Glossary

Browse our A to Z list of definitions for terms used across education statistics and data.

The glossary is intended to grow over time as the service is populated.

A

Absence

When a pupil misses (or is absent from) at least 1 possible school session.

Counted in sessions, where 1 session is equivalent to half-a-day.

There are 4 types of absence:

Academic year

Lasts from 31 August to 31 July. Generally broken into 3 terms - autumn, spring and summer.

Ad hoc statistics

Releases of statistics which are not part of DfE's regular annual official statistical release calendar.

Authorised absence

When a pupil misses (or is absent from) at least 1 possible school session with the permission of a teacher or other authorised school representative.

Counted in sessions, where 1 session is equivalent to half-a-day.

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B

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C

Care leaver

Care leavers are relevant or former relevant children. Relevant children are defined under Section 23A(2) of the Children Act 1989 and former relevant children are defined under Section 23C (1) of the Children Act 1989.

A relevant child is:

a young person aged 16 or 17
is no longer looked-after
before last ceasing to be looked-after, was an eligible child

a young person aged 16 or 17
not subject to a care order
detained, or in hospital on their 16th birthday
immediately before being detained or admitted to hospital had been looked-after for at least 13 weeks which began after they reached age 14.

A former relevant child is one who is:

aged 18 or above,

and either

has been a relevant child and would be one if he were under 18,

immediately before he ceased to be looked-after at age 18, was an eligible child.

CLA

See Looked-after child

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D

Disadvantaged pupils

Pupils who are one of the following:

eligible for Free School Meals in the last 6 years (eligibility on census day)
looked after continuously for 1 day or more and aged 4-15
adopted from care

This excludes children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.

Dual main registered pupils

Dual registered pupils who are enrolled at more than 1 school have a dual main registration (at their main school) and 1 or more subsidiary registrations (at their additional schools).

Dual registered pupils

Pupils who are enrolled at more than 1 school.

E

EAL

English as an Additional Language (EAL) refers to pupils whose first language is not English.

Exclusion

When a pupil is not allowed to attend (or is excluded from) a school.

There are 2 types of exclusion:

Exclusion rate

The number of exclusions as a percentage of the overall school population.

Exclusion review panel

The process by which parents (and pupils aged over 18 years) can request a review of a permanent exclusion.

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F

Fixed-period exclusion

When a pupil is not allowed to attend (or is excluded from) a school for a set period of time.

This can be for part of a school day and does not have to be for a continuous period.

A pupil can be excluded for 1 or more fixed periods up to a maximum of 45 school days in a single academic year.

This total includes exclusions from previous schools covered by the exclusion legislation so pupils with repeat exclusions can inflate fixed-period exclusion rates.

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G

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H

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I

Independent review panel

Parents (and pupils if aged over 18 years) can request a review of a permanent exclusion.

An independent review panel’s role is to review the decision of the governing body not to reinstate a permanently excluded pupil.

It must consider the interests and circumstances of the excluded pupil, including the circumstances in which the pupil was excluded, and have regard to the interests of other pupils and people working at the school.

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J

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K

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L

Looked-after-child

Under the Children Act 1989, a child is looked-after by a local authority if he or she falls into one of the following:

is provided with accommodation, for a continuous period of more than 24 hours [Children Act 1989, Section 20 and 21]
is subject to a care order [Children Act 1989, Part IV]
is subject to a placement order

Lunchtime exclusion

When a pupil is not allowed to attend (or is excluded from) a school for the duration of the school's lunchtime period.

A pupil is excluded in this way when their lunchtime behaviour has been disruptive.

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M

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N

National Offer Day

The day when councils send parents confirmations of their child's place at school.

Primary school places are confirmed on 16 April each year - known as National Primary Offer Day.

Secondary school places are confirmed on 1 March each year - known as National Secondary Offer Day.

If either date falls on a weekend, confirmations are sent the next working day.

National Statistician

Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) and the Head of the UK Government Statistical Service (GSS).

More information on the current National Statistician can be found on the GSS website

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O

One or more fixed-period exclusion

Pupils who have had at least 1 fixed-period exclusions across a full academic year.

Includes those with repeated fixed-period exclusions.

Overall absence

The total number of all authorised and unauthorised absences from possible school sessions for all pupils.

Expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible school sessions for all pupils.

Counted in sessions, where 1 session is equivalent to half-a-day.

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P

Permanent exclusion

When a pupil is not allowed to attend (or is excluded from) a school and cannot go back to that specific school unless their exclusion is overturned.

Persistent absence

When a pupil misses (or is absent from) 10% or more possible school sessions.

Counted in sessions, where 1 session is equivalent to half-a-day.

This definition changed at the start of the 2015/16 academic year.

For further information on this change read our Pupil absence statistics: methodology guidance.

Possible school session

Schools are required to provide 2 possible sessions per day - 1 session in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.

This is why a session is equivalent to half-a-day.

Pupil enrolment

A way to refer to a 'pupil' at a school. The number of pupil enrolments presented includes pupils on the school roll for at least 1 session who are aged between 5 and 15 years, excluding boarders.

Some pupils may be counted more than once. For example, if they moved schools during the academic year or are registered in more than 1 school.

Pupil referral unit (PRUs)

An alternative education provision specifically organised to provide education for children who are not able to attend school and may not otherwise receive a suitable education.

This could be because they have a short- or long-term illness, have been excluded from school or are a new starter waiting for a mainstream school place.

Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996, each local education authority (LEA) has a duty to provide suitable education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school.

Placing pupils in PRUs is one of the ways in which LEAs can make sure they can comply with this duty.

PRUs are a mixture of public units and privately managed companies.

Pupils with one or more fixed-period exclusion

Pupil who have had at least one fixed-period exclusion across a full academic year.

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Q

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R

Respite care

Short-term break agreements, which are short periods of care for a child provided by the local authority in order to give the parents or guardians some respite from the normal duties of looking after the child. Each break must include at least one night away from home but cannot exceed 17 days of continuous care. Also referred to as shared care; or family link placements.

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S

School census

Statutory termly data collection for all of the following educational organisations in England:

academies - including free schools and studio schools
colleges - including city technology and university technical colleges
maintained schools - including nurseries, middle-deemed primary and secondary schools, primary schools and secondary schools
special schools - including local authority maintained and non-maintained special schools

School session

See possible school session

School year

See academic year

Secure children's home

Children's homes which provide a locked environment and restrict a child or young person's liberty.

They provide care and accommodation to children and young people who have been detained or sentenced by the criminal courts and those who have been remanded to secure local authority accommodation. They also accommodate and care for children and young people who have been placed there on welfare grounds by local authorities and the courts.

Self-isolated pupils

Pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of coronavirus inside or outside the school.

Sole registered pupils

Pupils who are on the roll of only 1 school.

SSDA903

The annual child level data collection returned by local authorities in England, covering children looked after. Also referred to as the CLA data collection.

State-funded schools

Includes primary, secondary, special schools and alternative provision. Further education colleges, post-16 special institutions and independent schools are not included in these figures.

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T

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U

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking child (UASC)

Children aged under 18, who have applied for asylum in their own right and are separated from both parents and/or any other responsible adult. Local authorities have a legal duty to provide accommodation for these children.