Education terms: M
55 terms starting with M, with where each one is used. Choose a term for related terms.
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- Made-for-Wales GCSEs Wales
- The new GCSEs being introduced in Wales from 2025 to fit the Curriculum for Wales.
- Magnet school United States
- A public school with a special focus, such as STEM or the arts, that draws students from across a district, originally designed to support desegregation.
- Main pay range (MPR) England
- The pay range for classroom teachers in England who have not progressed to the upper pay range.
- Mainstreaming United States All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Placing students with disabilities in general education classes for some or all of the day.
- Maintained school England Wales
- A state school funded and overseen by the local authority. It must follow the national curriculum and national rules on teachers' pay and conditions.
- Major United States
- A student's main field of study at a US college.
- Make-up day United States
- An extra school day added to the calendar to replace one lost to closures.
- Malpractice All four UK nations (details may differ)
- In exams, any act that breaks the rules or undermines the integrity of an assessment, by candidates or staff; JCQ sets the rules.
- Managed move England
- An agreed transfer of a pupil to another school, often as an alternative to permanent exclusion.
- Mandated reporter United States
- A person, such as a teacher, who is legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to authorities.
- Manipulatives All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- Physical objects such as counters, cubes or base-ten blocks used to help pupils understand maths ideas.
- MAP Growth United States
- A widely used computer-adaptive interim test from NWEA reporting results as RIT scores.
- Mark scheme All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The document examiners use to mark an exam paper, showing acceptable answers and how marks are awarded. US equivalents include a rubric or answer key.
- Marking policy All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The school's rules for how teachers mark and give feedback on pupils' work.
- MASH (Multi-agency safeguarding hub) England
- A local team where police, children's social care, health and others share information to decide quickly how to respond to concerns about a child.
- Master's degree All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- A postgraduate degree at RQF level 7 (SCQF 11), such as an MA, MSc or MEd, usually one year full-time in the UK.
- Mastery learning All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- An approach in which pupils are expected to secure each topic before moving on, with extra support for those who need it.
- Maths hubs England
- A government-funded network in England that supports schools to improve maths teaching, including teaching for mastery.
- Mature student All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A university student who starts an undergraduate course aged 21 or over.
- McKinney-Vento United States
- The federal law that protects the education rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness, including the right to stay in their school of origin.
- Mediation England United States
- An informal, independent meeting to help parents and a local authority (or US district) resolve a disagreement, often required to be considered before an appeal.
- Medium-term plan All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A plan for a term or half term showing the sequence of learning.
- Member (academy) England
- One of the small group of people who sit above the trustees of an academy trust, similar to company shareholders; they can appoint and remove trustees.
- Mental health lead England
- A senior member of staff in a school or college in England who leads its whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
- Mental health support team (MHST) England
- An NHS-funded team in England that works with schools and colleges to provide early help for mild to moderate mental health issues.
- Mentor All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- An experienced teacher who supports a trainee or new teacher with regular meetings, feedback and coaching.
- Merit All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A reward point or certificate given to pupils for good work or behaviour; also a BTEC grade.
- Metacognition All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- Thinking about one's own thinking and learning: planning, monitoring and evaluating how one approaches a task.
- Method marks All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Marks in maths and science exams given for a correct method even if the final answer is wrong.
- Middle leader All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A teacher with responsibility for an area such as a subject, department, key stage or year group, below the senior leadership team.
- Middle school (UK) England
- In areas of England with a three-tier system, a school covering roughly Years 5 to 8 or Years 4 to 7, between first school and upper/high school. Not the same as a US middle school, though it covers a similar age range.
- Middle school (US) United States
- A US school for grades 6 to 8 (sometimes 5 to 8 or 7 to 8), between elementary and high school.
- Mini whiteboards All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Small whiteboards on which all pupils write answers at once so the teacher can check the whole class.
- Minor United States
- A secondary field of study at a US college, with fewer required credits than a major.
- Minority-serving institution (MSI) United States
- A US college that serves a high share of students from minority groups, such as Hispanic-serving institutions.
- MIS (Management information system) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The software a school uses to hold pupil, staff, attendance, timetable and assessment data, such as SIMS or Arbor.
- Mixed-age class All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- A class that contains pupils from more than one year group, common in small primary schools; US: combination or multi-age class.
- Mixed-attainment teaching All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Teaching classes that contain pupils with a range of prior attainment, without setting.
- MLD (Moderate learning difficulty) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A general learning difficulty in which a pupil's attainment is well below expected levels in most areas of the curriculum.
- Mock exams All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Practice exams taken before the real ones, usually in Year 11 or Year 13, to predict grades and identify gaps. Often called mocks.
- Modelling All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- The teacher showing how to do a task, often thinking aloud, so pupils can see the expert process.
- Moderation All four UK nations (details may differ) International
- Checking that marks or teacher judgements are consistent and accurate, often by comparing samples of work with other teachers or with an external moderator.
- Modern foreign languages (MFL) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The school subject of languages such as French, Spanish or German.
- Modifications United States
- Changes to what a student is expected to learn or show, such as fewer or simpler questions.
- Modular qualification All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A course assessed in separate units or modules that can be taken at different times.
- Module All four UK nations (details may differ) International
- A unit of study within a UK degree or course, carrying credits. US nearest: a course or class.
- Montessori school United States All four UK nations (details may differ) International
- A school following the Montessori method, with mixed-age classes and child-led, hands-on learning.
- More able All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A common UK term for pupils with high prior attainment or potential.
- Moving-up day All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A day near the end of the summer term when pupils spend time with their next year's class or school.
- MSI (Multi-sensory impairment) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A combination of visual and hearing difficulties, sometimes called deafblindness.
- MTSS (Multi-tiered system of supports) United States
- A school-wide framework that combines academic (RTI) and behavioural (PBIS) tiered support for all students.
- Multi-academy trust (MAT) England
- A single charitable company that runs two or more academies under one board of trustees, with a CEO and a shared scheme of delegation.
- Multilingual learner (ML) United States
- A newer, asset-based term for English learners.
- Multiplication tables check (MTC) England
- A statutory on-screen check in Year 4 in England of pupils' recall of the times tables up to 12 x 12, with 25 questions and 6 seconds per question.
- MYP (Middle Years Programme) International
- The IB's five-year programme for students aged 11 to 16.
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.