To search the glossary enter either the term you are looking up or a definition, or pick a letter to start searching.
| Term | Definition | Subsite |
| Admission procedures | Procedures followed to admit children and young people to education settings. | Education |
| Alternative provision | Education provided outside mainstream school and college settings. | Education |
| Asylum seeker | Someone who comes to the UK, often fleeing persecution, torture or war, and applies for refugee status under the 1951 UN Convention. Unsuccessful asylum seekers who are nevertheless in genuine need of international protection or have other compelling reasons for not being removed may be granted Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave to Remain. | Education |
| Birth to three matters | Birth to three matters is a framework for practitioners to provide support,
Information, guidance and challenge for all those with responsibility for the care and education of babies and
children from birth to three years. | Education |
| British Council | The UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. | Education |
| Buddies | Buddies, or class friends, refers to new arrivals’ peers who may be appointed to look after them in their first few weeks in a school or college | Education |
| Challenge Fund | The Home Office Refugee Integration Strategy established a Challenge Fund, designed to promote projects that address specific social needs amongst refugee communities. The Challenge Fund is currently closed. | Education |
| Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are a comprehensive range of services available within local communities, towns or cities, which provide help and treatment to children and young people who are experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties, or mental health problems, disorders and illnesses. | Education |
| Childminders | Registered childminders are professional carers who work in their own homes and provide children with care and learning opportunities in a family setting. Childminders look after children under five and school age children after hours and in the holidays. | Education |
| Children Act 2004 | The Children Act 2004 provides the legislative spine for the Government’s strategy for improving children's lives. The overall aim is to encourage integrated planning, commissioning and delivery of services as well as improve multi-disciplinary working, remove duplication, increase accountability and improve the coordination of individual and joint inspections in local authorities. | Education |
| Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) | The Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) is an important element of the reforms underpinned by the Children Act 2004. Implementing a new statutory duty and following best local planning practice, local areas will produce a single, strategic, overarching plan for all services affecting children and young people. | Education |
| Children’s Centres | Children’s centres are places where children under five years old and their families can receive seamless holistic integrated services and information, and where they can access help from multi-disciplinary teams of professionals. | Education |
| Children’s Fund | The Children's Fund is part of the Government's commitment to tackle disadvantage among children and young people. It operates in every local authority area in England. Local partnerships deliver services for 5 – 13 year old children in a variety of locations including schools, community centres, sports centres and other local venues. | Education |
| Children’s Information Service (CIS) | Local authorities are funded by the Sure Start Unit to make a CIS available in their area. There are 145 CISs operating in England, providing parents with up to date information on the availability of nursery education and childcare. | Education |
| Children’s Legal Centre | The Children's Legal Centre is an independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people. | Education |
| Children’s Panel of Advisers | The Refugee Council's Children's Panel of Advisers works with unaccompanied children under the age of 18 in the UK. An adviser supports an unaccompanied child in his or her dealings with Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and other central and local government agencies while their asylum claim is outstanding. | Education |
| Circle Time | Circle Time activities involve classes arranging their seating so that they are in a circle facing each other. Through co-operative activities and discussion, Circle Time ensures that each child gets a chance to contribute and feel valued. Circle Time boosts interpersonal skills, strengthens relationships and enhances self-confidence. | Education |
| Citizens Advice Bureaux | Citizens Advice Bureaux offer free confidential, impartial and independent information, advice and assistance on a wide range of areas including welfare benefits, debt, employment, housing and immigration. | Education |
| Citizenship | Citizenship provides learning opportunities for all pupils, from the Foundation Stage, through to the post-16 sector. Citizenship is part of the statutory curriculum for key stages 3 and 4. Citizenship teaches pupils how to become informed citizens, how to develop skills of enquiry and communication and how to participate and act responsibly, changing their communities for the better. | Education |
| Citizenship Foundation | The Citizenship Foundation aims to empower individuals to engage in the wider community through education about the law, democracy and society.
