Schools seem to be a minefield of acronyms! They’re mad for them – it can appear that they have their own language.
I have sat through parent teacher interviews where 2 or 3 get rattled off in the one sentence!
So here we go – below is a list of the common ones you may have heard inside the school gates:
ACARA – Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
AP – Assistant Principal
AQF – Australian Qualifications Framework
BAGE – Boy and Girl Education
BOS – Board of Studies
CLO – Community Liaison Officer
COLA – Covered Outdoor Learning Area
CRT – Casual Replacement Teacher
DP – Deputy Principal
EAL – English as an Additional Language
ESL – English as a Second Language
EYLF – Early Years Learning Framework
FP – Field Position
G&T – Gifted and Talented
HOC – Head of Curriculum
HOD – Head of Department
HOSES – Head of Special Education Services
HPE – Health & Physical Education
HSC – Higher School Certificate
HSIE – Human Society and It’s Environment
IAO – Information Access Officer
ICP – Individual Curriculum Plan
ICT – Information and Communication Technology
KLA – Key Learning Areas
KPI – Key Performance Indicators
LOTE – Languages Other Than English
NAPLAN – National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy
OP – Overall Position
OSHC – Outside School Hours Care
P-12 – Prep through to Year 12
P&C – Parents and Citizens’ Association
P&F – Parents and Friends Association
PD – Professional Development
PREP – Preparatory Year
RI – Religious Instruction
SATs – School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
SCH – Student Contact Hours
SEAL – Select Entry Accelerated Learning
SHIP – Students with High Potential
SSO – School Services Officer
SWAN – Students with Additional Needs
TA – Teacher Aide
TAFE – Technical & Further Education
TEE – Tertiary Entrance Examination
VET – Vocational Education & Training
Hopefully this will help make sense of some of the school lingo. haha
