This page will offer a non exhaustive list of some of the most common abbreviations that you may encounter in your role.
| ASC/ASD | Autism Spectrum Condition/Disorder | |
| APT | Authority Proforma Tool | A tool used by the LA to calculate budget allocations and report these to the DfE |
| AWPU | Age Weighted Pupil Unit | The Basic Entitlement funding each pupil in a mainstream school receives |
| CCC | Cambridgeshire County Council | |
| CFR | Consistent Financial Reporting | A return collected by the DfE categorising income and spend consistently across England and Wales. Informs DfE benchmarking reports. |
| CIPFA | Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy | |
| CPF | Cambridgeshire Pension Fund | |
| DFC | Devolved Formula Capital | Capital allocations to schools using the DfE formula. |
| DfE | Department for Education | The government department that has responsibility for education. |
| DSG | Dedicated Schools Grant | The allocation given to LA's for education funding. Comprised of Schools Block, High Needs Block, Early Years Block and Central School Services Block. |
| EAL | English as an Additional Language | A formula factor that identifies children whose first language is not English to allocate funding. |
| ERB | Enhanced Resource Base | A specialist facility at a school designed to support children with additional needs |
| ESFA | Education and Skills Funding Agency | This organisation was disbanded on 31/03/2025 and its duties were absorbed by the DfE |
| FMS6 | SIMS Financial Management System | Finance Lesger software used by schools. |
| FSM | Free School Meals | A factor in formula funding driven by pupils in receipt of FSM. |
| FSM6 | Free School Meals Ever 6 | A factor in formula funding driven by pupils in receipt of FSM for at least 1 day in the last 6 years. |
| FTE | Full Time Equivalent | A metric that equates an employee’s workload to that of a full-time worked. |
| HMRC | His Majesty's Revenue and Customs | |
| HLTA | Higher Level Teaching Assistant | |
| ICFP | Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning | |
| IDACI | Index of Deprivation Affecting Children Index | A factor in formula funding based on the deprivation attached to the address of pupils. |
| IEB | Interim Executive Board | The emergency measure available to the LA to replace a Governing Body. |
| ISB | Individual Budget Share | The formula funding allocation of a school |
| LA | Local Authority | |
| LEA | Local Education Authority | |
| LGPS | Local Government Pension Scheme | Pensiuon scheme for non teaching staff. |
| MFG | Minimum Funding Guarantee | A formula funding factor to ensure that schools get a prescribed mimimum amount when compared to the previous year budget allocation. |
| MPPFL | Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level | A formula funding factor to ensure that school recieve a prescribed mimumum amount of funding per pupil. |
| NFF | National Funding Formula | The DfE directed formula for calculating and allocating school budgets. |
| NJC | National Joint Council | The negotiating committee representing non teaching staff for pay and conditions. |
| NoR | Number on Roll | |
| NQT | Newly Qualified Teacher | |
| PAN | Pupil Admission Number | |
| PRU | Pupil Referal Unit | |
| PTA | Parent Teacher Association | |
| PVI | Private, Voluntary and Independent (Nursery Provision) | |
| QTS | Qualified Teacher Status | |
| SCP | Spinal Column Point | Pay points on the pay scales. |
| S251 | Section 251 | The overarching legislation that governs funding for children's and education services. |
| SBSG | School Budget Support Grant | The grant to assist with increased pay costs in 2025 |
| SEN | Special Educational Needs | |
| SDP | School Development Plan | |
| SFA | School Financial Advisor | |
| SFVS | Schools Financial Value Standard | An annual self asssessment return completed by schools. |
| SLA | Service Level Agreement | |
| TLR | Teaching & Learning Responsibility | A pay supplement to recognise additional responsibility. |
| UPS | Upper Pay Scale | |
| UQT | Unqualified Teacher | |
| VA | Voluntary Aided | Faith schools with close links to Diocese which impact finance decision making (such as DFC). |
| VAT | Value Added Tax | |
| VC | Voluntary Controlled | Faith schools with close links to the Diocese but have less impact on finance decision making. |
