Skills and Learning Jargon Buster

ABE	Adult Basic Education
Access arrangements	Special arrangements which can be made before an exam so a disabled student can demonstrate their knowledge and skills without their disability being a barrier. For example, extra time, a reader, a scribe and supervised rest breaks.
Access to Work (AtW)	A government programme aimed at supporting disabled people to take up and/or remain in work. An Access to Work grant can pay for personalised and practical support if you are in employment, doing an apprenticeship, traineeship or supported internship. This could be help towards the additional costs of taxi fares if you cannot use public transport to get to work, a support worker or specialist equipment (or alterations to existing equipment)
ACE	Advisory Centre for Education
ACL	Adult Community Learning
Advocacy	Taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. Advocates and advocacy providers work in partnership with the people they support.
Active Listening/empathic listening / reflective listening	A way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding and trust. It includes giving your full attention that enables that person to be fully heard.
AI	Artificial Intelligence
A-Levels	A-levels are two-year subject-based academic qualifications typically taken by students aged 16-18 in the UK after GCSEs. They are a common route to university, advanced training,
Alumni	Former students of a school/university
Apprenticeship	A real job where you receive practical training and get paid at the same time as studying for a particular qualification. Part-time apprenticeships should be available for all apprenticeships.
AR- Augmented Reality	AR or Augmented Reality is an interactive experience where a view of the real-world is enhanced with computer-generated content. For example, you might use your smartphone’s camera to view the real world and this could be overlaid with information such as your location or who you are talking to.
ASF	The Adult Skills Fund, previously known as the Adult Education Budget supports the delivery of education and training to people aged 19 and over.
Assistive Technology	Any system, device, software or equipment that individuals use to perform tasks that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.
Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) / Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC)	Autism is a lifelong complex condition that typically appears during early childhood and affects people differently and to varying degrees. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviours that can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. Autistic people can find it hard to communicate and interact with other people, find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable, find it hard to understand how other people think or feel, get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations, changes in routine and may take longer to process information.
Best Practice	The most effective method of a particular practice, identified through research trials and other methods of validation.
Blended Learning	Blended learning is how we would describe an approach that combines different forms (modalities) of learning. For example, if a course utilises both face-to-face training and e-learning. Or, a course features different online learning elements (e.g. e-learning course, a learning game, and some support videos) to form a digital blend.
BA	Bachelor of Arts, the undergraduate degree awarded to those studying an arts or humanities degree.
BEng	Bachelor of Engineering, the undergraduate degree awarded to those studying an engineering discipline.
BGSN	Building Growth Skills Network Around £70 billion of new infrastructure work is planned for Norfolk and Suffolk between now and 2037. This will result in the need for around 43,000 jobs.
BSc	Bachelor of Science, the undergraduate degree awarded to those studying a scientific discipline.
BTEC	Business and Technology Education Council-BTEC National Diploma qualifications are usually the equivalent of three A level courses – often based in practical fields. They are graded Distinction, Merit, and Pass.
BUCS	British Universities & Colleges Sport. The national governing body for higher education sport in the UK.
CAD	Computer Aided Design
CAL	Computer Assisted Learning
CBI	Chartered Business Institute
C&G	City and Guilds
CCA	Combined County Authority
CDS	Customs Declarations Service
CEG	Customs Education Guidance
CEJP	Clean Energy Jobs Plan – sets out how the government will work in partnership with industry and trade unions to help workers in all parts of the country benefit from these opportunities – supporting our existing workforce to find new opportunities, training up the next generation, and supporting young people to get good, ununionised jobs.
Cohort	Used to describe a group of learners
Connect to Work	UK government-funded programme designed to help disabled people, those with health conditions, and individuals facing other barriers to find and keep a job. It provides personalised employment support, including coaching and job matching, and connects individuals with employers who can accommodate their needs. In your local area of Suffolk, the program is delivered by Suffolk County Council with Seetec as the delivery partner, and it aims to offer a community-focused service with support for both job seekers and employers.
