Common Secondary School Acronyms

Here is a list of acronyms below for learners, new(er) teachers and other stakeholders:

Name	Definition	Description
ASN	Additional Support Needs	Learners who require additional or different support due to disability, health, family, or social/emotional needs.
ACEs	Adverse Child Experiences	Stressful childhood events such as parental separation or abuse.
ADHD	Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder	Characterised by excessive activity and difficulty controlling behaviour.
ADD	Attention Deficit Disorder	Causes difficulty maintaining attention and focus.
BGE	Broad General Education	S1–S3 phase with mixed ability learning and broad subject exposure.
CAMHS	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service	NHS service supporting young people with mental health or emotional difficulties.
CfE	Curriculum for Excellence	Scotland’s education programme for ages 3–18.
CIC	Curriculum Improvement Cycle	Ten-year programme reviewing and evolving the curriculum.
Es and Os	Experiences and Outcomes	Statements describing learning and progression across curriculum areas.
EAL / ESL	English as an Additional/Second Language	Learners whose main home language is not English.
Four Capacities	—	Successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors.
GIRFEC	Getting It Right For Every Child	Scottish Government approach to supporting children's wellbeing.
HWB	Health and Wellbeing	Covers mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.
IDL	Interdisciplinary Learning	Learning across multiple subjects to deepen understanding.
NQT	Newly Qualified Teacher	Teacher in probation year working toward full registration.
National 4	—	Senior phase qualification assessed through coursework, no final exam.
National 5	—	Senior phase qualification with end-of-year exam.
PEF	Pupil Equity Funding	Funding to help close the poverty-related attainment gap.
PT	Principal Teacher	Promoted teacher responsible for a curricular area.
SQA	Scottish Qualifications Authority	Former national awarding body (replaced in 2026).
QS	Qualifications Scotland	New national awarding body replacing SQA in 2026.