The foundation focuses particularly on developing young people’s citizenship skills, knowledge and understanding.
| Education |
| Cognitive Ability Test (CAT) | Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs) are produced by the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER). They are widely used by schools, particularly at the start of year 7. | Education |
| Collaborative learning | Collaborative learning activities are structured tasks that are designed to be tackled by groups of pupils. Their purpose is to engage the pupils in subject content by encouraging them to think and talk collaboratively. This encourages the activation of existing knowledge so that pupils make links with the new knowledge they are acquiring. | Education |
| Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) | The CRE is a publicly funded, organisation that exists to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. It receives a grant from the Home Office, but works independently of government. The CRE monitors the way the Race Relations Act is working and recommends ways in which it can be improved. | Education |
| Common Core of Skills and Knowledge | The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children's Workforce sets out the basic skills and knowledge needed by people (including volunteers) whose work brings them into regular contact with children, young people and families. | Education |
| Community Cohesion | The Government see Community Cohesion as crucial to promoting greater knowledge, respect and contact between various cultures, and to establishing a greater sense of citizenship. A cohesive community is where communities share a sense of belonging, value cultural diversity, and support strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds. | Education |
| Community Fund | The Community Fund distributes money raised by the National Lottery to support charities and voluntary groups. | Education |
| Community Languages | Community Languages are languages spoken by members of minority groups or communities within a majority language context. Some of these are languages which have been used for centuries in Britain; others are of more recent origin. | Education |
| Community Service Volunteers (CSV) | Community Service Volunteers (CSV) is a national organisation that promotes volunteering. Its Community Partners website is designed to help universities, colleges and schools develop opportunities for citizenship education through community involvement. It provides access to organisations interested in community partnership work. | Education |
| Connexions | Connexions is the government's support service for all young people aged 13 to 19 in England. The service aims to provide integrated advice, guidance and access to personal development opportunities. Connexions Personal Advisers (PAs) provide continuing 1:1 support to young people at risk of disengaging from learning. | Education |
| ContinYou | ContinYou is one of the UK's leading community learning charities. ContinYou uses learning to tackle inequality and build social inclusion. It aims to create learning programmes and services that offer fresh opportunities to people who have gained least from formal education and training. | Education |
| Day nurseries | Children under five can attend day nurseries part-time or full-time, depending on their parents' needs. These may be run by local authorities, voluntary organisations, private companies or individuals, or by employers. | Education |
| Department for Education and Skills (DfES), | Education in England is the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), headed by the Secretary of State. The DfES works with a range of partners and many operational aspects of education provision are delegated to these various bodies. | Education |
| Department of Health (DH) | The Department of Health is responsible for setting health and social care policy in England. The Department’s work sets standards and drives modernisation across all areas of the NHS, social care and public health. | Education |
| Differentiation | Differentiation is the term used within education to describe the way in which a school or college’s teaching methods and curriculum are adapted to meet the individual learning needs of all its pupils. | Education |
| Discretionary Leave to Remain | Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR), may be granted to someone who does not qualify for refugee status or Humanitarian Protection, but cannot be removed from the UK. This may be because they have a serious medical condition making travel and return dangerous. | Education |
| Diversity | Usually refers to the cultural diversity reflected in an education setting’s learner and staff community. The diversity of a school’s pupil, staff and parent community, for example, has implications for its race equality practice. | Education |
| Duke of Edinburgh’s Award | The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an award for personal achievement that can be obtained by anyone aged from 14 to 25. Around 225,000 participants are taking part in the Award programme at any one time in the United Kingdom. | Education |
| Early Excellence Centre | Early Excellence Centres offer high quality practice in one-stop-shop integrated education and day care for young children, and services and opportunities for parents, carers, families and the wider community both directly and in cooperation with other providers. | Education |
| Early Learning Goals | The Early Learning Goals establish expectations for what children could achieve by the end of the Foundation Stage. The 'Stepping Stones' shown throughout the 'Early Learning Goals', help practitioners and parents to identify progress towards the goals. | Education |
| Early years | The term ‘Early Years’ most often refers to pre-reception years, or the under-fives. It is sometimes used to refer to the under sevens. | Education |
| Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) | An EYDCP is usually made up of organisations that either deliver services to children or that have an interest in the services being delivered. The EYDCP is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of pre-school education and childcare across all sectors in a local authority area. | Education |
