Assessment, exams and results
11+
entry process for Year 7. It may involve school-written papers, consortium exams, ISEB, interviews and reports.
Basics / May 2026 / 31 min read
Private School Glossary
A deep plain-English glossary of independent-school admissions, exams, fees, bursaries, boarding, visas, safeguarding and inspection terms.
Glossary confidence
- Last checked
- May 2026
- Confidence
- Medium
- Refresh
- Termly
Sources: GOV.UK, ISI, ISC, school admissions pages. Definitions apply generally; school-specific usage can vary.
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Assessment, exams and results
13+
entry process for Year 9. It can involve early pre-tests, conditional offers, Common Entrance or school exams.
Assessment, exams and results
16+
sixth-form entry for Year 12. Schools usually look at GCSE or equivalent grades, subject choices, interview and references.
A
Assessment, exams and results
A level
subject-based qualification usually taken in Year 13 after two years of sixth-form study.
Assessment, exams and results
A*/A percentage
the share of A level entries graded A* or A. It is usually by entry, not pupil.
A-Z glossary
Academic scholarship
award for academic performance or potential. Ask whether it has fee value.
A-Z glossary
Acceptance deadline
date by which parents must accept an offer.
Money, bursaries and fees
Acceptance deposit
money paid to secure an offered place. Refund rules vary and are governed by the parent contract.
Money, bursaries and fees
Acceptance fee
a fee paid when accepting a place. It may be separate from deposit.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Access arrangements
exam adjustments such as extra time, reader, scribe or rest breaks, subject to evidence and rules.
A-Z glossary
Activity morning
assessment event using tasks, classroom work, games or group observation.
Assessment, exams and results
Adaptive test
an online test where question difficulty adjusts to pupil performance.
A-Z glossary
Admissions criteria
factors used to decide who gets a place.
Admissions and entry
Admissions office
the team that manages enquiries, visits, registration, assessments, offers and joining paperwork.
International, visa and relocation
AEGIS
Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students, which accredits guardianship organisations.
A-Z glossary
All-rounder
pupil strong across academics, sport, arts, leadership or character. Often used for scholarships.
School types, ages and curriculum
All-through school
a school covering several stages, often junior through senior and sixth form.
Money, bursaries and fees
Annual review
yearly reassessment of a bursary or fee-support award.
A-Z glossary
Appeal
in state admissions, formal challenge route. Independent schools usually have complaints processes rather than statutory admissions appeals.
Admissions and entry
Application
the formal request to be considered. It may be separate from registration.
A-Z glossary
Art scholarship
award based on portfolio, practical work and interview.
Admissions and entry
Assessment
the process used to decide whether to offer a place. It can include exams, online tests, interview, activity day, portfolio, audition, reference and school report.
Admissions and entry
Assessment day
a scheduled visit or online process where pupils sit tests and meet staff. It may include social observation.
B
Assessment, exams and results
Baseline
prior-attainment measure used to judge progress.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Boarder
pupil who lives at school for part or all of the week.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Boarding house
the residential unit where boarders live.
School types, ages and curriculum
Boarding school
a school where pupils live on site for some or all of the week.
International, visa and relocation
BRP
biometric residence permit. UK immigration status is increasingly digital, so schools may ask for eVisa share codes instead.
A-Z glossary
BSA
Boarding Schools' Association.
Assessment, exams and results
BTEC
vocational or applied qualification. Some schools include it in Level 3 results; others report A levels separately.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Buddy
pupil assigned to help a new child settle.
Money, bursaries and fees
Bursar
senior finance or operations leader. The bursar or finance team often manages fees and bursaries.
Money, bursaries and fees
Bursary
means-tested financial support based on family circumstances.
C
Admissions and entry
Candidate
the child applying.
Assessment, exams and results
Candidate number
exam administration number, not the same as cohort size.
A-Z glossary
Candidate portal
online system for application documents and messages.
International, visa and relocation
CAS
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. A licensed sponsor assigns it for a Child Student visa application after offer and required checks.
Assessment, exams and results
CAT scores
Cognitive Abilities Test scores, sometimes used for baseline or admissions context.
A-Z glossary
Catchment
geographic priority area, common in state admissions but sometimes used informally by parents. Independent schools may care more about commute.
