s policy on what it may and may not charge parents for, such as trips and music lessons, and when it will not charge. Education in school hours is free.
- Child in need (CiN)
A child the local authority assesses as needing its services to reach or keep a reasonable standard of health or development, or who is disabled.
- Child protection plan (CP plan)
A plan made by the local authority and other agencies when a child is judged to be at risk of significant harm, setting out how they will be kept safe.
- Child protection policy
The school’s policy on how it keeps pupils safe and what staff do if they are worried about a child. The board makes sure it is in place, reviewed each year and published.
- Child-on-child abuse
Abuse by one child of another, such as bullying, physical abuse or sexual harassment. Schools must have clear procedures to prevent it and respond to it.
- Children missing education (CME)
Children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll and not receiving a suitable education elsewhere. Schools tell the local authority when a pupil leaves without a known destination.
- Clerk to the governing board (Clerk)
The person the board appoints to give it advice on governance, the law and procedure, and to run its administration: agendas, papers, minutes and records of membership. In a maintained school the clerk cannot be a governor or the headteacher.
- Co-opted governor
A governor the board appoints itself because they have the skills it needs. Staff can be co-opted, but staff on the board (including the headteacher) cannot be more than a third of its members.
- Code of conduct
A document the board agrees that sets out how governors are expected to behave: their role, confidentiality, attendance and how they work with staff and with each other.
- Cohort
A group of pupils, usually a year group. In a small school one pupil can be a large share of a cohort, so results can change a lot from year to year.
- Collective worship
A daily act of worship maintained schools must provide, often in assembly. In schools without a religious character it is mainly broadly Christian. Parents may withdraw their child.
- Committee
A smaller group of governors (and sometimes associate members) the board sets up to do some of its work, such as finance, pay or pupil discipline. The board decides what each committee may decide on its behalf.
- Community school
A maintained school where the local authority employs the staff, owns the land and buildings, and is the admissions authority.
- Complaints procedure
The process the board must have, and publish, for dealing with complaints about the school. A panel of governors usually hears complaints at the final stage.
- Confidential items
Business the board agrees to keep confidential, such as matters about a named pupil or member of staff. They are minuted separately and left out of the minutes anyone can see.
- Consistent financial reporting (CFR)
The standard way maintained schools record their income and spending, so their finances can be compared with other schools’.
- Continuing professional development (CPD)
The training and learning staff do throughout their careers, from courses to coaching and working with colleagues. Good CPD is sustained, focused on pupils’ outcomes and part of a planned programme.
- Curriculum
Everything the school plans for pupils to learn, in what order, and why. It includes the national curriculum and the school’s own choices, such as trips, clubs and its local area.
D
- Data drop
A point in the year, often each term, when teachers record their assessments so leaders can see how pupils are doing and report to the board.
- Data protection officer (DPO)
The person the school must appoint to advise on and monitor how it looks after personal data, as a public authority under data protection law.
- DBS check for governors (DBS)
Every governor of a maintained school needs an enhanced criminal record certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service. The school records the check on its single central record.
- Declaration of interests
At the start of a meeting, governors say if they have an interest in anything on the agenda. A governor with a conflict leaves the meeting for that item and does not vote.
- Dedicated schools grant (DSG)
The government grant to each local authority that pays for schools, high needs and early years. The authority passes most of it to its maintained schools through its local funding formula.
- Deep dive
Looking closely at one subject across the school: talking to its leader, teachers and pupils, visiting lessons and looking at work, to see how well the curriculum is planned and taught.
- Deficit
When a school has spent more than its income and balances. A maintained school in deficit usually agrees a plan with the local authority to recover it.
- Designated safeguarding lead (DSL)
The member of the senior leadership team who leads safeguarding and child protection in the school. The board makes sure one is appointed and has time, training and support for the role.
- Designated teacher
The teacher the board appoints to promote the education of looked-after and previously looked-after children at the school.
- Directed time
The hours a teacher can be directed to work by the headteacher: up to 1,265 hours a year over 195 days for a full-time teacher.
- Disadvantage gap
The difference in results between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils, in the school or nationally. Boards look at it when they review the pupil premium strategy.