| Early years education | Children may receive early education in a range of places or settings, such as nursery schools, reception classes in primary schools, pre-schools, playgroups, some day nurseries and childminders. | Education |
| EAZ | EAZs (Education Action Zones) have been transformed into Excellence in Cities Action Zones (EiCAZs) or Excellence Clusters. They began as groups of 15-25 schools, which aimed to create new partnerships, raise standards and generate innovation within education. | Education |
| Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) | EMA is a weekly grant to help with the day-to-day costs of staying on at sixth form or FE. Students must have UK citizenship, Indefinite Leave to Remain or Refugee Status in order to qualify. | Education |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | The study or learning of English in an environment where English is already the predominant language, such as in an English speaking country, by someone whose first language is not English. | Education |
| English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) | An ESOL student is one who comes from a home where English is not the predominant language. ESOL, rather than EAL, is the preferred term when referring to the post-16 age group. | Education |
| Enrichment activities | Enrichment activities are often additional study-related or non-study related activities that children and young people can access through their school or college. Enrichment activities can be recreational and some can be specifically targeted at pupils with particular needs in order to achieve specific outcomes. Some activities can enable young people at school or college to gain an additional qualification. | Education |
| Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) | Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) usually refers to the achievement in school of pupils from black and minority ethnic communities. Some local authorities and schools deploy EMA specialist staff to support their needs. Such specialist staff, employed centrally by local authorities, are sometimes called the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) | Education |
| European Refugee Fund (ERF) | The ERF was established by the European Union. It resources initiatives to support refugees in three main areas:
• Providing appropriate reception conditions
• Encouraging social and economic integration
• Enabling refugees to return home, if they wish to do so. | Education |
| Every Child Matters: Change for Children | Every Child Matters: Change for Children is a new approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19. The programme places better outcomes for children firmly at the centre of all policies and approaches involving children's services. The programme demands that all organisations that provide services to children work together in more integrated and effective ways. | Education |
| Excellence in Cities (EiC) | Excellence in Cities (EiC) is a support programme delivered locally by schools working in partnership with their local authority. It targets deprived areas of the country and among its aims is the transformation of urban secondary education. The programme develops strategies and resources focused on teaching and learning, behaviour and attendance, and leadership. | Education |
| Extended School | An Extended School provides a range of services and activities beyond the school day to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. This may include specialist curriculum provision for pupils and/or classes for parents and other adults. | Education |
| Family Learning | Family Learning is about involving people from families in learning through a range of planned, but not always formal, activities and projects. Through this involvement they share, enjoy and develop with other members of their family | Education |
| Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) | Female Genital Mutilation is the partial or total removal of female external genitalia for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons. The practice has serious health consequences and is a criminal offence in the UK. It is also unlawful to take girls abroad for genital mutilation whether or not it is lawful elsewhere. | Education |
| Foundation Stage | The Foundation Stage is for children aged 3-5, and covers the years they spend from the beginning of nursery or pre-school to the end of reception class in primary school. | Education |
| Foundation Stage Curriculum | Six areas of learning form the basis of the foundation stage curriculum. These are:
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication, language and literacy
• Mathematical development
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Physical development
• Creative development | Education |
| Foundation Stage Profile (FSP) | In Foundation Stage settings, the Foundation Stage Profile (FSP) is used to record children’s achievements and progress. Each child’s development is recorded on an assessment scale derived from the stepping-stones and early learning goals of the foundation stage curriculum. | Education |
| Further Education | Further Education (FE) usually refers to post-16 education and training, especially that provided by FE and sixth form colleges. | Education |
| Gateway Protection Programme | The Gateway Protection Programme is the name of the UK’s refugee resettlement programme. The first refugees on this programme arrived in the UK March 2004. The scheme is a partnership between the UK Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). | Education |
| Gifted and talented | The Department for Education and Skills defines ‘gifted' learners as those who have abilities in one or more statutory curriculum subjects other than art and design, music and PE. ‘Talented' learners are those who have abilities in art and design, music, PE, or performing arts. | Education |
| Global Citizenship | There may be many different views as to what Global Citizenship is. Schools and colleges may teach global citizenship for a variety of reasons, including to:
• Increase awareness of the wider world and our roles as world citizens
• Encourage pupils to value diversity and increase understanding of how the world works
• Promote participation and responsibility.
