Education terms: F
53 terms starting with F, with where each one is used. Choose a term for related terms.
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- FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) United States
- The form US students complete to apply for federal grants, loans and work-study, and often state and college aid.
- Faith school All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A school with a religious character, linked to a particular faith. It follows the national curriculum where one applies but can teach religious education according to its own faith and may prioritise families of that faith in admissions within the rules.
- Family liaison officer (FLO) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A member of school staff who works with families to support children's attendance, wellbeing and engagement.
- FAPE (Free appropriate public education) United States
- The right under IDEA and Section 504 for eligible students with disabilities to receive special education and related services at public expense that meet their needs.
- Feedback All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- Information given to a learner about their performance to help them improve.
- Feeder school All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- A school whose pupils usually move on to a particular next school.
- FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) United States
- The federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and gives parents (and students at 18) rights to see and correct them.
- FFT (Fischer Family Trust) England Wales
- An education charity providing data analysis and estimates of pupils' likely grades to schools.
- FGM (Female genital mutilation) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Procedures that injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Teachers in England and Wales have a legal duty to report known cases in under-18s to the police.
- FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) England Wales Northern Ireland
- The framework for higher education qualifications awarded by degree-awarding bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, at levels 4 to 8.
- Field day United States
- A US elementary school day of outdoor games and races, similar to a UK sports day.
- Field trip All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- A visit outside school to study something first-hand, such as geography fieldwork. Also called a school trip.
- Field trip (US) United States
- A US school outing for learning; requires a signed permission slip.
- Fifth grade United States
- A US grade for students aged about 10 to 11, often the last year of elementary school. Equivalent in age to Year 6 in England.
- Filtering and monitoring England
- Systems schools use to block harmful online content and to alert staff to concerning online activity, which KCSIE requires schools in England to have and review.
- Financial aid United States
- Money to help pay for college, including grants, scholarships, loans and work-study.
- Fire drill United States All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A practice evacuation of a building.
- Firm choice All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The applicant's first-choice offer accepted in UCAS.
- First grade United States
- The year after kindergarten, for children aged about 6 to 7. Equivalent in age to Year 2 in England and Wales.
- First school England
- In areas with a three-tier system in England, a school for children from Reception up to around Year 4.
- Fixed-term contract All four UK nations (details may differ)
- An employment contract that ends on a set date or event, such as covering a maternity leave.
- Fixed-term exclusion England Wales
- The former name in England for a suspension.
- Flexible working All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Working patterns such as part-time, job sharing, compressed hours or partial home working for planning time.
- Flight path All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A predicted line of progress for a pupil from their starting point to a target grade, used in some secondary schools.
- Flipped classroom All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- A model in which pupils meet new content at home (for example through videos) and use class time for practice and discussion.
- Forced marriage All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A marriage in which one or both people do not or cannot consent and are pressured or abused into it. It is a crime in the UK.
- Form tutor All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The teacher responsible for a tutor group, who takes registration and looks after pupils' welfare and progress. Also called a tutor or form teacher.
- Formative assessment All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- Assessment during learning, used to find out what pupils understand and adapt teaching; also called assessment for learning.
- Foundation Apprenticeship Scotland
- A work-based qualification for senior phase pupils in Scotland, at SCQF level 4 to 6.
- Foundation degree (FdA / FdSc) England Wales Northern Ireland
- A level 5 qualification combining academic and work-based learning, roughly two-thirds of a bachelor's degree.
- Foundation Phase Wales
- The former early years and early primary curriculum in Wales (ages 3 to 7), replaced by the Curriculum for Wales from 2022.
- Foundation school England Wales
- A maintained school where the governing body employs the staff and sets the admissions rules, and the land and buildings are usually owned by the governing body or a charitable foundation.
- Foundation Stage (NI) Northern Ireland
- The first two years of primary school in Northern Ireland (Primary 1 and 2).
- Foundation subjects England
- National curriculum subjects other than the core subjects, such as art and design, computing, design and technology, languages, geography, history, music and physical education.
- Foundation tier All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The lower of two GCSE exam tiers, giving access to grades 5 to 1 in England (C to G in older and Welsh systems).
- Foundation year All four UK nations (details may differ)
- An extra first year added to a degree for students who need preparation before starting the main course. Different from a foundation degree.
- Four broad areas of need England
- The four categories of need in the SEND Code of Practice: communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health; and sensory and/or physical needs.
- Four purposes Wales
- The aims of the Curriculum for Wales: that learners become ambitious, capable learners; enterprising, creative contributors; ethical, informed citizens; and healthy, confident individuals.
- Fourth grade United States
- A US elementary grade for children aged about 9 to 10, one of the NAEP grades; equivalent in age to Year 5.
- Fraser guidelines England Wales
- Guidance from the same court case as Gillick competence, used specifically for decisions about giving contraceptive advice to under-16s.
- Fraternity United States
- A social organisation for college students, traditionally male.
- Free and reduced-price lunch (FRL / FRPL) United States
- Free or low-cost school meals for children from low-income families under the National School Lunch Program; often used as a measure of poverty in schools.
- Free school England
- A type of academy in England set up from scratch (rather than converted from an existing school), often proposed by a trust, charity or group of parents or teachers. It is state-funded and free to attend.
- Free school meals (FSM) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Free lunches provided to pupils from low-income families or, in some cases, all pupils in certain year groups. FSM eligibility is widely used as a measure of disadvantage.
- Fresher All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A first-year university student in the UK; Freshers' Week is the welcome week. US: freshman.
- Freshman United States
- A student in the first year of high school (grade 9) or college.
- Fulbright United States International
- The US government's international educational exchange programme, including teacher exchanges and scholarships.
- Functional skills England
- Qualifications in English, maths and digital skills at entry level, level 1 and level 2, focused on practical, real-life use, often taken by adults and apprentices.
- Funded childcare hours England
- Free early education and childcare hours for eligible children in England, such as 15 or 30 hours a week for some 9-month to 4-year-olds.
- Funding agreement England
- The legal contract between an academy trust and the Secretary of State for Education setting out the conditions under which the academy is funded.
- Further education (FE) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Education after compulsory school age that is not higher education, such as A levels, vocational courses, apprenticeships and adult courses, often in a further education college.
- Further education college (FE college) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A college offering courses mainly for people aged 16 and over, including vocational qualifications, A levels, apprenticeships, adult learning and some higher education courses.
- Further maths All four UK nations (details may differ)
- An extra A level (or Advanced Higher topic) extending A level mathematics, taken by students who want to study more maths.
Being checked against official sources. Definitions are written in our own words; always check the official guidance for your country.
Definitions are written by Classfern in our own words for teachers in the UK and the US. They are short explanations, not legal or official definitions: always check the official guidance for your country, nation or state. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government department, inspectorate or exam board named here.
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