- Disadvantaged pupils
Pupils the school gets pupil premium for: those eligible for free school meals in the last six years, and children who are or were looked after.
E
- Early career framework (ECF)
What early career teachers are entitled to learn about and be supported in during their first two years. It is now part of the initial teacher training and early career framework.
- Early career teacher (ECT)
A teacher in their first two years after qualifying. They have a reduced timetable, a mentor and an induction tutor, and complete a two-year induction, which they must pass to go on teaching in a maintained school.
- Early help
Support for a child and family as soon as a problem emerges, before it gets worse, often coordinated by the school with other services.
- Early learning goals (ELG)
The 17 goals in the early years foundation stage that teachers assess each child against at the end of Reception, in the EYFS profile.
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS)
The stage of education from birth to the end of Reception, with its own framework for learning, development and care.
- Early years pupil premium (EYPP)
Extra funding for children in funded early education whose families get certain benefits, or who are or were looked after, to improve their early learning.
- Education, health and care plan (EHC plan)
A legal document from the local authority that sets out a child’s special educational needs and the support they must get, for children who need more than SEN support.
- Elective home education (EHE)
When parents choose to educate their child at home instead of at school. The school removes the pupil from its roll and tells the local authority.
- English as an additional language (EAL)
Pupils whose first language is not English. It describes their language background, not how well they speak English.
- Enrichment
Activities beyond lessons that broaden pupils’ experiences, such as clubs, trips, visitors, music and sport.
- Equality objectives
Under the public sector equality duty, a maintained school publishes information each year showing how it meets the duty, and at least one equality objective at least every four years.
- Evaluation areas
The areas Ofsted grades on a school’s report card: inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; attendance and behaviour; personal development and wellbeing; early years, where the school has it; and leadership and governance. Safeguarding is met or not met.
- Ever 6
Pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. The school gets pupil premium for them.
- Expected standard (EXS)
The level the national curriculum expects pupils to reach by the end of a key stage. In the key stage 2 tests it means a scaled score of 100 or more.
F
- Federation
Two or more maintained schools that share one governing board. Each school keeps its own budget and identity.
- Filtering and monitoring
The systems that block harmful content on the school’s devices and networks, and that let staff see and act on what pupils try to reach. The board makes sure they meet the Department for Education’s standards and are reviewed each year.
- Financial benchmarking and insights tool
A Department for Education tool that compares a school’s spending with similar schools, to help the board ask questions about value for money.
- Financial year
A maintained school’s financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March, which is different from the school year (1 September to 31 August).
- Formative and summative assessment
Formative assessment is the checking teachers do during lessons to see what pupils understand and adapt their teaching. Summative assessment measures what pupils have learned at the end of a unit, term or year.
- Foundation governor
A governor appointed by a school’s foundation, such as a diocese, in a foundation or voluntary school. Foundation governors help keep the school’s character, including any religious character, and make sure it follows its trust deed.
- Foundation school
A maintained school where the governing board employs the staff and is the admissions authority. The land and buildings are owned by the board or a charitable foundation.
- Four broad areas of need
The SEND code of practice groups special educational needs into communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health; and sensory and/or physical needs.
- Free school meals (FSM)
Meals for pupils whose families get certain benefits and apply. A pupil eligible for free school meals in the last six years brings the school pupil premium.
- Fundamental British values
Democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Schools promote them as part of pupils’ SMSC development.
G
- Get Information about Schools (GIAS)
The Department for Education’s register of schools. The board must keep the details of its governors up to date there.
- Good level of development (GLD)
A child has a good level of development at the end of Reception if they reach the expected level in the early learning goals in the prime areas and in literacy and mathematics.
- Governing board
The group responsible for a maintained school’s strategic leadership. It sets the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction, holds the headteacher to account for pupils’ education and the management of staff, and oversees the school’s finances so its money is well spent. Governors decide things together, as a board.
- Governor
A member of the governing board. Governors are volunteers and act together: one governor has no power to act alone unless the board has given them that power, or in the few cases the regulations allow.
- Governor visit
A planned visit by a governor to see the school’s work in practice, linked to the board’s priorities. Governors share what they saw and learned with the board; a visit is not an inspection of staff.
