| Action Plan |
A plan that the governing body must formulate within 40 days to address the key issues identified in an OFSTED inspection.
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| Admission criteria |
The method of allocating places to schools which are over-subscribed.
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| Asset Management Plan |
A 5-year plan which identifies the condition, suitability and sufficiency of accommodation within a school and the costs of making necessary improvements.
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| Banding |
A method used by some schools for allocating pupils to teaching groups by ability.
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| Capital expenditure |
Expenditure on the purchase of land or for major building work can also include major maintenance items and the purchase of expensive machinery.
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| Catchment area |
The area from which a school traditionally draws the majority of its pupils. It dose not, however, take precedence over the published admission criteria for allocating places when schools are over-subscribed.
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| Core curriculum |
The National Curriculum subjects that every child must study throughout their period of compulsory schooling - these subject are English, Mathematics, Science and Information Technology.
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| Directed time |
Time when a teacher must be available to carry out duties under the direction of the head. A full-time teacher's directed time is 1,265 hours in any school year.
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| Disapplication |
A term used where National Curriculum requirements may not apply to a pupil.
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| Exclusion |
The removal of pupils from schools for serious breaches of discipline or misconduct.
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| Financial year |
The budget of all schools runs in financial years. This runs from 1 April to 31 March of the following year.
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| In loco parentis |
A legal term which literally means in the place of a parent. It means that a teacher/school must show the same duty of care towards a pupil as would a reasonable parent.
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| Instrument of Government |
A legal document which sets out the constitution of the governing body League Tables Government analysis of assessment and examination results in rank order.
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| League Tables |
Government analysis of assessment and examination results in rank order.
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| Mixed ability |
A teaching group in which children of all abilities are taught together rather than being steamed or set.
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| Outturn |
A statement of what the school actually spent by the end of the financial year.
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| Parental Preference |
The legal right that parents have to express a preference for the school they would like their child to attend.
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| Quorum |
The minimum number of people require to be present at a meeting of a governing body or Committee before decisions can be taken.
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| Revenue Expenditure |
General running cost e.g. salaries, rates, fuel etc.
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| Rising 5s |
Children admitted to school in the term before they reach statutory school age.
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| Setting |
Putting pupils into different groups for a particular subject according to their ability in that subject.
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| Sibling |
A brother or sister.
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| Standard Number |
The number of pupils in each year group below which the governing body cannot legally refuse admission.
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| Statement of SEN |
A statutory document that describes a child's special educational needs and how they are to be met. The process of making the assessment is know as statementing.
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| Statutory school Age |
The period from the beginning of the term following a child's fifth birthday until the leaving date following his/her 16th birthday.
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| Streaming |
A type of school organisation where children are placed according to their ability into groups in which they stay for most of their work.
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| Vertical grouping |
Classes formed in primary schools from children of different age-groups.
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| Year Groups |
Under the National Curriculum, year groups are numbered from Year 1 (5/6 year olds) to year 13 (17/18 year olds). Year R represents reception classes.
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