Assessment, exams and results
CEM, GL, Atom, Quest or school-written tests
different assessment providers or styles. Ask the school what skills are tested.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Chaplain
pastoral or faith leader, often available to pupils of all faiths and none.
Governance and operations
Charitable status
some independent schools are charities, with trustees and public-benefit duties.
International, visa and relocation
Child Student visa
UK visa route for children aged 4 to 17 studying at an independent school and meeting the rules.
A-Z glossary
Choristership
place or award linked to cathedral, chapel or choir singing.
A-Z glossary
Clearing
UCAS process matching university applicants to courses with vacancies after results.
A-Z glossary
Co-curricular
activities beyond the academic timetable, such as sport, music, drama, clubs and societies.
School types, ages and curriculum
Co-ed
co-educational, teaching boys and girls together.
Assessment, exams and results
Cohort
the group of pupils being measured, such as all Year 11 pupils.
Assessment, exams and results
Common Entrance
ISEB assessments often used at 11+ or 13+ in independent-school admissions.
A-Z glossary
Common Room
staff body, or sometimes sixth-form social space.
A-Z glossary
Competitive entry
more applicants than places, often with selective assessment.
A-Z glossary
Compulsory trip
trip required by curriculum or school programme. Ask whether bursaries cover it.
Assessment, exams and results
Conditional offer
an offer dependent on later requirements, such as Common Entrance, GCSE grades, references or visa status.
Admissions and entry
Consortium
a group of schools sharing an entrance test or admissions process, common in parts of London.
Admissions and entry
Current school report
written evidence from the child's present school, often requested directly by the admitting school.
D
A-Z glossary
Day house
pastoral house for day pupils.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Day pupil
pupil who attends during the school day and goes home.
A-Z glossary
Debenture
a financial arrangement used by some schools, more common in certain overseas or international contexts than UK mainstream independent schools.
Admissions and entry
Deferred entry
applying now for a later start date.
Money, bursaries and fees
Deposit
a payment held by the school, often offset against final fees if notice rules are met.
A-Z glossary
Deposit refund
repayment of deposit, usually subject to leaving rules and final account settlement.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Designated Safeguarding Lead, or DSL
senior person responsible for safeguarding arrangements.
Assessment, exams and results
Destination data
information on where leavers go next. Ask whether it means offers, firm choices or confirmed places.
School types, ages and curriculum
Diamond model
a school structure where pupils may be co-ed at younger and older stages but single-sex for some middle years.
A-Z glossary
Drama scholarship
award based on performance, audition or theatre contribution.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
DSL
Designated Safeguarding Lead.
E
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
EAL
English as an Additional Language.
School types, ages and curriculum
Early Years
nursery and Reception provision, often governed by EYFS requirements.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
EHCP
Education, Health and Care Plan. A statutory plan for children and young people with significant special educational needs.
A-Z glossary
Emailed offer
offer communicated electronically. The formal terms still matter.
International, visa and relocation
English as an Additional Language, or EAL
support for pupils whose first language is not English.
A-Z glossary
Entrance exam
test used for admissions.
Admissions and entry
Entry point
the year group where a school normally admits pupils, such as 4+, 7+, 11+, 13+ or 16+.
Assessment, exams and results
EPQ
Extended Project Qualification, a research project sometimes taken alongside A levels.
International, visa and relocation
eVisa
online immigration status.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Exeat
a weekend or period when boarders may be required to leave school.
Money, bursaries and fees
Extras
charges beyond tuition, such as trips, lunches, music, exams, uniform, transport, devices or boarding costs.
School types, ages and curriculum
EYFS
Early Years Foundation Stage.
F
Money, bursaries and fees
Fee remission
reduction in fees, often expressed as a percentage.
A-Z glossary
Feeder prep
prep school whose pupils often move to a senior school.
Admissions and entry
Feeder school
a school whose pupils commonly move on to a particular senior school. It does not always guarantee priority.
Money, bursaries and fees
Fees in lieu of notice
fees charged if parents withdraw a pupil without giving required notice.
Admissions and entry
Firm offer
an offer that becomes secure when parents accept and pay the deposit, subject to any stated conditions.
School types, ages and curriculum
Flexi boarding
occasional or limited boarding nights, subject to availability.
A-Z glossary
Form
class or tutor group.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Form tutor
staff member responsible for day-to-day pastoral monitoring of a form group.