- Greater depth (GDS)
Working at greater depth within the expected standard: in key stage 2 writing, a teacher assessment for pupils whose work goes beyond the expected standard. Reading and maths use a high scaled score instead.
H
- Headteacher appraisal
The yearly review of the headteacher’s performance and setting of objectives. In a maintained school the board appoints an external adviser to support the governors who carry it out.
- Headteacher on the board
The headteacher is a member of the governing board because of their post, unless they choose to resign that place.
- Headteacher’s report
The report the headteacher gives the board before its meetings on how the school is doing against its priorities. Good reports help governors ask focused questions.
- Headteachers’ standards
The Department for Education’s description of what good headship looks like. Boards can use it when they recruit a headteacher and set their objectives.
- High needs funding
Money the local authority holds to support pupils with complex SEND and those in alternative provision, including the extra help set out in education, health and care plans.
- Higher level teaching assistant (HLTA)
An experienced teaching assistant who can teach whole classes under a teacher’s direction, for example to cover a teacher’s planning time.
- Holding to account
How the board makes sure leaders do what they planned and that it is working. It means asking questions, seeking evidence and following up, while supporting leaders to improve.
I
- In-service training day (INSET)
A day when the school is closed to pupils so staff can train together. Schools have five each year.
- Induction
The welcome and training a new governor gets so they understand the school, the board’s role and how it works. It usually includes key documents, a meeting with the chair and the headteacher, a visit and training.
- Inspection data summary report (IDSR)
Ofsted’s summary of a school’s published data, which inspectors use to prepare for an inspection. Schools can see their own, and many boards look at it each year.
- Instrument of government
The document that sets out a maintained school’s name, category and how its governing board is made up: how many governors of each kind it has, and how long they serve.
- Intervention
Extra, focused teaching for a pupil or small group to help them catch up or keep up, often for a set number of weeks, with checks on whether it worked.
K
- Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE)
The Department for Education’s statutory guidance on safeguarding for schools. Part 2 sets out what governing boards must do.
- Key performance indicator (KPI)
A measure the board and leaders agree to watch to see whether a priority is working, such as attendance or the share of pupils reading at the expected standard.
L
- Learning walk
Short visits to several classrooms, often with a focus such as reading or behaviour, to get a picture of teaching and learning across the school. Governors sometimes join one with a leader.
- Link governor
A governor who takes a closer interest in one area, such as SEND, safeguarding or a subject, so the board understands it better. They learn about the area and report back to the board; they do not check or manage the staff who lead it.
- Local authority designated officer (LADO)
The person in the local authority who manages allegations that an adult who works with children may have harmed a child, or may pose a risk.
- Local authority governor (LA governor)
A governor nominated by the local authority and appointed by the board. A maintained school’s board has one. The board appoints them if they meet the criteria it has set.
- Local governing body (LGB)
In a multi-academy trust, a committee of the trust board for one or more of its academies, sometimes called a local committee. Its powers are whatever the trust’s scheme of delegation gives it.
- Looked-after child (LAC)
A child in the care of the local authority. Also called a child looked after (CLA). The school’s designated teacher and the local authority’s virtual school head support their education.
M
- Maintained school
A state school funded through, and overseen by, the local authority. Community, foundation, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools are all maintained schools.
- Matters arising
The part of a meeting where the board checks the actions agreed last time have been done, before approving the minutes.
- Middle leader
A member of staff who leads a subject, phase or area, such as a subject lead or the leader of key stage 2, below the senior leadership team.
- Minutes
The written record of a meeting: who attended, what was discussed and what was decided. The board approves them at its next meeting and the chair signs them. The school must make them available to anyone who asks, apart from confidential items.
- Moderation
Checking that teachers’ assessments are accurate and consistent, by comparing work across classes or schools, or through checks by the local authority.
- Monitoring
Checking regularly whether the school’s plans are being carried out and making a difference. The board does this through reports, data, visits and conversations with leaders.
- Multi-academy trust (MAT)
An academy trust that runs more than one academy. The trust board is responsible for all of them, and may give local committees some roles in each school.
