Education terms: I

54 terms starting with I, with where each one is used. Choose a term for related terms.

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I can statements United States All four UK nations (details may differ)

Learning goals written from the student's point of view, such as I can find the area of a rectangle.

I do we do you do All four UK nations (details may differ) United States

A lesson sequence in which the teacher models (I do), pupils practise with support (we do) and then pupils work independently (you do).

IB (International Baccalaureate) International

A non-profit foundation offering four international programmes: Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP), Diploma (DP) and Career-related (CP).

IB Diploma Programme (IBDP / DP) International

A two-year IB programme for students aged 16 to 19 with six subjects (three or four at higher level), graded 1 to 7, plus the core of Theory of Knowledge, the extended essay and CAS; the diploma is scored out of 45.

IB grading International

IB DP subjects are graded 1 to 7 (7 highest); up to 3 bonus points come from TOK and the extended essay, giving a maximum diploma total of 45.

IBCP (IB Career-related Programme) International

An IB programme for students aged 16 to 19 combining at least two DP courses with a career-related study and a core.

ICT (Information and communication technology) All four UK nations (details may differ)

The former name for the computing subject in England; still used in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) United States

The federal law that guarantees eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with an IEP. Part C covers infants and toddlers; Part B covers ages 3 to 21.

IDP (Individual development plan) Wales

The statutory plan in Wales describing a learner's additional learning needs and the provision they will receive. It replaced statements and other plans.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) International

An English proficiency test used for study, work and migration, scored in bands from 0 to 9.

IEP (Individualized Education Program) United States

A legally binding plan under IDEA for a student with a disability who needs special education, setting out present levels, measurable annual goals, services and accommodations. Reviewed at least yearly by the IEP team.

IEP (UK) (Individual education plan) All four UK nations (details may differ)

A school-based plan setting short-term targets and support for a pupil with SEN. No longer required by law in England but still used by many schools; in the US an IEP is a legal document.

IEP team United States

The group that develops a student's IEP, including parents, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a district representative and, when appropriate, the student.

IES (Institute of Education Sciences) United States

The research, evaluation and statistics arm of the U.S. Department of Education, including NCES.

IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) International England

An international version of the GCSE offered mainly by Cambridge (Cambridge IGCSE) and Pearson Edexcel (International GCSE), widely taken in international and independent schools.

In-school suspension (ISS) United States

A sanction in which a student spends the day in a supervised room at school instead of class.

In-service day Scotland Northern Ireland

The Scottish and Northern Ireland name for a staff training day when pupils do not attend.

In-year admission All four UK nations (details may differ)

Applying for a school place outside the normal start-of-year round, for example after moving house.

Inclusion United States All four UK nations (details may differ) International

Educating students with disabilities or special needs in general classrooms with the support they need.

Incomplete United States

A temporary grade given when a student has not finished a course's work for an accepted reason.

Independent school All four UK nations (details may differ)

A school that charges fees and is not funded by the state. Independent schools in England must be registered with the Department for Education and are inspected, but do not have to follow the national curriculum.

Independent Schools Council (ISC) All four UK nations (details may differ)

An organisation that represents independent schools in the UK through its member associations.

Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) England

The body approved by the Department for Education to inspect independent schools in England that are members of the associations in the Independent Schools Council.

Independent study All four UK nations (details may differ)

Study that students do on their own, especially in sixth form free periods.

Induction England Wales Northern Ireland

The statutory period, two years in England, that a new teacher must complete satisfactorily after gaining QTS to keep teaching in maintained schools.

Industry placement England

The work placement that forms part of a T Level.

Infant class size limit England

The legal limit in England of 30 pupils per qualified teacher in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes, with some exceptions.

Infant school England Wales

A primary school for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (ages about 4 to 7).

Initial child protection conference (ICPC) All four UK nations (details may differ)

A meeting of professionals and the family to decide whether a child should be subject to a child protection plan.

Initial teacher training (ITT) England

Training to become a teacher that leads to QTS, through university-led or school-led routes. Also called initial teacher education (ITE).

Inquiry-based learning All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International

An approach in which pupils learn by investigating questions, problems or scenarios.

INSET (In-service education and training) England Wales Northern Ireland

Training days for school staff when pupils do not attend; maintained schools in England have five a year as part of the 195-day teacher year.

Insight Scotland

The online benchmarking tool used by Scottish secondary schools to analyse senior phase attainment.

Instructional coach United States

A teacher-leader who supports colleagues to improve instruction through coaching, modelling and co-planning.

Instructional coaching All four UK nations (details may differ) United States

A form of professional development in which a coach observes a teacher, gives focused feedback and helps them practise specific techniques.

Instructional days United States

The number of days of teaching in a school year; many US states require about 180 days.

Insurance choice All four UK nations (details may differ)

The backup offer an applicant accepts in UCAS, usually with lower entry requirements than the firm choice.

Integrated master's All four UK nations (details may differ)

A four-year (or five in Scotland) undergraduate course that leads directly to a master's level degree, such as an MEng or MSci.

Intent implementation impact (3 Is) England

A way of describing a curriculum popularised by Ofsted's 2019 framework: what the school wants pupils to learn (intent), how it is taught (implementation) and what pupils actually learn (impact).

Interactive whiteboard (IWB) All four UK nations (details may differ) United States

A large touch-sensitive display connected to a computer, used for teaching.

Interleaving All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International

Mixing different topics or types of problem within practice instead of practising one type at a time.

Intermediate apprenticeship England

An apprenticeship at level 2, broadly the same level as GCSE grades 9 to 4.

International GCSE International England

Pearson Edexcel's name for its international GCSE qualifications.

International school International

A school that follows an international curriculum or another country's curriculum, often serving expatriate and local families.

Internship United States All four UK nations (details may differ)

A period of work experience with an employer, paid or unpaid, often for students or recent graduates.

Intervention All four UK nations (details may differ) United States

Targeted extra teaching or support, usually for a small group or individual, to help pupils catch up or overcome a difficulty.

Invigilator All four UK nations (details may differ)

A person who supervises candidates during an exam to make sure the rules are followed. The US term is proctor.

Irish-medium education Northern Ireland

Education in Northern Ireland where Irish is the main language of teaching, in Irish-medium schools (Gaelscoileanna) or units.

ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) International

UNESCO's framework for classifying education levels from 0 (early childhood) to 8 (doctoral), used to compare systems internationally.

Isolation All four UK nations (details may differ)

Removing a pupil from their normal lessons to work in a separate room for a set time as a behaviour sanction. Also called internal exclusion or removal.

ITE (Initial teacher education) All four UK nations (details may differ)

Another name for initial teacher training, used officially in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

ITT Core Content Framework (CCF) England

The minimum content that all initial teacher training in England must cover, based on evidence about effective teaching.

ITTECF (Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework) England

The combined framework in England, from 2025, covering content for both initial teacher training and the first years of teaching.

Ivy League United States

An athletic conference of eight private US universities often used as shorthand for highly selective institutions: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale.

Being checked against official sources. Definitions are written in our own words; always check the official guidance for your country.

Education glossary A–Z

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