Education terms: W
25 terms starting with W, with where each one is used. Choose a term for related terms.
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- Waitlist United States All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A list of applicants who may be offered a place if places become available.
- Waldorf school United States All four UK nations (details may differ) International
- A school following Rudolf Steiner's educational approach, emphasising creativity and a gradual approach to formal academics. Called Steiner schools in the UK.
- WALT (We are learning to) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A child-friendly way of sharing a learning objective in primary classrooms.
- Weighted GPA United States
- A GPA that gives extra points for honors, AP or IB courses, so it can exceed 4.0.
- Wellbeing All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- A general term for pupils' (or staff) physical, mental and emotional health and happiness.
- Welsh Baccalaureate (WBQ) Wales
- A former qualification in Wales combining a skills challenge certificate with other qualifications, being replaced by new skills qualifications under the Made-for-Wales GCSE reforms.
- Welsh Government Wales
- The devolved government of Wales, which is responsible for education policy in Wales, including the Curriculum for Wales.
- Welsh-medium education Wales
- Education where Welsh is the main language of teaching.
- What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) United States
- The US Institute of Education Sciences service that reviews research on education programmes and practices.
- Whole-class feedback All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Giving feedback on common strengths and errors to the whole class instead of writing individual comments in every book.
- WIDA United States
- A consortium whose English language development standards and ACCESS tests are used by many states for English learners.
- Widening participation (WP) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Work by universities to increase the number of students from under-represented groups who go to university.
- WILF (What I'm looking for) All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A child-friendly way of sharing success criteria in primary classrooms.
- WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee (CBAC in Welsh)) Wales England
- An exam board based in Wales that offers GCSEs, A levels and other qualifications in Wales; in England it operates under the Eduqas brand.
- Work experience All four UK nations (details may differ)
- A short placement with an employer, often in Year 10 or Year 12, to help pupils learn about work.
- Work scrutiny All four UK nations (details may differ)
- Looking at pupils' books and work to evaluate teaching, progress and the curriculum. Also called book look.
- Work-study United States
- A federal programme providing part-time jobs for students with financial need.
- Worked example All four UK nations (details may differ) United States
- A step-by-step demonstration of how to solve a problem, used to reduce cognitive load for novices.
- Working memory All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International
- The small mental workspace that holds information we are actively thinking about, which has a limited capacity.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children England
- Statutory guidance in England on how organisations and agencies should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
- Working towards England
- A teacher assessment judgement that a pupil has not yet reached the expected standard for their key stage.
- Workload All four UK nations (details may differ)
- The amount of work teachers have to do; reducing unnecessary workload, such as excessive marking and data drops, is a stated aim of the DfE.
- World Book Day All four UK nations (details may differ)
- An annual reading celebration, in the UK usually on the first Thursday in March, often with costumes and book tokens.
- World Teachers' Day International
- A UNESCO day celebrated each year on 5 October to recognise teachers.
- Wraparound childcare England
- Childcare before and after the school day, such as breakfast clubs and after-school clubs.
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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