Education terms: H
45 terms starting with H, with where each one is used. Choose a term for related terms.
Classfern Pro: report writer, Ask Fern, forum and jobs – no ads. What's in Pro Join Classfern Pro
- Half term England Wales Northern Ireland
- A short holiday, usually a week, in the middle of each term; also refers to the six or so weeks between holidays.
- Hall pass United States
- Permission, often a physical pass, for a student to be out of class during a lesson.
- Halls of residence All four UK nations (details may differ)
- University-owned student accommodation in the UK. US: dorms.
- HBCU (Historically Black College or University) United States
- A US college or university founded before 1964 with the mission of educating Black Americans.
- Head boy and head girl All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Senior pupils, usually in the final year, chosen to represent the school.
- Head of department (HoD) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The middle leader in charge of a subject department in a secondary school.
- Head of faculty All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A middle leader responsible for a group of related subject departments, such as a science or humanities faculty.
- Head of house All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A leader responsible for pastoral care of pupils in a house, a vertical group across year groups.
- Head of school England
- A leader responsible for the day-to-day running of one school, often working under an executive headteacher or trust leader.
- Head of year (HoY) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A leader responsible for the pastoral care, behaviour and progress of all pupils in one year group.
- Head Start United States
- A federal programme providing early childhood education, health and family services to low-income children aged 3 to 5; Early Head Start serves under-3s.
- Headteacher All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The leader of a school, responsible for its day-to-day running, staff, standards and finances. Often shortened to head.
- Health and wellbeing (HWB) Scotland Wales
- A curriculum area in Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence and an Area of Learning and Experience in the Curriculum for Wales.
- Health education England
- The statutory part of PSHE in state schools in England covering physical health and mental wellbeing.
- HI (Hearing impairment) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A hearing loss that affects a pupil's access to learning; part of the sensory and physical area of need.
- High needs funding England
- The part of school funding in England used by local authorities to pay for provision for pupils with complex SEND and those in alternative provision.
- High school United States Scotland
- A US school for grades 9 to 12 (ages about 14 to 18). In Scotland some secondary schools are also called high schools.
- High school diploma United States
- The credential awarded on completing US high school graduation requirements.
- High school equivalency (HSE) United States
- A credential, such as the GED or HiSET, that is recognised as equivalent to a high school diploma.
- High-frequency words All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- Words that appear very often in texts, such as the, and and was.
- High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) United States
- Curriculum materials judged to be aligned with standards and supported by evidence, often reviewed by EdReports.
- Higher Scotland
- A Scottish national qualification at SCQF level 6, usually taken in S5 or S6, graded A to D, and the main entry qualification for Scottish universities.
- Higher apprenticeship England
- An apprenticeship at levels 4 and 5 (sometimes used for 4 to 7).
- Higher education (HE) All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- Study at university level, such as degrees, foundation degrees, HNCs and HNDs, usually from age 18 onwards.
- Higher level (IB) (HL) International
- The more demanding level of an IB DP subject, with more teaching hours than standard level.
- Higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) England Wales
- An experienced teaching assistant who has met professional standards allowing them to plan and deliver learning and sometimes cover classes.
- Higher tier All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The upper of two GCSE exam tiers, giving access to grades 9 to 4 (with an allowed 3) in England.
- Higher-order thinking All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- Complex thinking such as analysis, evaluation and creation, as opposed to recall.
- Hinge question All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A carefully designed multiple-choice question asked at a key point in a lesson to decide quickly whether the class is ready to move on.
- HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) United States
- A high school equivalency test used in some states as an alternative to the GED.
- HNC (Higher National Certificate) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A one-year vocational higher education qualification at RQF level 4 (SCQF level 7 in Scotland).
- HND (Higher National Diploma) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A two-year vocational higher education qualification at RQF level 5 (SCQF level 8 in Scotland).
- Holistic admissions United States
- Reviewing applicants on many factors, such as grades, course rigour, essays, activities and recommendations, not just scores.
- Home schooling United States All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Educating a child at home instead of at a school. The UK formal term is elective home education.
- Home-school agreement England
- A statement explaining the responsibilities of the school, parents and pupil; no longer compulsory in England.
- Homecoming United States
- A school tradition each autumn with a football game, dance and alumni events.
- Homeroom United States
- A short daily period in US schools for attendance and announcements, similar to UK registration and tutor time.
- Homework All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- Work set for pupils to complete outside lessons.
- Honor roll United States
- A list of students who achieve a GPA above a set level in a grading period.
- Honors course United States
- A more demanding version of a standard high school course, sometimes weighted in the GPA.
- Honour-based abuse (HBA) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Abuse committed to protect or defend the supposed honour of a family or community, including forced marriage and FGM.
- Honours degree All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A bachelor's degree at level 6 (SCQF level 10 in Scotland) classified as first, upper second (2:1), lower second (2:2) or third class.
- Hospital school All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Education provided for children who are in hospital or unable to attend school for medical reasons, run by the local authority or as an academy.
- House system All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A way of dividing pupils into groups (houses) that mix year groups, used for pastoral care and competitions.
- Hwb Wales
- The Welsh Government's digital platform for education, hosting curriculum guidance and digital tools for schools in Wales.
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.
Learn how – Glossary: watch the 1-minute video · print (PDF)