Education jargon: an A-Z guide

Education jargon: an A-Z guide

Education is a jargon-filled world. From basic teaching acronyms to key terms and phrases, there’s a lot of terminology to master.

To help get to grips with the core definitions and avoid things getting lost in translation, we’ve put together this definitive A-Z education jargon buster that covers the core definitions you’ll want to know.

An essential read for trainee and early career teachers.

A

Academy

A state-funded school that is independent from local authorities.

Adapted teaching

The process by which teachers adapt their teaching to suit the needs and abilities of all learners in their classroom.

Alternative provision

Alternative provision schools educate children who are unable to attend a mainstream school. They specialise in behavioural or other needs which present barriers to learning.

Assessment point

A scheduled time in the academic year when pupils are formally assessed to monitor progress.

Attainment

The level a pupil has reached, usually judged against age-related expectations or national benchmarks.

B

Behaviour management

Strategies to support pupils to get the most out of their learning.

Baseline assessment

An initial evaluation of a pupil’s knowledge and skills, used to measure progress over time.

Blended learning

A mix of in-person and online learning approaches, increasingly used in secondary and post-16 education.

Behaviour for learning

A philosophy and strategy that emphasises how good behaviour supports academic progress.

C

Catchment area

The area around a school which can dictate which pupils are offered a place at the school. Not all schools have catchment areas.

Chunking

Breaking down complex information into smaller, more manageable pieces to improve understanding and retention.

Co-curricular

Activities that take place outside of the classroom that enhance pupils’ learning in the classroom.

Co-educational

The education of both male and female pupils at the same school. Opposite of single-sex schools.

Cognitive load

The amount of information our working memory can process at a given time. Especially important in teaching, it focuses on avoiding overloading learners with more than they can process.

Cold calling

Asking questions to students without them first volunteering, prompting active thinking and whole-class participation.

CPD (Continuing Professional Development)

Ongoing training and development for teachers and school staff to enhance skills and stay updated.

Curriculum coherence

The design and alignment of components within a curriculum to ensure pupils receive a connected and meaningful learning experience.

Curriculum mapping

The process of mapping out and organising all components of a curriculum to ensure they are all connect and reinforce each other.

D

Depth of learning

The extent to which pupils can apply knowledge in different contexts, moving beyond surface level understanding.

Direct instruction

A structured method of teaching with clear, explicit steps and guidance.

Dual coding

Presenting information both visually and verbally to enhance learning.

E

EdTech

Short for educational technology, it is the use of technological innovations (both hardware and software) to enhance teaching and learning. E.g. interactive whiteboards, laptops and tablets, and apps like Kahoot! and Quizlet.

Enrichment

Activities and opportunities that support whole child development.

Evidence-informed practice

Using research to inform teaching and learning practices.

F

Feeder school

A primary school that works with a secondary school in a catchment area to place pupils. Feeder school pupils may be given priority.

Flipped classroom

An inverted method of traditional teaching where students are introduced to material and concepts during independent study time, before a lesson. This allows lessons to focus on active tasks and engagement.

Free school meals (FSM)

Government-funded free school meals for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and other school-aged children who qualify.

Formative assessment

Regular, informal assessments that are used to monitor student learning during the learning process to provide ongoing feedback. Teachers use this to inform and adapt their teaching strategies.

Form tutor

A teacher assigned to a class of pupils to provide pastoral support, take attendance, and monitor well-being.

G

Governors

Volunteers who form a school's governing body. They provide strategic oversight, support school leadership, and ensure accountability.

Grammar school

A state secondary school that is academically selective. Pupils must pass an examination to gain entry.

Guided practice

Where students work on a new skill or concept with teacher support and feedback, following a demonstration or explanation.

H

Hidden curriculum

The implicit values, behaviours, and norms taught in schools through routines, policies, and culture - not part of the formal curriculum.

High expectations

A key principle in education that all pupils should be challenged and supported to reach their potential.

I

‘I do, we do, you do’

A teaching strategy that involves a gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the students. The teacher models a concept (I do), then works with students in a guided practice setting (we do), and students finally practice independently (you do).

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

A plan created for pupils with special educational needs, outlining support strategies, goals, and progress tracking.

Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

Programmes that prepare new teachers for the classroom, such as PGCEs or school-based routes like School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT).

Interleaving

Where students mix, or interleave, multiple topics while studying – alternating between them rather than focusing on one topic at a time.

J

Job families

Used when discussing roles within school staffing structures e.g. teaching assistants, pastoral teams, administrative staff. 

Job shadowing

A common form of professional development in teacher training, involving a trainee observing a colleague to learn more about teaching strategies and techniques.

Joined-up provision

The coordinated efforts between staff and external support to meet pupils’ needs – often used in SEND or pastoral care.

Joint observations

A process where two observers (often a mentor and Senior Leadership Team member) observe the same lesson to moderate evaluations and support consistent judgments in teaching quality.

