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O to P - Acronyms and Glossary (Children, Schools and Families)
Scroll down to find the acronym you require. Those acronyms which appear in Italics have been superseded and are reference only.
| Acronym | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OfSTED | Office for Standards in Education |
| OMR | Optical Mark Reader |
| Opportunity class | Under fives group for children with SEN. There are approximately ten groups run around the county |
| Oracle | Hertfordshire’s computerised integrated referral and database system |
| Originating Authority | The authority where the child/family previously lived |
| OSHL | Out of School Hours Learning |
| OT | Occupational Therapist - Trained to assess how to maximise and maintain individual independence in everyday living skills. They can advise on what aids, equipment or home adaptations which might help you to manage more easily |
| OTT | Overseas Trained teacher |
| OU | Open University |
| Out County school | Placement in a school other than an LEA maintained school - may be actually within Hertfordshire or in another county |
| Outreach teacher | Teacher based in a special school or unit who works with children in schools other than their own. |
| PA | Personnel Assistant |
| PA | Professional Assistant |
| Paediatrician | A consultant doctor who specialises in children’s health and can refer your child to other specialists, if necessary |
| PaVAG | Parent and Voluntary Advisory Group - forum for parents and officers to input into policies for children with special needs. |
| PANDA | Performance and Assessment Data |
| Parent Partnership co-ordinator | The officer based within CAU who can offer advice and support to parents, Also recruits, trains and co-ordinates Named Person volunteers. |
| PASS | Parent and Student Services – this division is no longer in existence |
| PAT | Professional Association of Teachers |
| PATHS | Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies |
| PAYE | Pay As You Earn – taxation |
| PCAS | Polytechnic Clearing Admissions System – now UCAS |
| PCHR | Personal Child Health Record |
| PCT | Primary Care Trust |
| PDG | Policy Development Group |
| PDP | Personnel Development Plan |
| PDRS | Primary Dinner Register System |
| PE | Physical Education |
| PEP | Personal Educational Plan |
| PEP | Principal Educational Psychologist |
| PFI | Private Finance Initiative |
| PGCE | Post Graduate Certificate in Education |
| PGR | Parent Governor Representative – on the CSF Committee |
| PH | Physically Handicapped |
| PHF | Primary Heads’ Forum |
| PHU | Partially Hearing Unit |
| Physiotherapist | A person trained to assess movement and physical development such as balance, co-ordination, ability to sit, stand and walk. They advise on how best to help your child develop movement further or keep as much movement as possible and on aids such as seating and the amount of physiotherapy needed. If necessary they will ask an occupational therapist to advise on equipment, aids and adaptations to your home and school. |
| PI | Performance Indicator |
| PI | Physically Impaired – type of SEN |
| PICSI | Pre-Inspection Context and School Indicator |
| PIPS | Performance Indicators in Primary Schools |
| Playgroup | Usually privately run under fives group – also known as pre-school |
| PLASC | Pupil Level Annual School Census |
| PM | Performance Management |
| PMC | Principal Management C Level |
| PMLD | Profound Multiple Learning Difficulties – type of SEN |
| PNI | Physical and Neurological Impairment – type of SEN |
| PoCAL | Protection of Children Act List |
| PoS | Programme of Study |
| PPA | Pre-School Playgroups Association |
| PPC | Parent Partnership Co-ordinator |
| PPO | Police Protection Order |
| PPP | Public Private Partnership |
| PPS | Parent Partnership Service - provide advice and information to parents whose children have special educational needs. |
| PPS | Parent Partnership Supporters - Based in four areas of Hertfordshire, they offer individual parent support, and oversee development work relating to parents of children with SEN. |
| PPU | Public Protection Unit |
| PQ1 | Post Qualifying (Award) Part One |
| PQ2 | Post Qualifying (Award) Part Two |
| PQCCA | Post Qualifying Child Care Award |
| PQSW | Post Qualifying (Award) in Social Work |
| PRC | Premature Retirement Compensation |
| Pre-School Advisory Teacher | They offer advice and support to families and pre-school settings for all children with significant difficulties. Pre-School Advisory Teachers link with the Specialist Advisory Service when the child starts full time school and are based/work closely with the Educational Psychology teams |
| Proposed statement | The initial statement sent to parents by the Named Officer for comments, also referred to as the draft statement. |
| PROtect | A Police database |
| PRP | Performance Related Pay |
| PRU | Pupil Referral Unit – see ESC |
| PS | Partially Sighted |
| PSB | Potential Schools Budget |
| 'P' scales | 'Performance' scales |
| P/SD | Physical/Sensory Disability – Physical and Sensory Impairment Advisory Teachers are part of the Specialist Advisory Service. They offer advice and support on meeting children’s SEN in school. Advice is given on autism, deafblind, hearing impairment, physical/neurological impairment, speech and language and visual impairment. They work closely with the Educational Psychology Teams. |
| PSD | Personal and Social Development |
| PSE | Personal and Social Education – no longer in use, see PSHE |
| PSHE | Personal, Social and Health Education |
| PSP | Pastoral Support Programme |
| PSW | Pupil Support Worker |
| PT | Part Time |
| PT | Physical Tuition/Training – see also PE |
| PTA | Parent Teacher Association |
| PTR | Pupil Teacher Ratio |
| PULSE | Pupil level data for school effectiveness |
| PVI | Private, Voluntary and Independent |
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