| Education |
| Governing body | Every school has a governing body which includes representatives from parents, staff, the local community and the local authority. Governors are together responsible to parents, funders and the community for making sure the school provides a good quality education. | Education |
| Health for Asylum Seekers and Refugees Portal (HARP) | HARPWEB consists of three websites, each developed in collaboration with health professionals working with asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. They are designed to enable easy access to information, practical tools, and articles that have been written by health care professionals, NGOs, academics and research bodies with expert knowledge. | Education |
| Health visitors | Health visitors are qualified nurses who work as members of primary healthcare teams. The role of the health visitor is to promote health and prevent illness in all age groups. | Education |
| Higher Education | Higher Education usually refers to post ‘A’ level university education. | Education |
| Home Liaison | A term usually used to describe a school’s liaison with a pupil’s main carer and other family members. Some schools designate particular teaching or support staff to liaise with the home, or employ a key worker with that particular brief. | Education |
| Home-School agreements | All state schools are required to have written home-school agreements, drawn up in consultation with parents. These are non-binding statements explaining the school's aims and values, the responsibilities of both the school and parents, and what the school expects of its pupils. Parents will be invited to sign a parental declaration, indicating that they understand and accept the contents of the agreement. | Education |
| Humanitarian protection | Humanitarian Protection (HP) may be granted where there is a real risk of death, torture, or other inhuman and degrading treatment that falls outside the terms of the 1951 UN Convention. Those granted HP will normally be given leave to remain for three years. | Education |
| Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) | The part of the Home Office which deals with immigration, nationality and asylum issues. All applications for asylum are considered and decided by IND staff. | Education |
| Inclusion | Inclusion (or inclusive education, inclusive schooling or educational inclusion) is a term used within education to describe the process of ensuring equality of learning opportunities for all children and young people, whatever their disabilities or disadvantages. The government aims that, as far as possible, schools should teach all pupils the national curriculum. This includes refugee pupils. | Education |
| Induction | This refers to the process by which a school supports the adjustment, settling in and early progress of new pupils. | Education |
| Information and communication technology (ICT) | In Information and communication technology (ICT) lessons, children and young people learn how to use the internet and email, digital cameras and scanners, recording equipment and computer software. | Education |
| Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR) | ICAR is an academic research and information organisation that aims to raise the level of public debate and understanding of asylum in the UK context and to encourage evidence-based policy-making. ICAR collects, collates, analyses and disseminates information, research findings, statistics and other data about issues related to asylum and refugees. | Education |
| International School Award ISA) | The International School Award is an accreditation scheme for curriculum-based international work in schools. The ISA scheme offers a framework within which to form and develop international partnerships and achieve curriculum goals. | Education |
| Key Stage | A child's progress through school is measured in Key Stages. Each Key Stage covers a number of school years. Starting at Key Stage 1 and finishing at Key Stage 4:
• Key Stage 1 Infant School (5-7 years old)
• Key Stage 2 Junior School (7-11 years old)
• Key Stage 3 Lower Secondary School (11-14 years old)
• Key Stage 4 Upper Secondary School (14-16 years old).
| Education |
| Key Stage 3 National Strategy | The National Strategy for Key Stage 3 aims to raise standards by strengthening teaching and learning across the curriculum for all 11–14 year olds. The Strategy helps schools to improve standards by focusing on teaching and learning. It offers continuing professional development for subject teachers and school managers, plus consultancy, guidance and teaching materials. | Education |
| Law Centres | Law Centres provide a free and independent professional legal service to people who live or work in their catchment areas. | Education |
| Learning and Skills Council (LSC) | The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for planning and funding vocational education and training at post -16 | Education |
| Learning Mentors | Learning Mentors work with school and college pupils and students to help them address barriers to learning. Learning Mentors work with pupils, often on a 1:1 or small group basis, but also run clubs and ‘drop ins’. They liaise closely with teachers and other professionals, and may act as a link between the family and school. | Education |
| Local Education Authorities (LEAs) | A local education authority (LEA) has responsibility for providing education to pupils of school age in its area. Their overall education remit also includes early years, the youth service and adult education. An LEA is responsible for promoting high standards and for ensuring that its education provision is efficient and that there are enough school places. In the light of recent changes, LA (local authority) has replaced LEA as the more usual term to be used. | Education |
| London Challenge | The London Challenge strategy, Transforming London Secondary Schools, involves a range of work with three main components:
• Transforming five key London boroughs
• Providing support for schools tackling disadvantage and low attainment
• Providing support for London students, teachers, leaders and schools | Education |
| Looked After Children (LAC) | The term ‘looked after children’ (LAC) refers to children who are in public care. These young people may be accommodated in children’s homes, in foster homes or be living at home or with extended families on Care Orders. Some children are ‘looked after’ by virtue of being unaccompanied asylum seeker children. | Education |
| Mentoring | The Home Office’s Active Community Unit defines mentoring as ‘a one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in which an individual voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This is typically developed at a time of transition in the mentee's life, and lasts for a significant and sustained period of time’. | Education |
| Migrant Helpline | Migrant Helpline is a charity which helps newly arrived asylum seekers access support, and assists refugees to settle into the UK. | Education |