A-Z glossary
Foundation
charitable or historic body connected to a school.
A-Z glossary
Free school meals
state-sector indicator of economic disadvantage. Independent bursary assessment is separate.
School types, ages and curriculum
Full boarding
boarding throughout the week and weekends, though exeats and holidays still require arrangements.
G
A-Z glossary
Gap year
year between school and university or work.
Assessment, exams and results
GCSE
public exams usually taken in Year 11.
A-Z glossary
Gifted and talented
older or informal term for high-attaining pupils.
Governance and operations
Governors
people responsible for oversight and strategy. In some schools they are trustees.
Assessment, exams and results
Grade 9-7
high GCSE grade band, broadly replacing old A*/A shorthand.
A-Z glossary
Grades 9-8
very high GCSE band, often used by highly selective schools.
International, visa and relocation
Guardian
UK-based adult or organisation responsible for practical care when parents are abroad or unavailable.
H
Money, bursaries and fees
Hardship fund
emergency support for current families facing unexpected financial difficulty.
Governance and operations
Head
headteacher or principal.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Head of Year
pastoral or academic leader for a year group.
A-Z glossary
Head's list
school-specific reward or recognition list.
International, visa and relocation
Healthcare surcharge, or IHS
immigration health surcharge paid as part of many visa applications.
Admissions and entry
Holistic admissions
a process that considers more than test scores. Ask what evidence is actually used.
A-Z glossary
Home visit
bursary or admissions visit to understand family circumstances.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
House
pastoral or competitive grouping. In boarding schools it may also be the residential house.
A-Z glossary
House points
reward system.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Housemaster or housemistress
senior adult responsible for a boarding house. Some schools now use "houseparent".
I
Assessment, exams and results
IB Diploma
International Baccalaureate qualification taken in sixth form, involving six subjects and core components.
Assessment, exams and results
iGCSE
international GCSE qualification often used by independent schools. It may not appear in some performance tables in the same way as GCSE.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Independent listener
adult outside the boarding house whom boarders can contact with concerns.
School types, ages and curriculum
Independent school
a fee-charging school independent of local authority control. In everyday speech, "private school" often means the same thing.
A-Z glossary
Induction
start-of-school orientation for new pupils.
International, visa and relocation
International applicant
may mean a pupil applying from overseas, a pupil educated outside the UK, a pupil needing sponsorship, or a non-British pupil. Ask which.
A-Z glossary
International section
part of a school or curriculum aimed at international pupils, where offered.
Admissions and entry
Interview
a conversation with staff. It may assess curiosity, confidence, subject interest, English, fit or motivation.
A-Z glossary
Invitation to interview
progress to another admissions stage, not a final offer.
A-Z glossary
iPad scheme
school device programme, often with charges or insurance.
Assessment, exams and results
ISEB Common Pre-Tests
online adaptive assessments covering English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, used by many senior schools.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
ISI
Independent Schools Inspectorate, which inspects many association independent schools in England.
Governance and operations
ISI report
inspection report for many independent schools. It focuses on whether standards are met and on pupil experience under the framework.
J
School types, ages and curriculum
Junior school
younger section, often Years 3 to 6, though schools vary.
K
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
KCSIE
Keeping Children Safe in Education, statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England.
School types, ages and curriculum
Key Stage
national-curriculum age phase. Key Stage 2 usually covers Years 3 to 6, Key Stage 3 Years 7 to 9, Key Stage 4 GCSE years, and Key Stage 5 sixth form.
L
Admissions and entry
Late application
an application after the normal deadline. Some schools allow it only if spaces remain.
A-Z glossary
Learning profile
summary of strengths, support needs or educational-psychology findings.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Learning support
school provision for pupils needing extra help. Ask about staffing, assessment, charges and subject coordination.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Leave-out weekend
another term for exeat or weekend away.
A-Z glossary
Leavers' destinations
where pupils go after leaving school.
Assessment, exams and results
Level 3
qualification level covering A levels, IB, BTEC National and equivalent sixth-form courses.
International, visa and relocation
Licensed sponsor
school approved by the Home Office to sponsor Child Student or Student visa pupils.
A-Z glossary
Looked-after child
child in local-authority care. More often relevant to state admissions and safeguarding context.
M
A-Z glossary
Major entry point
year group where many pupils join.