CoVE	Centre of Vocational Excellence
CIPD	The professional body for HR and people development
CPD	Continuing Professional Development
CRM	Central Records Management
CSE’s	Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE): A former school qualification in the UK, available from 1965 to 1987, for students who did not take O-Levels.
DBS	Disclosure and Barring Service
Department for Education (DfE)	The Department for Education is the government department responsible for children’s services and education, include early years schools, further and higher education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
DDA	Disability Discrimination Act
Disabled	The Equality Act 2010 defines a person as disabled if they have: “a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities”
Disability Adviser / Disability Officer / Disability Coordinator	Works in Disability Services or Student Support Services. Responsibilities include advice on what support is available, recommend reasonable adjustments, arrange the support needed and provide help with applications for additional funding such as DSA.
Disability Support Services/Student Support and Wellbeing Service	Name given to a service or team that supports disabled students. Name varies between education providers, but most include the word ‘disability’ or ‘support’ in their title.
Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)	You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances to cover any extra study-related costs you incur due to an impairment, long term health condition or mental health condition. The allowance covers 4 different areas of need: Specialist Equipment; non-medical helper’s support; general and other expenditure and additional disability-related travel costs.
Discrimination	Recognising that each individual is unique, and respecting and valuing people’s differences including race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, religion, beliefs and other ideologies.
Diversity	Recognising that each individual is unique, and respecting and valuing people’s differences including race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, religion, beliefs and other ideologies.
DPP	Devolution Priority Programme
DPULO / DPO / ULO	Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations that are run and controlled by people who use support services
DWP	Department for Work and Pensions
Dyscalculia	A specific condition related to understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics
Dyslexia	A learning difference that affects the skills involved in reading, spelling, writing and information processing.
Dyspraxia	A condition affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination
EASS	Equality, Advisory and Support Services
EDI	Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)	Funds schools and academies with sixth forms, further education colleges, independent training providers and special post-16 institutions. Funding provided for the education and training of learners aged between 16 and 19 years and up to the age of 25 for young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment	An assessment to find out what a child or young person’s education, health and care needs are, whether they need a EHC Plan and what provision should be put in place to meet their needs. First step to getting a EHC plan.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan	For young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.
Employability	A combination of skills and attributes that makes a student employable and successful in their chosen career
ERB	Employer Representative Body
ERB – Employment Rights Bill	The plan to make work pay, developed through close collaboration with business and trade unions, is a manifesto commitment and a core part of one of the Government’s five mission-led priorities to grow the economy. The plan is designed to help more people to stay in work, support workers’ productivity and improve living standards.
EPA – End Point Assessment	End-Point Assessment is the final test for apprentices during their apprenticeship. It is designed to be an objective and impartial assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours. Activities are different for every apprenticeship, but they all follow the same overall structure.
ESNEFT	East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Extra-curricular	Activities that are outside of the academic requirements of the course (e.g. membership of a club or society).
FSB	Federation of Small Businesses
FE – Further Education	Any study after secondary education that is not an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. This can include academic qualifications like GCSEs and A Levels, study programmes such as supported internships and traineeships, technical (job-related) qualifications level 2 technical certificates which help you get a job, T levels which prepare you for a specific technical job and Apprenticeships below degree level.
Gamification	Where elements of game design are used to enhance a learning experience. These are often seen in the form of offering challenges, fun narratives, points or scores, leaderboards and rewards.
Gateway	The employer and your training provider will make a joint decision about when the apprentice is ready to progress to their EPA. This stage is called ‘gateway’.
GBA	Governing Bodies Association
GBW – Get Britain Working	National Format and Get Norfolk / Suffolk Working (local format). The title of a 2024 UK government White Paper and ongoing initiative aiming to increase the employment rate by reforming employment support systems. The plan focuses on four key areas: supporting people with health conditions, providing better support for young people, overhauling Jobcentres, and strengthening local work, health, and skills support. The strategy includes a Youth Guarantee for 18 to 21-year-olds, an £22.6 billion increase in funding for health and social care, and efforts to encourage employers to create healthier workplaces.
GCSEs	General Certificate of Secondary Education, an academic qualification for students aged 15-16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that marks the end of Key Stage 4.