- Multiplication tables check (MTC)
An online check in Year 4 of how quickly and accurately pupils recall their times tables up to 12 × 12.
N
- National curriculum
The subjects and content maintained schools must teach from Year 1 to Year 11. Schools add their own choices to make their full curriculum.
- National funding formula (NFF)
The government’s formula that sets how much each local authority gets for its schools and for high needs, based on the pupils it has and their needs.
- National professional qualification (NPQ)
Department for Education qualifications for teachers and leaders, such as in leading teaching, senior leadership, headship or SEN coordination.
- Notional SEN budget
The part of a school’s budget the local authority identifies for supporting pupils with SEND. Schools are expected to pay for the first part of a pupil’s extra support from it before asking for high needs funding.
O
- Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, which inspects schools in England and reports on them.
- Online safety
Keeping pupils safe online, through teaching, the school’s filtering and monitoring, and working with parents. It is part of the school’s safeguarding.
P
- Parent governor
A governor elected by the parents of pupils at the school. Every maintained school’s board has at least two. If not enough parents stand, the board can appoint parent governors itself.
- Part-time timetable
An agreement for a pupil to attend for less than the full school day for a short time, for example to help them return after illness. It should be temporary, agreed with parents and reviewed often.
- Pay policy
The school’s policy on how staff pay is set and how pay decisions are made, in line with the School teachers’ pay and conditions document. The board agrees the policy and makes pay decisions under it.
- Pay progression
A teacher moving up the pay range. The board agrees how this is decided in its pay policy, and its pay committee usually approves the recommendations.
- Peer review
When leaders from other schools visit to look at an area of the school and give feedback, as part of a partnership between schools.
- Persistent absence
When a pupil misses 10% or more of the sessions they could attend. Boards look at attendance and persistent absence to see which pupils need more help to attend.
- Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE)
Teaching about keeping healthy and safe, relationships and managing money. It includes RSHE and is shaped by the school’s own programme.
- Phonics
Teaching children to read by linking sounds with the letters that represent them, then blending sounds into words. Most schools use a systematic synthetic phonics programme from the Department for Education’s validated list.
- Phonics screening check
A check in Year 1 of whether a pupil can read 40 words, some made up, using phonics. Pupils who do not meet the standard take it again in Year 2.
- Planning, preparation and assessment time (PPA)
Time in the timetable when teachers are not teaching, so they can plan, prepare and assess. Teachers are entitled to at least 10% of their teaching time.
- Prevent duty
The duty on schools to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. It is part of the school’s wider safeguarding work.
- Previously looked-after child (PLAC)
A child who has left care through adoption, a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. They bring the school pupil premium.
- Progress
How much pupils have learned from their starting point. Progress measures compare pupils with others nationally who started from a similar point; check which measures are published for the year you are looking at.
- Publication scheme
A list of the information the school publishes as a public authority under the Freedom of Information Act, and how people can get it.
- Pupil premium plus
The higher rate of pupil premium for looked-after and previously looked-after children. For looked-after children it is managed by the virtual school head.
- Pupil premium strategy statement
The document a school publishes each year on its website showing how it spends its pupil premium, why, and the difference it made. The board checks it before it is published.
- Pupil voice
What pupils say about their learning and school life, gathered through conversations, surveys or the school council. Governors may hear it on visits.
Q
- Qualified teacher status (QTS)
The professional status a teacher usually needs to teach in a maintained school in England. Teachers gain it through initial teacher training.
- Quorum
The number of governors who must be at a meeting for it to make decisions. For a maintained school’s full board, it is half of the governors in post (not counting empty places), rounded up.
R
- RAG rating (RAG)
Marking progress as red (off track), amber (some concern) or green (on track), often in action plans and reports to the board.
- Reading, writing and maths combined (RWM)
The share of pupils who met the expected standard in all three of reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2. It is one of the main published measures for primary schools.
- Reception baseline assessment (RBA)
A short check of each child’s early language, literacy and maths in their first six weeks of Reception. It is the starting point for measuring progress to the end of key stage 2.
- Register of business interests
A record of governors’ and the headteacher’s business and financial interests, other schools they govern, and close relationships with staff. The school publishes it on its website, with governors’ details, so possible conflicts are open.
- Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE)
In primary schools, relationships education and health education are compulsory; sex education is up to the school. Schools must have a policy and consult parents on it.
- Religious education (RE)
A required subject in maintained schools, taught to the locally agreed syllabus (or, in many church schools, to the diocese’s). Parents may withdraw their child.
- Report card
Ofsted’s report on a school under its renewed inspection framework. It gives a grade for each evaluation area (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention or urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met or not met.
- Risk register
A list of the main risks to the school, such as falling pupil numbers or a building problem, with how likely and serious each is and what is being done about it. The board reviews it regularly.
S
- Safeguarding
Protecting children from harm, preventing harm to their health or development, making sure they grow up with safe and effective care, and acting so all children have the best outcomes. The board of a maintained school must make sure the school does this.
- Safeguarding governor
The governor who takes the lead for the board on safeguarding arrangements. The whole board stays responsible for safeguarding.
- Safer recruitment
Recruiting in a way that deters, rejects or identifies people who might harm children. In a maintained school, at least one person on every interview panel must have had safer recruitment training.
- Scaled score
How key stage 2 test results are reported, from 80 to 120. A score of 100 or more means the pupil has met the expected standard.
- Scheme for financing schools
The document each local authority publishes that sets out the financial relationship between it and the schools it maintains: what schools must do, such as submitting budget plans, and what the authority does.
- Scheme of delegation
A record of who may decide what: the full board, its committees, individual governors or the headteacher. Some decisions, such as approving the first budget plan of the year, cannot be delegated to one person.
- School development plan (SDP)
The school’s plan of its priorities for improvement, with targets, actions, who leads them and when. The board agrees the priorities with the headteacher and checks progress through the year.
- School fund
Money held outside the school’s budget, such as from fundraising, trips or donations. It still needs proper records, a yearly audit or check, and a report to the board.
- School improvement adviser
An experienced educator, often from the local authority or a partnership, who visits to challenge and support leaders and may report to the board. Also called a school improvement partner.
- School inspection toolkit
Ofsted’s guide to how inspectors evaluate each area, with what each grade looks like. Leaders and governors can use it to check how the school sees itself.
- Schools financial value standard (SFVS)
A yearly self-assessment of how well the school manages its money. The board discusses it, the chair signs it and the school sends it to the local authority, usually by 31 March.
- Section 48 inspection
The inspection of a school with a religious character’s collective worship, religious education and religious character, carried out by people the faith body chooses.
- Self-evaluation (SEF)
The school’s own honest view of how well it is doing and why, area by area, with the evidence behind it. It shapes the priorities in the school development plan.
- SEN information report
A report every maintained school publishes on its website, and updates each year, setting out its policy and provision for pupils with SEND.
- SEN support
The help a school gives pupils with SEND who do not have an education, health and care plan. It follows a cycle of assess, plan, do and review.
- Service level agreement (SLA)
A contract for a service the school buys, often from the local authority, such as payroll, HR, cleaning or school improvement support. Boards check they still give value for money when they are renewed.
- Service pupil premium (SPP)
Funding for pupils with a parent in the armed forces, or who were in the last six years, to give them pastoral support, for example when a parent is deployed or the family moves.
- Severe absence
When a pupil misses 50% or more of the sessions they could attend. These pupils need the most support to get back into school.
- SIAMS inspection (SIAMS)
The inspection of Church of England and Methodist schools’ religious character, worship and religious education, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005.
- Single central record (SCR)
The register of the pre-appointment checks the school has made on its staff, governors and some volunteers. Every school must keep one.
- Skills audit
A regular check of the skills, knowledge and experience the board has against what it needs. It helps the board plan who to recruit and what training governors need.
- Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH)
One of the four broad areas of special educational need. It covers needs such as anxiety, attachment difficulties or behaviour that may reflect an underlying need.
- Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
A child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability that needs special educational provision: support that is different from, or additional to, what most children of the same age get.
- Special educational needs coordinator (SENCo)
The qualified teacher who coordinates provision for pupils with SEND. The board must make sure the school has one.
- Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC)
How the school helps pupils grow as people: their beliefs and values, sense of right and wrong, getting on with others and understanding cultures. It runs through the whole curriculum.
- Staff code of conduct
The school’s expectations of how staff behave, including with pupils and online. It is part of its safeguarding arrangements, with its whistleblowing procedure.
- Staff governor
A governor elected by the people paid to work at the school. The board has one staff governor as well as the headteacher.
- Staff wellbeing and workload
How the school looks after staff’s wellbeing and keeps workload manageable. Boards should consider it when they make decisions, as the head’s and staff’s wellbeing affects pupils.
- Standing advisory council on religious education (SACRE)
The local authority’s body that advises on religious education and collective worship and reviews the locally agreed syllabus.
- Statement of behaviour principles
A written statement the board agrees that sets out the principles behind the school’s behaviour policy. The headteacher writes the behaviour policy itself.
- Statutory assessments
The national checks primary pupils take: the reception baseline assessment, the EYFS profile, the phonics screening check in Year 1, the multiplication tables check in Year 4 and the key stage 2 tests in Year 6.
- Statutory policies
The policies and documents the law requires a maintained school to have, such as its child protection, behaviour, charging and complaints policies. The Department for Education keeps the list, with who approves each one.
- Strategic and operational
Strategic work is the board’s: setting direction, agreeing priorities and checking progress. Operational work is the headteacher’s and staff’s: running the school day to day. Keeping the two apart helps everyone know who decides what.
- Subject lead
The teacher responsible for a subject across the school: its curriculum, resources, staff training and how well pupils learn it.
- Supporting pupils with medical conditions
The board must make sure the school has arrangements, and a policy, so pupils with medical conditions are supported to take part fully in school life.
- Suspension and permanent exclusion
Only the headteacher can suspend or permanently exclude a pupil. The board must consider whether to reinstate a pupil who is permanently excluded, or suspended for more than 15 school days in total in a term.
- Systematic synthetic phonics (SSP)
A structured, step-by-step way of teaching phonics, taught daily from Reception. The Department for Education keeps a list of validated programmes.
T
- Teacher assessment (TA)
A teacher’s judgement of what a pupil has achieved, based on their work over time. Key stage 2 writing is reported this way, and schools check each other’s judgements through moderation.
- Teachers’ standards
The minimum standards of teaching and personal and professional conduct that all teachers must meet. Appraisal is based on them.
- Teaching assistant (TA)
A member of support staff who works with pupils in class or in small groups, often supporting pupils with SEND or running interventions.
- Term of office
How long a governor serves before they leave or are appointed or elected again. The instrument of government sets it, at no more than four years. Associate members serve for between one and four years.
- Terms of reference
The written description of a committee’s purpose, members, quorum and what it may decide. The board agrees them and reviews them each year.
- Trustee
A member of an academy trust’s board. Trustees are company directors and charity trustees, with legal responsibility for the trust.
U
- Universal infant free school meals (UIFSM)
Free lunches for every pupil in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, whatever their family’s income. Families can still apply for free school meals, which brings the school pupil premium.
V
- Value for money
Getting the best results for pupils from the money the school has. Boards check value for money when they agree the budget, big spending and contracts.
- Vice-chair
The governor the board elects to stand in for the chair when the chair is away or the post is empty.
- Virtual school head (VSH)
The local authority officer who promotes the education of the children it looks after, wherever they go to school. They manage the pupil premium for looked-after children.
- Voluntary aided school (VA)
A maintained school, usually with a religious character, where the governing board employs the staff and is the admissions authority. Foundation governors, appointed by the foundation such as a diocese, are a majority of the board.
- Voluntary controlled school (VC)
A maintained school, usually with a religious character, where the local authority employs the staff and is the admissions authority. The land and buildings are usually owned by a charitable foundation.
W
- Whistleblowing
Staff raising a concern about wrongdoing or poor practice at the school, protected by law. The school’s procedure says how, and who to go to if the concern is about the headteacher.
- Working towards the expected standard (WTS)
A teacher assessment for pupils who have not yet reached the expected standard by the end of a key stage.
Y
- Young carer
A child who looks after a family member who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol. Schools identify young carers so they can get support.