| Multi-agency working | Multi-agency working is about different services, agencies and teams of professionals and other practitioners working together to provide the services that fully meet the needs of children, young people and their parents or carers. | Education |
| National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA) | The national forum and professional organisation for ESOL practitioners. | Education |
| National Asylum Support Service (NASS) | The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) provides support, accommodation and financial help for asylum seekers whilst the Home Office Immigration & Nationality Directorate (IND) is considering their claim. | Education |
| National Centre for Languages (CILT) | The National Centre for Languages (CILT) is a recognised centre of expertise on languages. | Education |
| National Curriculum | The National Curriculum covers what pupils should be taught in state maintained schools. The National Curriculum embraces 12 subjects overall, and is divided into four Key Stages according to age. | Education |
| National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) | The National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) is part of the Healthy Schools Programme, led by the | Education |
| National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) | The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is a non-governmental organisation working to widen adult participation in learning. | Education |
| National Youth Agency | The National Youth Agency aims to advance youth work to promote young people's personal and social development, and their voice, influence and place in society. | Education |
| New arrivals | ‘New arrivals’ usually refers to children and young people who are enrolling into an early years setting or school outside normal admission times. | Education |
| Nursery education grant | The Nursery Education Grant entitles all eligible three and four year olds to a free part-time nursery education session, irrespective of where they live. All children become eligible for the nursery education grant the term after their third birthday. | Education |
| Nursery schools | Maintained nursery schools take children from the age of three or four. They are open during school term time and normally offer five half-day sessions a week. Nursery classes in state primary schools also take children from the age of three or four years old. | Education |
| Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). | The role of Ofsted is to ensure high standards in childcare, schools, colleges, local authorities, teacher training and youth work in England. This is achieved through a comprehensive system of inspection and regulation. | Education |
| Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) | OISC is an independent public body set up under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. It is responsible for ensuring that all immigration advisers fulfil the requirements of good practice. | Education |
| Out-of-school-hours learning | See Study Support | Education |
| Parent Teacher Association (PTA) | Parent teacher associations are groups open to parents and teachers, as well as others in the school community. They aim to foster better relationships between parents and schools and for parents to learn more about what they can do to help the school and improve their children's education. | Education |
| Parental involvement | Parental involvement refers to the involvement of parents in the work of their child’s school. Schools recognise that parents play a crucial role in helping their children learn and children achieve more when schools and parents work together. | Education |
| Participation | Participation is the active involvement of children and young people in how services for them are planned and developed. | Education |
| Partnership Teaching | Partnership teaching refers to a specialist teacher teaching a class together with the usual (mainstream) teacher. For EAL pupils the class or subject teacher and the specialist EAL teacher teach the whole class collaboratively, taking account of the language and learning needs in the class, to raise the achievement of bilingual pupils. | Education |
| Peer support | Peer support within a school is about making pupils feel safe and supported by other pupils within their school. It empowers pupils to address a wide range of problems they may
have – from bullying, to difficulties making the transition from primary to secondary school, to family problems and friendship difficulties.
| Education |
| Persona Dolls | Persona Dolls are special dolls with their own personalities, life histories, likes and dislikes. They provide a powerful tool for exploring, uncovering and confronting racism and other social inequalities. They enable young children to appreciate that words and actions can be hurtful, and to empathise with people experiencing discrimination. | Education |
| Personal Education Plan (PEP) | There is a statutory requirement for every Looked After Child (LAC) to have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), which ensures access to services and support. The PEP establishes clear goals and also acts as a record of achievement. | Education |
| Pre-school playgroups | Pre-school playgroups provide care and early education for children on a sessional basis. They generally take children between the ages of three and five years old. Many groups are registered to offer free early education places to three and four year olds, which requires them to address the Early Learning Goals. | Education |
| Prior learning | The learning, both within and outside formal education settings, of a child or young person prior to their arrival in a particular early year settings, school or college. | Education |
| Pupil Mobility | Pupil mobility is defined as the total movement in and out of schools by pupils other than at the usual times of joining and leaving. | Education |
| Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) | QCA is the guardian of standards. It maintains and develops the school curriculum and associated assessments. It also accredits and monitors qualifications. | Education |
| Quality in Study Support (QISS) | The aim of QiSS is to support schools, LAs and other educational organisations in raising students' achievement, motivation and self-esteem. | Education |
| Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 | The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 gives public authorities a statutory general duty to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, and promote equality of opportunity and good relations between people of different racial groups. In addition the Act places specific duties on schools to have a policy for promoting race equality and to assess the impact of school policies on pupils, staff and parents of different racial groups. | Education |
