Council and democracy

A - Acronyms and Glossary (Children, Schools & Families)

Scroll down to find the acronym you require. Those acronyms which appear in Italics have been superseded and are reference only.

Acronym	Meaning
A level	Advanced Level qualification – no longer sat. See AS and A2 Level
A-DASH	Adolescent - Drug and Alcohol Service Hertfordshire
A2 level	A2 Qualification – year 2 following AS level to give A level equivalent
ABR	Approved Budget Return – school’s summary of intention of how the school will spend their budget
Academic Year	The Academic Year or School Year runs from 1st September to the 31st August. The Calender Year runs from 1st January to 31st December while the Financial Year(for HCC) runs from 1st April to 31st March
ACE	Advisory Centre for Education
ACE	Assessing Children to Education
ACL	Adult and Community Learning
ACPC	Area Child Protection Committee - now known as LSCB
ACS	Average Class Size
ACS	Adult Care Services – social care for adults – Department of Hertfordshire County Council
AD	Assistant Director – Head of the main units in the Children, Schools and Families service (Resources, Planning, SSC, Local Services, Operations)
ADCE	Advanced Diploma in Children’s Care and Education
ADD	Attention Deficit Order – see also ADHD
ADHD	Attention Deficiency Hyperactive Disorder – type of Special Educational Need
ADP	Anti Discriminatory Practice
Advice	A report on a pupil’s special educational needs
AEN	Additional Educational Needs
AfL	Assessment for Learning - Sometimes called 'formative assessment'- refers to the process of using assessment information to help students improve as they learn. This is in contrast to summative assessment, where assessment is used as an end process to measure a student's learning.
AHEAD	A Hatfield Educational Achievement Drive
ALI	Adult learning Inspectorate
ALS	Additional Literacy Support
AMP	Asset Management Plan – refer to Property
Annual Review	The review meeting that takes place at least once every twelve months to look at the details of the statement, to record the child’s educational progress and plan for the year ahead. Teachers and parents attend the review meeting. Other professionals involved are also invited. The child or young person is also invited to attend for part or all of the meeting.
AOT	Adult Other than a Teacher
APL	Accreditation of prior learning
APPS	Area Parent Partnership Supporter
APS	Assisted Places Scheme
APS	Average points score
AQA	Assessment and Qualifications Alliance – examination board
AS level	Advanced Supplementary – qualification – first or only year
ASB	Aggregated Schools Budget – refer to Schools Funding Unit
ASBO	Anti-Social Behavioural Order
ASC	Advanced Schools Census
ASD	Autistic Spectrum Disorder – type of Special Educational Need
ASSET	An assessment instrument used by probation and YOTs
AST	Advanced Skills Teacher
ASW	Approved Social Worker
AT	Attainment Target – assessment
AT	Advisory Teacher – Usually teachers who know about specific difficulties that may affect a child’s learning or education and can advise parents and schools about how to support a child. Some advisory teachers may only give advice on general matters, not on individuals. An SEN Advisory Teacher is one working with each SEN Adviser on whole school SEN issues.
A&T	Admissions and Transport
ATL	Association of Teachers and Lecturers – Union
Autism Base	A highly specialist resource within SLD and MLD schools which supports pupils with significant or severe learning difficulties on the autistic spectrum.
AVCE	Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education
AWPU	Age Weighted Pupil Unit – main factor in school funding