A-Z glossary
Masterclass
subject enrichment session, sometimes part of admissions or outreach.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Matron
boarding-house staff member often involved in health, routines and practical care.
A-Z glossary
Means test
financial assessment for bursary support.
Money, bursaries and fees
Means-tested
assessed against income, assets and household circumstances.
A-Z glossary
Medical form
joining document covering allergies, medication, conditions, vaccinations and consent.
Assessment, exams and results
Mock exams
internal practice exams. They may affect predicted grades, sets or sixth-form offers.
A-Z glossary
Music exhibition
smaller music award, often with lessons or recognition rather than major fee remission.
N
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
NMS
National Minimum Standards for boarding schools.
Assessment, exams and results
Non-verbal reasoning
assessment using patterns, shapes and visual logic.
Money, bursaries and fees
Notice period
required notice before leaving, often one full term.
School types, ages and curriculum
Nursery
provision before Reception.
O
Admissions and entry
Occasional place
a vacancy outside a normal entry point, usually caused by a pupil leaving.
Admissions and entry
Offer holder
a child who has been offered a place but has not necessarily joined.
A-Z glossary
Offer letter
formal communication setting place, conditions, deadlines, deposit and contract steps.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Ofsted
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.
Admissions and entry
Open day
a scheduled visit for prospective families. It may be general, year-specific or invitation-only.
A-Z glossary
Open evening
school visit event, often after normal school hours.
Assessment, exams and results
Oxbridge
shorthand for Oxford and Cambridge.
P
Governance and operations
Parent contract
legal agreement covering fees, notice, behaviour, data, liability and school rules.
International, visa and relocation
Parent of a Child Student visa
visa route for a parent of a Child Student aged 4 to 11 at an independent school, subject to rules.
A-Z glossary
Parent portal
online system for reports, fees, calendars and messages.
A-Z glossary
Past papers
previous exam papers used for practice.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Pastoral care
the school's system for pupil wellbeing, behaviour, relationships, attendance, safeguarding and daily support.
Governance and operations
Policies
documents covering admissions, behaviour, safeguarding, complaints, SEND, anti-bullying, fees and more.
A-Z glossary
Portfolio
collection of work, often for art, design, drama or music.
A-Z glossary
Pre-assessment
early testing before final entry decision.
School types, ages and curriculum
Pre-prep
early years and infant provision, often Reception to Year 2.
Assessment, exams and results
Predicted grades
grades a school predicts for university applications. They are not final results.
School types, ages and curriculum
Prep school
preparatory school, traditionally preparing pupils for senior school, often to Year 6 or Year 8.
Money, bursaries and fees
Prepayment plan
paying fees in advance under a school scheme. Read VAT, withdrawal and insolvency terms carefully.
International, visa and relocation
Private fostering
care arrangement for a child under 16, or under 18 if disabled, by someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more. It can trigger local authority notification.
A-Z glossary
Probationary place
place subject to review, unusual but possible in specific circumstances.
Assessment, exams and results
Progress 8
state-sector progress measure. DfE guidance says it cannot be calculated for 2024/25 and 2025/26 because relevant Key Stage 2 prior-attainment data was unavailable.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Proprietor
in independent-school regulation, the person or body with ownership/control responsibility.
Admissions and entry
Prospectus
the school's marketing publication. Useful, but always pair it with fee, admissions, results and inspection pages.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
PSHE
personal, social, health and economic education.
A-Z glossary
Public exams
GCSE, A level, IB or other externally awarded qualifications.
School types, ages and curriculum
Public school
in UK independent education, this usually means an older, often famous independent school, not a US-style state school.
R
Assessment, exams and results
Raw attainment
results without adjustment for intake.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Reasonable adjustments
changes schools may make to avoid disability discrimination and support access.
School types, ages and curriculum
Reception
first year of primary education, age 4 to 5.
A-Z glossary
Reference
current-school statement on academic performance, behaviour, attendance and character.
Admissions and entry
Registration
usually the formal act of entering the admissions process, often with a non-refundable fee. It is not an offer.
Admissions and entry
Registration fee
a usually non-refundable fee paid to apply or register interest.
A-Z glossary
Remission
fee reduction.
A-Z glossary
Report grade
internal school grade for effort, attainment or behaviour.
Admissions and entry
Reserve list
another term for waiting list, though it may imply a smaller group.