GSL – Growth Skills Levy	The Growth and Skills Levy is an evolving policy in England, initially building on the Apprenticeship Levy, to fund employee training and development. It provides more flexible funding for businesses to invest in a range of high-quality skills, including new courses in digital, AI, and engineering, and will eventually replace the apprenticeship levy. The goal is to increase productivity, innovation, and support new pathways into skilled work for employees.
GVA	Gross Value Added
HE – Higher Education	Results in a level 4+ qualification and includes HND, HNC, diploma of higher education, foundation degree, undergraduate degrees, higher apprenticeship and postgraduate degrees such as Master’s.
HEFC	Higher Education Funding Council
HNC / HND	Higher National Certificate / Higher National Diploma
Honours Degree (Hons)	Most degrees are split into first class honours (firsts), upper second class or 2.i (pronounced ‘two-one’), lower-second class or 2.ii (a ‘two-two’) and third class honours, or a third.
Honours Degree with a Foundation Year	for students who do not have the qualifications, study skills or English language ability for direct entry
Ifate	Institute for apprenticeships and technical education
Impairment	An injury, illness, or congenital condition that causes or is likely to cause a loss or difference of physiological or psychological function. A disabled person is a person with an impairment who experiences disability. Disability is the result of negative interactions that take place between a person with an impairment and her or his social environment.
Inclusion	Treating people as equals and meeting the needs of everyone in society by removing barriers that stop equal access and participation in activities and events.
Inclusive Learning Plans (ILPs)	ILPs specify reasonable adjustments which will enable students to have appropriate arrangements for their programme of study, assessments and exams
Independent Living	Support for adults living in the community rather than in a residential home
Information, Advice and Support Service (also known as SENDIAS)	Service that provides information, impartial advice and support for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs, and their parents. Each local authority should have one.
Industrial Strategy	Strategy document setting out a new economic approach to backing the UK’s strengths, with ambitious plans for 8 high-growth sectors.
IOD	Institute of Directors
Institution or HEI	A university or college offering higher education courses
Integrated Master’s	A four-year programme which combines undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single course
Internship	Supervised, practical work experience. Can be paid or unpaid.
ITP	Independent Training Provider
JCP	Job Centre Plus
KSB	Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours – Main assessment methods used for EPA (End Point Assessment)
LEP	Local Enterprise Partnership
Learning Difference	Some people prefer this term instead of ‘learning difficulty’ which focuses on an individual’s cognitive weaknesses and isolates them from other learners, whereas ‘difference’ highlights the fact that they simply learn differently than others do.
Learning Difficulty	Is a term used for different types of specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A person can have one, or a combination of learning difficulties which can include difficulties with reading, spelling, maths or planning.
Learning Disability	Is an ‘umbrella’ term for different conditions that describe a brain impairment. Most people are born with a learning disability. People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn life skills and process information and may need support to understand complex or new information, develop new skills and interact with other people. Some people use learning difficulty and learning disability interchangeably.
Learning Support	Students aged 19 or over, on a further education course and facing financial hardship could get Learner Support to help pay for accommodation, travel, course materials, equipment or other support.
LGP	Local Growth Plan – This guidance is issued to support Mayoral Strategic Authorities in developing and delivering Local Growth Plans. It includes a section on how Mayoral Strategic Authorities can develop an investment pipeline to support opportunities in the region.
LMS	Learning Management System. It is a software application used for the administration, hosting, delivery, tracking and reporting of online, digital training solutions (e-learning).
Local Offer	Published by the local authority, it details information about what support is available in that area for children and young people aged 0-25 who have special educational needs. Includes information about education, health and care provision. Available on local authority website.
LSIF	Local Skills Improvement Fund
LSIP	Local Skills Improvement Plan
MA	Master of Arts
MCCA	Mayoral Combined County Authority
Micro-Learning	A digital learning format where training is delivered in short, ‘bite-sized’ chunks related to specific learning objectives
Module	A period of study covering a particular topic. Many programmes are divided into modules with a certain number of modules required to study the course to completion.