Joint target setting

When two people collaborate to set learning goals. E.g. a teacher and pupil or mentor and trainee.

Jumping-off point

A piece of stimulus (such as a poem, image, or piece of music) that is used to launch discussion or a task. Often used in English or the arts.

K

Knowledge checks

Quick assessment activities such as quizzes to check the pupils’ grasp of key ideas and level of understanding.

Knowledge gaps

The areas where a pupil lacks the necessary understanding to fully access the next stage of learning.

Knowledge organisers

Concise documents that condense key information about a specific topic.

Knowledge recall

Activities or strategies that help pupils remember and retrieve previously taught content, important for long-term memory.

L

Learning objective

A brief statement outlining what pupils are expected to learn by the end of a lesson, school term, or academic year.

Learning outcome

Measurable statements of what pupils should be able to do after learning.

Live marking

Where teachers provide instant and individual feedback in real-time.

Low-stakes retrieval

Using frequent, low-pressure activities to help students recall information from memory.

M

Metacognition

A learner’s ability to understand, evaluate and make changes to their own thinking and learning processes.

Modelling

Where a teacher demonstrates a process (such as writing a paragraph or solving a maths equation) to make thinking and ways of working visible to pupils.

Moderation

The process of checking and comparing assessments across classes or schools to ensure consistency and fairness.

N

National curriculum

A set of subjects and core knowledge to make sure children learnt the same things and are given the same standard of education.

No opt out

A technique where students are expected to answer a question, even if they are unsure of the answer.

Non-negotiables

Basic expectations set across a school around classroom routines, behaviour, or instructional delivery.

O

Oracy

The ability to express oneself fluently and grammatically in speech. Increasingly a focus for developing speaking skills in schools.

One-to-one tuition

Personalised tutoring between a teacher/tutor and a single pupil to provide targeted support.

P

Parental engagement

The active and meaningful involvement of parents in supporting their children’s learning and overall development, both at home and in school.

Pedagogy

The study of the methods of teaching.

Peer assessment

A method of assessing work where pupils look at a partner’s work and review it.

Phonics

Used in early years settings, phonics involves matching the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters. It helps teach young children how to read and write.

Pupil premium

Additional funding given to schools to support disadvantaged pupils and close attainment gaps.

Q

Questioning techniques

The methods teachers use to ask questions in class to assess understanding, provoke thought and deepen learning.

R

Retrieval practice

Actively recalling information from memory to improve learning and retention.

Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction

A set of research-based recommendations for teachers to make teaching more effective.

S

Safeguarding

The collective responsibility of schools and staff to protect children and young people from harm and abuse. Schools are obligated to provide a safe and supportive environment, whole-school policies and procedures, and training to ensure staff are confident in identifying and raising any concerns.

Scaffolding

Temporary support to help students grasp a new concept or skill, gradually removed as their confidence increases.

Scheme of work

A long-term plan that outlines all the learning to be covered over a period of time. It helps to inform the content and structure of a programme of study.

Self-assessment

Pupils reflecting, evaluating and assessing their own learning.

State school

Schools that provide education to pupils without charge. They are funded by the government. 

Success criteria

Linked to learning objectives and outcomes, success criteria describe what success looks like so teachers can measure, if, and how well, learners have met their goals.

Summative assessment

An evaluation carried out at the end of a learning period to measure a student’s understanding and progress, usually involving formal grading e.g. final exams, projects.

T

Target setting

The process of setting individualised academic goals for pupils to support motivation and progress.

Teachers’ Standards

The minimum requirements for teachers’ practice and conduct. As part of teacher training, trainees must evidence how they meet each standard.

Think-Pair-Share (TPS)

A learning strategy where students think about a question, discuss their thoughts with a partner, then share their ideas with a larger group. Designed to boost participation and engagement.

U

UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)

The organisation that manages applications to higher education courses in the UK.

V

Virtual learning environment (VLE)

An online platform used to deliver educational content and manage teaching, e.g. Google Classroom or Moodle.

Vocational education

Training that equips learners with specific skills for a trade or profession, such as BTECs or T Levels.

W

Whole child development

A holistic approach to child development that focuses on the whole child including physical, social and emotional growth - alongside academic development.

Whole school approach

All parts of the school – staff, leadership, students, parents – working together and being committed to a goal. A whole school approach is often adopted to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in school communities.

X

Exam access arrangements

Special provisions for pupils with additional needs (e.g., extra time, a reader, or separate room) to ensure a level playing field in exams.

Exit ticket

A short task or question completed by pupils at the end of a lesson to assess their understanding.

Y

Year group

A cohort of pupils in the same academic year e.g. Year 5 or Year 11.

Z

Zero tolerance

A strict behavioural policy where certain behaviours result in immediate consequences, often used to maintain discipline.

Zone of Proximal Development

The difference between what a learner can do with and without help. A core concept in teacher training and beyond. 

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