Parent resources

EAL: English as an Additional Language (see EFL) ECDL: European Computer Driving Licence ECIS: European Council of International Schools, a membership organisation of international schools, largely US or British school. (ECIS, 21b Lavant Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3EL. Tel 01730 268 244; website www.ecis.org) EdExcel: One of the English exam boards . It also offers the IGCSE. (EdExcel, 190 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BH. Tel 0844 576 0027; Website www.edexel.com) EFL: English as a Foreign Language (also known as ESL or EAL, ie English as a Second/Additional Language) is taught at some boarding schools (and a few day schools) which have significant numbers of overseas students ESB: English Speaking Board ESHA: European Secondary Heads Association ESL: English as a Second Language (see EFL) ESOL: English as a second or other language Estyn: HM Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales is responsible for school inspections in Wales and you can find individual inspection reports on its website (http://www.estyn.gov.uk">www.estyn.gov.uk; tel 029 2044 6446) ESU: English Speaking Union EU: European Union Exam boards: There are five exam boards for GCSE, AS-level and A-levels (AQA, CCEA, EdExel, OCR and WJEC).  Schools can pick and mix syllabuses and many schools use more than one. There are also two awarding bodies for the IGCSE  (CIE and EdExel).  All vocational and academic qualifications in Scottish schools are awarded by the SQA EYP: European Youth Parliament FGA: Fellow of the Geographical Society FRSA: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts FT: Full time Gap year: A year taken out between school and university, traditionally to do something completely different GCE: General Certificate of Education GCSE: General Certificate of Secondary Education are the exams taken by most pupils in Year 11 GDST: Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST, 100 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1JP. Tel 020 7393 6666; website www.gdst.net) GNVQs: General National Vocational Qualifications GSA: Girls’ Schools Association, is a club for the Heads of some 200 girls’ secondary schools − roughly the equivalent of the HMC, regarding itself as representing the élite. It meets to discuss educational issues affecting its schools and keeps information flowing between them. (GSA, 130 Regent Road, Leicester LE1 7PG. Tel 0116 254 1619; website www.gsa.uk.com) H-grade: Scottish Highers, taken in Scotland at the end of S5 HAS: Headteachers Association in Scotland has now changed its name to School Leaders Scotland (SLS) HM: Headmaster or Headmistress HMC: Headmasters’ & Headmistresses’ Conference, started in 1869 as a club for headmasters. It has changed its name to accommodate the Headmistresses who are now members (it was chaired by a Headmistress for the first time in 2005) and still regards itself as representing the élite. It is now a professional organisation which assesses the schools and establishes good practice, keeps its members informed and generates discussion on educational issues affecting their schools. It has some 250 members who are heads of schools in the UK and Ireland (plus 60 overseas and 30 additional state school members). The Heads, not the schools, are the HMC members and they must reapply when they change schools. (HMC, 12 The Point, Rockingham Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7QU. Tel 01858 469 059; website www.hmc.org.uk) HMI: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate/Inspector(s) HMIe: HM Inspectorate of Education is responsible for the inspection of schools in Scotland. You can find copies of individual inspection reports on its website (http://www.hmie.gov.uk">www.hmie.gov.uk; tel: 01506 600 200) IAPS: Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools is a professional association for the Heads (and Deputy Heads) of independent prep schools in the UK and overseas, with a membership of some 600 schools. It is a member of the Independent Schools Council (ISC); the schools are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and its reports published in the same way as for secondary schools. (IAPS, 11 Waterloo Place, Leamington Spa, CV32 5LA. Tel 01926 887 833; website www.iaps.org.uk) IB: International Baccalaureate Diploma is a sixth-form qualification offered in many countries across the world and in an increasing number of independent schools. (International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), Peterson House, Malthouse Avenue, Cardiff Gate, Cardiff CF23 8GL. Tel 029 2054 7777; website www.ibo.org) ICT: Information & Communication Technology IGCSE: International GCSE, offered by some independent schools, particularly for maths and science. Examined by both EdExcel and CIE Inspection reports: See ISI or Ofsted in England, HMIe Inspectorate for Scotland, Estyn Inspectorate for Wales and DENI for Northern Ireland ISA: Independent Schools Association, founded in 1879, is a club of about 300 Heads of a variety of schools (co-ed and single-sex, day and boarding, junior and senior). Membership is confined to Heads of independent schools in England and Wales, which fulfil the accreditation requirements of the ISC. (ISA, Independent Schools Association, 1 Boys’ British School, East Street,        Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1LS. Tel 01799 523 619; website www.isaschools.org.uk) ISBA: Independent Schools Bursars’ Association, a co-ordinating organisation for the bursars of ISC school ISC: Independent Schools Council is an umbrella organisation of five associations of heads (HMC, GSA, SHMIS, IAPS and ISA), plus AGBIS and ISBA. It represents some 1280 independent schools with 80% of all UK independent school pupils. It has its own accreditation and inspection schemes (ISI) and otherwise concentrates on government and media relations. It has a number of regional advisors. (ISC, St Vincent House, 30 Orange Street, London WC2H 7HH. Tel 020 7766 7070; website www.isc.co.uk) ISCO: Independent Schools Careers Organisation provides training, advice and resources for careers advisers and pupils at its 400+ member schools. Its regional directors administer psychological vocational tests used at schools. (ISBO, St George’s House, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3SY. Tel 01276 687 525; website www.isco.org.uk) ISEB: Independent Schools Examination Board, administers the Common Entrance exams used by a number of independent secondary schools. (ISEB, The Pump House, 16 Queen’s Avenue, Christchurch BH23 1BZ. Tel 01202 487 538; website www.iseb.co.uk) ISI: Independent Schools Inspectorate is responsible for inspecting all ISC schools in England. Inspection reports are published on their website.  (ISI, CAP House, 9-12 Long Lane, London EC1A 9HA. Tel 020 7600 0100; website www.isi.net) ISTD: Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing IT: Information technology Key skills: Introduced into the sixth-form curriculum as an additional qualification (communication, application of number and information technology). Other wider key skills are expected to be covered in higher education courses (problem solving, improving own learning and performance and working with others). Many schools do not bother with the formal assessment, which is through a combination of a ‘portfolio of evidence’ and a test; credit can also come from part-time work, Outward Bound or Young Enterprise. In Scotland, these skills are called Core Skills KS: Key stage. This is National Curriculum jargon describing the four phases of a child’s compulsory education: Key Stage 1 is up to Year 2 (ie to age 7); KS2 covers Years 3–6 (ie age 7–11); KS3, Years 7–9 (age 11–14); and KS4, Years 10–11 (age 14–16). At the end of Key Stages 1–3, pupils are assessed by SATs (standard assessment tasks) in state schools and a handful of independent schools; at the end of KS4, assessment is in the form of GCSEs