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A *grade originally awarded for exceptionally good performance in any subject at *General Certificate of Secondary Education. Previously, the highest grade awarded was an A grade. When the introduction of an A* grade also for ...

Through a post-structural, hermeneutic, and phenomenological paradigm, a/r/tography was conceptualized on the premise that multifaceted, lived experience and subjective perspectives make substantial contributions to complex phenomena (...

Used in education in the sense of ‘potential for performance’. It is unclear, however, how ability might be accurately measured, if not in terms of performance. Nevertheless, it is synonymous neither with ‘achievement’ nor with ‘attainment’, and refers to what a student is capable of, rather than to what they have proved themselves able to do. This is best illustrated by the fact that a student may be described as having high ability but performing poorly; or as having low ability but performing well. The idea of ability as a potential is evident in such phrases as ‘late developer’, commonly used to describe someone whose innate ability does not become evident until late in their school career, or even after they have left formal education....

Grouping pupils together in classes to be taught according to their *ability. In the United Kingdom this is not usually the case, as pupils are normally grouped according to age, and within a national framework of ...

The German *examination equivalent to the *General Certificate of Education *Advanced Level. It is often held up by educators in the United Kingdom as a model to be emulated as it offers the ...

1. An adjective used to describe learning and related activities which are largely of a *cognitive nature and involve the acquisition, exploration, or application of knowledge, often of an abstract kind or for its own sake. It is often applied to point up the distinction between this type of activity and the more practical or instrumental types of learning which fall into the category of ...

A committee of staff and managers in a *university or *college which meets regularly for the purpose of regulating and monitoring the academic affairs of the institution. Staff members are usually nominated and elected by their peers, although such a board will normally include some co-opted members....

In the 1970s in Britain, educators first used the notion of language across the curriculum (LAC) as a whole-school approach to addressing the academic language and literacy needs of students studying in different curricular areas. The LAC approach focuses on understanding the academic language demands of content subjects and advocates the need for all teachers (not just language teachers) to teach students appropriate academic language for successful participation in academic literacy tasks across the curriculum. As stated in a key document in the movement, the Bullock Report, “Each school should have an organized policy for language across the curriculum, establishing every teacher’s involvement in language and reading development throughout the years of schooling” (...

The process of observing students’ academic progress in one or more subject over a period of time. It is used by teachers to compare the performance of a particular student to that of his/her classmates and to identify students who are struggling, excelling, or underachieving. Information for examining students’ progress is usually collected in the form of ...

The strict and consistent application of high academic standards. It is a term often used to point up the contrast between written ...

1. A publicly funded independent school, set up as a trust and supported by a sponsor such as a business, a university, a charity, a religious body, or another successful school. The sponsor is accountable for the continuing improvement of the school’s performance. Academies receive their funding from the ...

A range of techniques which are claimed to increase the learner’s capacity to absorb and retain information by focusing on learning how to learn. Proponents suggest that we use only a small percentage of our potential mental capacity, and that we could increase this by, for example, identifying our preferred learning style and adopting strategies such as the use of memory maps. Training in accelerated learning often draws on the theory of ...

Adjustments which are made which enable students with particular needs to access *tests and *examinations. Such arrangements must not give students an unfair advantage. Students entitled to access arrangements are those who have a ...

Known in full as an ‘Access to Higher Education course’, this is a programme of study specifically designed for adults without formal entry qualifications such as ...

Since 2003 it has been a requirement that all schools possess an accessibility plan. These must describe how the school intends to improve access for pupils with disabilities to the curriculum, environment, and information (which includes all written information including signage, handouts, and textbooks). Plans must be in writing and adequately resourced. They must be implemented, reviewed, and revised as necessary. Before drafting their plan, schools are required to consult widely. Plans are renewable every three years and must be published annually....

Students suffering financial hardship may be eligible to apply to this fund to help them enter or remain in *...

Educational institutions, in the persons of their managers and governing bodies, are required to account publicly and, in the case of schools, particularly to parents for their performance through such means as ...

1. The awarding of credit to an individual student for achievement of, or towards, a qualification. See also accreditation of prior learning...

The process or practice of awarding *credits which can be counted towards a qualification, based on the candidate’s previous experience, learning, or achievements. This practice has become widely used in the ...

The performance or *attainment of a *student or *pupil. It may be measured in a number of ways, such as the successful demonstration of a pre-specified ...