Assessment, exams and results
Results by entries
percentages based on exam entries, not individual pupils. Ten GCSEs by one pupil are ten entries.
International, visa and relocation
Right to study
evidence that a pupil can lawfully study in the UK.
S
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Safeguarding
arrangements to protect children from harm and promote welfare.
A-Z glossary
Safeguarding concern
worry about a child's welfare or safety.
Money, bursaries and fees
Scholarship
usually merit-based award for academic, music, sport, art, drama or all-round ability. It may or may not reduce fees.
A-Z glossary
School roll
number of pupils on register.
School types, ages and curriculum
Selective school
a school that admits based on assessment, academic evidence or other criteria.
A-Z glossary
SEN assessment
professional assessment of learning needs.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
SENCO
special educational needs coordinator.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
SEND
special educational needs and disabilities.
School types, ages and curriculum
Senior school
usually secondary-age provision from Year 7 or Year 9.
A-Z glossary
Setting
grouping pupils by ability in a subject.
A-Z glossary
Short notice place
vacancy filled close to the start date.
Admissions and entry
Shortlist
the schools you are actively comparing before applying.
Money, bursaries and fees
Sibling discount
fee discount for additional children at the same school or group.
A-Z glossary
Sibling policy
how the school treats applicants with siblings already there.
Admissions and entry
Sibling priority
an admissions preference for siblings. It does not always override assessment standards.
School types, ages and curriculum
Single-sex
educating boys or girls only, at least in certain year groups.
School types, ages and curriculum
Sixth form
Years 12 and 13, usually A level, IB or equivalent.
International, visa and relocation
Sponsor duties
reporting and monitoring duties a licensed school must follow for sponsored pupils.
A-Z glossary
Sports scholarship
award based on sporting ability and potential contribution.
A-Z glossary
Standard terms and conditions
parent contract rules.
Assessment, exams and results
Standardised score
a score adjusted against a reference group, often with 100 as average.
SEND, safeguarding and inspections
Standards met
inspection language meaning the required standards are met. Read the detail to understand strengths and risks.
A-Z glossary
Subject block
timetable grouping that can limit A level combinations.
T
Admissions and entry
Taster day
a day where the child experiences lessons or school life, sometimes before or after offer.
Governance and operations
Term dates
school calendar. Boarding schools may also publish travel days, induction, exeats and closed weekends.
School types, ages and curriculum
Through route
a pathway from one section of a school to the next, sometimes with internal assessment.
Money, bursaries and fees
Transformational bursary
usually a high-value bursary intended to make attendance possible for a pupil who could not otherwise afford it.
A-Z glossary
Transition day
visit for accepted pupils before joining.
A-Z glossary
Trial lesson
lesson used to assess fit or give experience.
Governance and operations
Trustees
charity-law governors where the school is a charity.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Tutor group
small pastoral group, often meeting daily or weekly.
U
International, visa and relocation
UKiset
adaptive online assessment used by some UK independent schools for international applicants, including English-language profile.
A-Z glossary
Unconditional offer
offer not dependent on later academic result, though contract and conduct conditions may still apply.
A-Z glossary
Uniform list
required clothing and equipment list.
V
Assessment, exams and results
Value-added
a measure of progress from starting point. Ask what baseline and benchmark are used.
Money, bursaries and fees
VAT-inclusive fees
fees that already include VAT. Since 1 January 2025, UK private-school education and boarding supplied for a charge have been subject to standard-rate VAT.
Assessment, exams and results
Verbal reasoning
assessment of language-based reasoning.
W
Admissions and entry
Waiting list
a list of candidates who may receive an offer if places become available. Ask whether it is ranked.
A-Z glossary
Waiting pool
candidates held for possible places without a fixed rank.
School types, ages and curriculum
Weekly boarding
boarding during the school week, usually home at weekends.
Admissions and entry
Welcome pack
joining information after acceptance, often covering uniform, medical forms, term dates and systems.
Boarding, guardianship and pastoral
Wellbeing hub
school support space or team. Ask who staffs it and how pupils access help.
Admissions and entry
Withdrawal
removing an application or a pupil. In offer letters and parent contracts, it can trigger loss of deposit or notice fees.
A-Z glossary
Withdrawal deadline
date by which notice must be given to avoid fee liability.