Dance and Drama awards help talented students over the age of 16 to pay for tuition in dance and drama. The Awards are available at some of England's leading private performing arts institutions.

Scholarships which help talented students over the age of 16 to pay for tuition in dance and drama. The Awards are available at some of England's leading private performing arts institutions.

Drug Action Teams are multi-agency teams within LAs with responsibility for the local delivery of the drugs strategy. They involve education, health, police, social services, youth service and the voluntary sector.

The Data Protection Act requires anyone who handles personal information to comply with a number of important principles. It also gives individuals rights over their personal information.

These take children under five for the whole working day. Children can attend on a part-time or full-time basis. They can be run by LAs, voluntary bodies, private companies, individuals or employers.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs is the Government department responsible for upholding justice, rights and democracy.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has a remit to promote community cohesion and equality, as well as responsibility for housing, urban regeneration, planning and local government.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion tourism, creativity and leisure.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families was set up in June 2007 to take on the responsibilities for education and children's services previously held by the DfES. The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills took on the remit for science, research and innovation and skills.

DSG is a ring-fenced grant that, as of 2006-07, replaced the Schools Formula Spending Share (SFSS).

Maintained schools have a budget share based on a formula. The right to spend this budget is normally delegated to the governing body to be spent for any purpose, or carried forward to the next financial year.

Authority given by the governing body to a committee, an individual or the headteacher to take action on behalf of the governing body.

Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in Wales. Information previously found on ACCAC's website is now on the DELLS area of the Welsh Assembly Government site under 'Curriculum and assessment' and 'Learning and qualifications'.

Showing children how to do something, how to perform a skill or a technique, how to carry out a process, how to repeat and practise what they have been shown.

Department of Education for Northern Ireland is responsible for the central administration of all aspects of education and related services in Northern Ireland, except for higher and further education.

A school with its own particular beliefs, organisation and practices.

Learning opportunities which set pupils demanding challenges that develop their skills and abilities, requiring them to engage with a level of complexity and detail not found in breadth of study alone.

Department of Education and Science - the name of the DCSF until 6 July 1992, when it became the Department for Education (DFE). Previous department names are retained in references to printed material.

A person who liaises with other services on behalf of young people in care.

LAs are required to allocate this funding directly to schools using a simple formula. It is used to help support the capital needs of school buildings.

Funding that has been allocated for a specific purpose and can only be spent for that purpose. There are no powers to carry this funding forward. Unspent balances revert to the local authority at the end of the relevant period.

Devolved Formula Capital. LAs are required to allocate this funding directly to schools using a simple formula. It is used to help support the capital needs of school buildings.

Department for Education (DFE). The name of the DCSF from 6 July 1992 to 4 July 1995, when it became Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). Previous names are retained in references to printed material.

The Department for Education and Employment became the DfES in June 2001, before the establishment of the DCSF in June 2007. Previous names are retained in references to printed material.

The Department for Education and Skills was disbanded on 28 June 2007, and its remit was taken on by two new departments: the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

DfT's objective is to oversee the delivery of a reliable, safe and secure transport system that responds efficiently to the needs of individuals and business while safeguarding the environment.

Department of Health. The aim of the DH is to improve the health and well-being of people in England.

Deputy headteachers play a major role in managing the school and are responsible for the school in the absence of the headteacher.

Shared enquiry between two or more people.

The Diploma in Digital Applications is a suite of qualifications, progressing from the Award (AiDA), equivalent to one GCSE, to the Certificate (CiDA), and on to the full Diploma (DiDA), equivalent to four GCSEs.

The use of a range of teaching methods and materials to teach the same curriculum to pupils with different learning needs.

Diploma of Higher Education. Lasts two years and can be combined with professional or vocational qualifications, and can often be converted to a degree with further study.

In using numbers to represent situations we sometimes need to know the direction as well as the size of the number. An example of this is temperature, in which direction is indicated as either positive or negative.

Produced by the Central Office of Information, Directgov is a website providing information from across Government departments on topics ranging from travel safety and parental leave to special educational needs.

The person responsible for the implementation of children's services within an LA.

Pupils described as being disaffected are alienated from their educational experiences, resulting in demotivation or other negative attitudes to learning.

The process by which a pupil is released from the demands of the national curriculum.

A small number of pupils are disapplied from assessments if all or part of the National Curriculum is unsuitable due to their special educational needs. Disapplication is an exceptional provision.

The governing body of a school must establish a Discipline Committee to review exclusions and consider any representations made by parents.

Distance learning is learning by students who are at a remote location, typically home or work, using specially prepared materials and with tutor support.

Strategies to enable curriculum and pastoral leaders in schools to take an active role in school development.

The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills was set up in June 2007 to take on the responsibilities for science, research, innovation and skills previously held by the DfES and the DTI.

Data Protection Commissioner.

Inviting pupils, without prior information, to draw a picture about a particular issue and then write notes explaining the drawing. Supplementary questions are asked to ascertain their prior knowledge and beliefs.

Designated Recommending Bodies are partnerships of schools, LAs and initial teacher training (ITT) providers that deliver the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP).

The Equality and Human Rights Commission now undertakes the work previously carried out by Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Disability Rights Commission.

DATs are multi-agency teams within LAs with responsibility for the local delivery of the drugs strategy. They involve education, health, police, social services, youth service and the voluntary sector.

Suspicion or evidence of any situation or specific event involving a drug. This could relate to a pupil, parent/carer or staff member.

Drug taking which leads a person to experience social, psychological, physical or legal problems related to intoxication or regular excessive consumption and/or dependence.

Any drug taking, such as consuming alcohol, taking medication or using illegal drugs.

The Dedicated Schools Grant is a ring-fenced grant that, as of 2006-07, replaced the Schools Formula Spending Share (SFSS).

Design and Technology is a National Curriculum subject which is compulsory at Key Stage 3 and optional at Key Stage 4.

The Department of Trade and Industry was replaced by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in June 2007.

The responsibility of teachers and other education professionals to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the children in their care.

Pupils with dyscalculia have difficulty acquiring mathematical skills. They may have problems with simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers and have trouble learning number facts and procedures.

Pupils with dyslexia have a marked and persistent difficulty in learning to read, write and spell, despite progress in other areas. Pupils may have poor reading comprehension, handwriting and punctuation.

Dyslexia Action is an educational charity, established in 2006, which developed from the merger of the Dyslexia Institute and the Hornsby International Dyslexia Centre.

Generally recognised as an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought.

Words such as 'this', 'that', 'here', 'there' which refer backwards or forwards or outside a text - a sort of verbal pointing.

Feature of grammar and/or vocabulary that identifies the regional or social background of the speaker.

Sustained stretches of talk which enable speakers and listeners to explore and build on their own and others' ideas to develop coherent thinking.

The effective choice of words.

Linguistic signposts - signals for shifts in talk e.g. 'first', 'so anyway', 'now'.

Characterised by disagreement and individualised decision making.