Glossary

Association of Employers and Learning Providers

http://www.aelp.org.uk/

Association for Learning Technology

http://www.alt.ac.uk/

AMiE is the leadership section of ATL representing leaders and managers in schools and colleges.

http://amie.atl.org.uk/

AoC Create is the commercial subsidiary of the Association of Colleges. http://www.aoc-create.co.uk

AoC Jobs is the specialist job board for the further education sector, provided by the Association of Colleges. Visit the site at www.aocjobs.com

Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, one of the awarding bodies in England.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/

Association of Teachers and Lecturers

https://www.atl.org.uk/

City and Guilds. A vocational awarding body in the UK.
http://www.cityandguilds.com/

Confederation of British Industry. The representative organisation providing a voice for employers at a national and international level.
http://www.cbi.org.uk/

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

Supports development of European VET policies and contributes to their implementation.

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Index.aspx

Common Inspection Framework

Continuing Professional Development

Disclosure and Barring Service, formerly known as the Criminal Records Bureau
https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check

The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for education and children's services.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education

Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions

Edexcel is a Pearson company. Pearson Education Limited (Pearson) is the UK's largest awarding organisation, offering academic and vocational qualifications and training to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally.
http://www.edexcel.com/Pages/Home.aspx

European Social Fund
http://ec.europa.eu/esf/home.jsp

English for Speakers of Other Languages

The Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues.
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/

Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) is the trade association for vocational awarding bodies in the UK.
http://www.awarding.org.uk/

Further Education

The Further Education Trust for Leadership - www.fetl.org.uk

Functional Skills

Recognised membership body for specialist HE providers

http://guildhe.ac.uk/

Higher Education

Higher Education Academy – responsible for supporting academic staff with professional recognition, networking and development opportunities, and advice and support throughout their careers.
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/home

Higher Education Funding Council for England
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/

Higher Education Institutions - these encompass colleges of higher education, university colleges and universities.

Higher Education Statistics Agency. HESA is the official non-governmental agency that collects, distributes and analyses HE data

http://www.hesa.ac.uk/

The Individualised Learner Record is a collection of data about students and their learning that is requested from providers in the further education and skills sector.

Institute of Education, University of London
http://www.ioe.ac.uk/

Joint Academic Network (Ja.net) is the UK’s research and education network.
https://www.ja.net/

Joint Council for Qualifications
http://www.jcq.org.uk/

Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) represents the UK further and higher education sector on the international educational technology standards initiatives.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/

Local Enterprise Partnership

Local Government Association
http://www.local.gov.uk/

Labour Market Intelligence - the data includes information about the past, present and future structure and working of the labour market and the factors that influence it.  Included is information on occupations at a local, regional and national level, average earnings, skill shortages, demand by employers and education levels.

National Audit Office

National Association of Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults 

Association of National Specialist Colleges (Natspec) is the membership association for independent specialist colleges that provide further education for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
http://www.natspec.org.uk/

National Foundation for Educational Research

The National Union of Students is an organisation that promotes, defends and extends the rights of students and develops and champions strong local students' unions
http://www.nus.org.uk/

National Vocational Qualification

Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) is a UK awarding body, providing qualifications for learners of all ages at school, college, in work or through part-time learning programmes awarding bodies in England.
http://www.ocr.org.uk/

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
http://www.oecd.org/unitedkingdom/

The Office for Fair Access is an independent public body that helps safeguard and promote fair access to higher education.

http://www.offa.org.uk/

The Office of Examination Qualifications and Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.
http://ofqual.gov.uk/

Office for Standards in Education
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/

Offenders Learning and Skills Service

The Open University

Postgraduate Certificate in Education -a one-year postgraduate qualification needed to teach in English state schools

Programme for International Student Assessment - a collaborative study among 28 member countries of OECD and four others to assess the knowledge and skills of 15-year olds in literacy, numeracy and science.
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Agency , the Agency responsible for HE external quality assurance
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is the national credit transfer system for education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Student Loans Company works with Local Authorities in Wales, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, the Education and Library boards in Northern Ireland, Higher Education Institutions and HM Revenue & Customs, to provide student financial support in the UK.

http://www.slc.co.uk/

Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities

Scottish Qualifications Authority is the national body in Scotland responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment and certification of qualifications other than degrees 

Sector Skills Councils are independent, employer-led, UK–wide organisations designed to build a skills system that is driven by employer demand

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – key subjects covered.

All students in full or part-time education aged 16 to 19 are expected to follow a study programme tailored to their individual needs, education and employment goals, including students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is the national trade union centre in the UK, representing the vast majority of organised workers.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
http://www.ucas.com/

Universities and Colleges Employers Association
http://www.ucea.ac.uk/

University and College Union. A trade union formed by the merger of Natfhe and AUT. UCU is the largest trade union and professional association for academics, lecturers, trainers, researchers and academic-related staff working in further and higher education throughout the UK.
http://www.ucu.org.uk/

University Technical College

Universities UK (UUK) is the recognised membership organisation for universities in the UK.
http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/

Virtual Learning Environment