Parent resources

SAT: Has two meanings. In the UK it stands for Standard Assessment Tasks, which are the national tests taken at the end of each Key Stage in the National Curriculum; independent schools are not obliged to take part and few do. In the US, it is the standardised test for college entrance; some international schools prepare pupils for SAT SBSA: State Boarding Schools Association (website www.sbsa.org.uk) SCE: Service Children’s Education School leaving age: The minimum age at which children can lawfully leave school is 16 −  at the end of Year 11 in England and Wales. However, the government is trying to persuade the majority to stay on to 18, which almost all children in independent schools already do SCIS: Scottish Council for Independent Schools Scotland: The educational system in Scotland differs from the English in a number of respects; some independent schools there follow the Scottish system, others stick to the English one, and some are a hybrid of the two. Age & years numbers. Secondary schooling in Scotland starts at 12, rather than 11 or 13. Also there are separate year numbers in primary and secondary, so a 12-year-old joins the secondary school in S1. Exams. At age 16, Scottish pupils take Intermediate 2 or S-grades (standard grade) − often only in those subjects that they are not going to continue further (so some of the ablest pupils will have only 3 or 4 S-grades). In S5, they take maybe four or five Highers. If they stay on to the sixth year, they may take Advanced Highers, possibly with further Highers in subjects that they have not studied before. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) develops, accredits and awards all vocational and academic qualifications in Scottish schools. Core skills (communication, numeracy, problem solving, IT, working with others) are incorporated in the curriculum. University. Traditionally, Scottish students went on to degree courses at 17, after taking Highers in S5. Some still do if they are going to a Scottish university SEN: Special Educational Needs Service children: The Ministry of Defence may give grants towards fees for the children of armed service personnel (Tel 02161 908 2294; wWebsite www.sceschools.com) S-grade: Standard grade examination (Scotland) SHA: Secondary Heads’ Association (now the ASCL) SHMIS: Society of Headmasters & Headmistresses of Independent Schools is a club for over 100 Heads – mostly of smaller independent senior schools, with a tradition of boarding. It was established in 1961 to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, because membership of the HMC was full. Some Headmasters are members of both HMC and SHMIS. (SHMIS, 12 The Point, Rockingham Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7QU. Tel 01858 433 760; website www.shmis.org.uk) SLD/SPLD: Specific Learning Difficulties SLS: School Leaders Scotland (previously HAS) Sportsmark: Sport England’s accreditation scheme for secondary schools. It recognises a school for its out-of-hours sports provision and a broad and balanced PE curriculum. There are two levels of award – Sportsmark and Sportsmark Gold and schools can receive a distinction at either level SQA: Scottish Qualifications Authority develops, accredits and awards all vocational and academic qualifications in Scottish schools. (SQA, The Optima Building, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow G2 8DQ. Tel 0845 279 1000; website www.sqa.org.uk) SRN: State Registered Nurse STEP: Sixth Term Exam Paper (entrance exam for Cambridge University) TEFL: Teaching English as a foreign language UCAS: Universities & Colleges Admissions Service UCST: United Church Schools Trust U16: Under 16 (also U18, U13 etc) URC: United Reform Church WJEC: Welsh Joint Education Committee, the Welsh exam board. (WJEC, 245 Western Avenue, Cardiff CF5 2YX. Tel 029 2026 5000; website www.wjec.co.uk) YE: Young Enterprise Year numbers: Schools have used all kinds of year numbering systems, depending on whether they started counting at age 5, 8 or 11 or use names such as Shell or Remove. Increasingly schools use the numbering system brought in with the National Curriculum (although most have kept a sixth form). The year numbers for secondary schools are − 

Year 7, age 11–12; Year 8, age 12–13; Year 9, age 13–14; Year 10, age 14–15; Year 11, age 15–16, take GCSEs; Year 12 (or lower sixth), age 16–17, take AS-levels; Year 13 (or upper sixth), age 17–18, take A-levels or IB Diploma. In Northern Ireland the year numbers are slightly different. So 11-year-olds go to secondary school into Year 8 and take A-levels in Year 14. In Scotland, the primary classes (eg P4) are usually numbered separately from the secondary (eg S3) and secondary education starts at age 12. So the equivalent of Years 8–13 are called S1–S6.