| Racist incidents | A racist incident is any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. School anti-bullying policies should cover racist bullying and all incidents should be recorded. | Education |
| Reception classes | Reception classes in State Primary Schools take children at four or five years old. Some start children with half-day sessions and build up to full-time attendance. Staff are qualified teachers and teaching assistants. | Education |
| Refugee | A refugee is seeking refuge. To qualify as a refugee under the terms of the 1951 UN Convention a person must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution because of his /her nationality, race or ethnic origin, political opinion, religion or social group and who is unable or unwilling to seek the protection of the authorities of his/her own country. | Education |
| Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit (RAGU) | The Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit (RAGU) at London Metropolitan University supports refugees with high-level education or professional qualifications into employment and education. | Education |
| Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) | Refugee Community Organisations are organisations run by and for refugees. They provide advice and support, often informally, and act as bridges to mainstream services and other local groups. | Education |
| Refugee Council | The Refugee Council is the largest organisation in the UK working with asylum seekers and refugees. It provides help and support, and also works with asylum seekers and refugees to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed. | Education |
| Refugee Education Training Advisory Service (RETAS) | The Refugee Education Training Advisory Service (RETAS) provide a drop-in advice service to refugees (age 16+) who need advice, guidance, advocacy or information on all aspects of education, training and employment. | Education |
| Refugee status | A person who has been recognised by the Government as meeting the definition of a refugee set out in the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 is conferred with 'refugee status'. | Education |
| Refugee Teachers Task Force | The Refugee Teachers Task Force was established to develop a strategy that will facilitate the integration of refugees from teaching backgrounds into the education workforce. | Education |
| Refugee Week | Refugee Week is a nation wide programme of events that promotes understanding about refugees. It usually takes place in June each year. | Education |
| Roma | The Roma people are commonly known as Gypsies in English. They are a traditionally nomadic people who probably originated in northern India, but currently live worldwide, chiefly in Europe. Most Roma speak some form of Romany, but usually speak the dominant language of a region they live in as well. | Education |
| School Councils | A school council is group of pupils who are elected to represent the views of all pupils and to improve their school. ‘School council’ can mean many different kinds of school-based groups run by pupils, including pupil forums and youth parliaments.
| Education |
| School support staff | The term 'support staff' is used to include the whole range of adults who perform supporting roles in schools - for example, teaching assistants, administrative and clerical staff, librarians and laboratory assistants and technicians and midday supervisors. | Education |
| Special Educational Needs (SEN) | The term ‘Special Educational Need’ denotes any child who has been identified as having some form of learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. This might be because of a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age or because of a disability that prevents them from making use of educational facilities that other children of their age would be able to access locally.
EAL of itself is not regarded as a special educational need.
| Education |
| Student Action for Refugees (STAR) | STAR is an organisation giving university students and young people the opportunity to learn about and raise awareness of refugee issues in innovative ways, supporting refugees in a practical way in their local communities through volunteering and through campaigning. | Education |
| Study support | Study support (out-of-school-hours learning) covers a wide range of learning activities outside normal lesson time in which young people participate voluntarily. This includes activities such as homework and study clubs, sport and outdoor activities, the creative arts, community volunteering, mentoring, opportunities to pursue particular interests (e.g. ICT and languages) and learning about learning (i.e. study and thinking skills). | Education |
| Sure Start | Sure Start is a Government programme which aims to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and communities by:
• Increasing the availability of childcare for all children
• Improving health and emotional development for young children
• Supporting parents as parents and in their aspirations towards employment.
| Education |
| Unaccompanied asylum seeking child | An unaccompanied asylum seeking child is a person who, at the time of making the asylum application is, or (if there is no proof) appears to be, under eighteen, is applying for asylum in their own right and has no adult relative or guardian to turn to in this country. | Education |
| United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child | The Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children's rights by setting standards in health care, education and legal, civil and social services. States that are party to the Convention are obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the best interests of the child. | Education |
| United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees | The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are the key international legal instruments in defining who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states. The UK is one of the 138 states which have signed both the Refugee Convention and its Protocol. | Education |
| University of the First Age (UFA) | The University of the First Age (UFA) is a national educational charity that works in partnership to develop the confidence, achievement and potential of young people through extended learning opportunities. | Education |
| Vocational courses | Courses leading to qualifications that introduce learners to a broad sector of industry and business, encouraging understanding of the sector and developing capability in some skills to industry standards of competence. | Education |
| Who Cares? Trust | The Who Cares? Trust is a national charity working to improve public care for children and young people who are separated from their families and living in residential or foster care. It aims to promote the interests of children and young people in public care. | Education |