MoU	Memorandum of Understanding – clarity for all partners about what each is putting in, what each is getting out and the timeframe for doing so
NC	National Curriculum
NCS	National Career Service
NCoC	Norfolk Chambers of Commerce
Neurodiversity / Neurodiverse Condition / Neurodivergent	Many people now choose the term ‘Neurodiverse Condition’ instead of ‘learning difficulty’ when referring to learning differences such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism.
NFU	National Farmers Union
NVQ	National Vocational Qualifications
O Levels	The General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (O Level) was a qualification offered from 1951 until the introduction of the GCSE in 1986.
OTJ	On the Job
OTJL	Off the Job Learning
OU	Open University
Personal Budget	Agreed amount of money allocated to pay for social care by the local authority following an assessment of care and support needs.
Person-Centred	Seeing the person as an individual and working together to develop appropriate solutions
Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper	Post-16 Education and skills reforms to develop a skilled workforce and break down barriers to opportunity
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)	A government agency which is given the task to assess quality and standards of higher education provision. It assesses universities and scores them according to their findings.
QCF	Qualifications and Credit Framework
Reasonable Adjustments	Under the Equality Act 2010 employers and organisations have a responsibility to make sure that disabled people can access jobs, education and services as easily as non-disabled people. This is known as the ‘duty to make reasonable adjustments.’ This could be a change in policy, practice or procedure. For example, flexible work arrangements, providing information in accessible formats, providing a quiet space to work, assistive technology or having a mentor at work.
SAP	Skills Advisory Panel
SCC	Suffolk County Council
SCoC	Suffolk Chamber of Commerce
Scholarship	A financial award in recognition of excellence to help support students through university. Awarded purely on merit in areas of academia, music or sport, they do not have to be repaid.
SEN	Special Educational Needs. This is the term now used by professionals
SEND	Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This is the term now used by professionals
SIC	Standard Industrial Classification – a condensed list of SIC codes for providing Companies House with a description of a company’s nature of business.
SFE	Student Finance England are the body who manage applications for maintenance and tuition fee loans across England.
SIG	Stowmarket Innovation Group
Skills England	a new arms-length body that will bring together key partners to meet the skills of the next decade. Previously known as IFATE.
Social Model of Disability	Considers disability as the social and physical restrictions formed by society and not the individual. It distinguishes between impairment and disability whereby the loss or limitation of opportunities for a person with an impairment to take part in society on an equal level with others is due to social and environmental barriers. It requires a change in society’s values and practices in order to remove the barriers to participation that discriminate against disabled people.
SOC	Standard Occupational Classification, is a common classification of occupational information for the UK.
SPG	The term “strategic priorities grant” most commonly refers to a funding source for higher education in the UK, managed by the Office for Students (OfS). It is used to support government goals for teaching and facilities, with a focus on areas like STEM subjects, subjects supporting the NHS, and degree apprenticeships. It can also refer to other government or funding body programs, such as the UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund for research or other specific grants with strategic aims.
Strategic Authorities	a new category of combined local government bodies, including Combined Authorities
SI	Supported Internship – a work-based study programme to help young people between 16 and 24 who have statement of SEN or EHC plan to get a job.
T-level	T stands for technical. A 2 year programme which provides the skills and knowledge to get into a technical career. Combines classroom study with an extended unpaid industry placement.
Traineeship	A work-based study programme to help young people aged 16 to 24, or up to the age of 25 with an Education, Health and Care plan prepare for paid employment if they don’t have the skills and experience that employers are looking for. Helps to become ‘work ready’ and includes work preparation training, Maths and English and work experience. Last six weeks to one year.
UCAS	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, responsible for university applications and providing general advice and guidance.
ULN	Unique Learner Number
Unconscious Bias	Micro-learning can be videos, animations, audio files, or e-learning
Undergraduate	Student studying for first degree.
UPK	Under Pinning Knowledge
V Levels	new level 3 qualifications that offer a vocational pathway for students who want to explore different sectors before committing to a specific career path
WBL	Think of them as the middle ground between the academic focus of A levels and the technical specialisation of T levels.