Ever stared at your school timetable and wondered what all the letters and shorthand mean — D&T, ICT, PSHE, SENCo, and more? You’re not alone. School timetable abbreviations are everywhere, but there’s often no guide to decode them. This article breaks down the most common UK school timetable abbreviations so you can quickly understand which subjects, lesson types, and teachers each code refers to. No more guessing — just clear explanations, examples, and tips to make sense of your timetable from day one.
Subject Lesson Codes
Here is a comprehensive list of UK school subject abbreviations you might see on your timetable. Use this table to quickly check what each code means, including core subjects, electives, vocational courses, and wider curriculum options.
| Abbreviation | Full Name |
|---|---|
| Eng | English (Could be Lit/Lang) |
| Maths/Mth | Mathematics |
| Bio | Biology |
| Chem | Chemistry |
| Phys | Physics |
| MFL | Modern Foreign Languages (French, Spanish, German, Italian etc.) |
| D&T/DT | Design & Technology |
| ICT | Information and Communication Technology |
| PSHE | Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education |
| RSHE | Relationships, Sex & Health Education |
| AR/ART1 | Art |
| MU/MUS | Music |
| Drama | Drama |
| PE/Sport | Physical Education |
| Geog (GE, GEO, Gg) | Geography |
| Hist/Hi | History |
| Sci | Science |
| Comp(CP,ICT) | Computing |
| RE | Religious Education (Sometimes RS, Pr) |
| Lang | Languages |
| TF, Food Tech | Food Technology |
| Tx | Textiles |
| Graphics | Graphics |
| Py | Psychology |
| So | Sociology |
| La/Lw | Law |
| Pr | Philosophy & Religion |
| Product Design | Pd |
| PT | Photography |
| EPQ | Extended Project Qualification |
| Football Academy | Fa (Specialist PE option) |
| Da (DAN) | Dance |
| Im | IMedia (BTec or GCSE Media options) |
| In / Ex | Intervention |
| Ls | Life Skills |
| Lb | Library |
| Me | Mentor |
| Ar | Art |
| B3 | BTec Business 12/13 |
| Ba | Applied Science |
| Bb | BTec Business KS4 |
| Bi | Biology |
| Bs | Business Studies |
| Cd | Child Development |
| Ch | Chemistry |
| Ci | Citizenship |
| Cm | Core Maths |
| Cp | Computing |
| Da | Dance |
| Df | Dual Language |
| Dr | Drama |
| Ea | English (LWD) |
| Eb | Econ/Business |
| Ed | English dual |
| Ee | Extra English |
| El | English Literature |
| En | English |
| Ep | EPQ |
| Er | English resit |
| Ex | English Intervention |
| Fa | Football Academy |
| Fr | French |
| Ge | German |
| Gg | Geography |
| H2 | BTec Health & Social Care KS4 |
| H3 | BTec Health & Social Care KS5 |
| Hi | History |
| I3 | BTec ICT (LWD) |
| Im | IMedia |
| In | Intervention 121 |
| La | Law |
| Lb | Library |
| Li | Literacy |
| Ls | Life Skills |
| Lw | Law |
| Ma | Mathematics |
| Me | Mentor |
| Mf | Further Maths |
| Mr | Maths Resit |
| Mu | Music |
| Mx | Extra Maths |
| Nu | Numeracy |
| Pd | Product Design |
| Pe | PE |
| Ph | Physics |
| Pr | Philosophy & Religion |
| Pt | Photography |
| Px | Product Design Additional |
| Py | Psychology |
| Rs | Religious Studies |
| S2 | Level 2 Sport |
| Sc | Science |
| Sn | Spanish |
| So | Sociology |
| Sp | Sports Studies |
| St | Supervised Study |
| Sx | Extended Sport |
| Te | Technology |
| Tf | Food |
| Tg | Graphics |
| Tr | Resistant Materials |
| Ts | Theatre Studies |
| Tx | Textiles |
| WW-Arts | Wider World – Arts rotation |
| WW-Hums | Wider World – Humanities |
| WW-MFL | Wider World – Modern Foreign Languages |
| WW-Tech | Wider World – Technology |
Abbreviations on timetables aren’t universal. For example, “Sci” might mean combined Science in one school but Bio/Chem/Phys in another. Similarly, PE lessons could be listed as PE, S2, or Sport, depending on the school’s system.
Understanding Education and School Abbreviations
UK schools rely on a variety of abbreviations to make timetables, reports, and communications easier to read. These can include subject codes, lesson types, staff roles, qualifications, and other shorthand used throughout the school day. While they help keep information concise, they can sometimes be confusing for students, especially when starting a new school year or moving between year groups.
Being familiar with these abbreviations is a useful skill. It helps you quickly understand your timetable, know which lessons you have and when, identify teachers and support staff, and follow school communications accurately. The table below includes some of the most common abbreviations used in UK schools, serving as a handy reference for students.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Notes / Context |
|---|---|---|
| SEN | Special Educational Needs | Students who require additional learning support |
| SENCo | Special Educational Needs Coordinator | Staff responsible for SEN support |
| TA | Teaching Assistant | Classroom support for teachers or students |
| HLTA | Higher Level Teaching Assistant | May run lessons or small groups independently |
| SLT | Senior Leadership Team | Headteacher, deputy, or assistant heads |
| PPA | Planning, Preparation, and Assessment | Teacher non-contact time |
| PSHE | Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education | Life skills / wellbeing lessons |
| RSHE | Relationships, Sex & Health Education | Modern replacement for PSHE |
| OFSTED | Office for Standards in Education | School inspection body |
| GCSE | General Certificate of Secondary Education | Key UK exams taken at age 16 |
| A-Level | Advanced Level | Post-16 subject qualifications |
| BTec | Business and Technology Education Council | Vocational qualifications |
| EPQ | Extended Project Qualification | Independent research project for sixth formers |
| FFT | Fischer Family Trust | Data and benchmarking used in schools |
| FSM | Free School Meals | Indicator often used in school reports |
| EAL | English as an Additional Language | Support for students whose first language isn’t English |
| SEND | Special Educational Needs & Disabilities | Broader category including SEN students |
| HoD | Head of Department | Lead teacher for a subject area |
| Form T / FT | Form Tutor | Oversees a tutor group or registration period |
| AT | Assembly Time | Periods for whole-school or year group assemblies |
| P1, P2, etc. | Period 1, Period 2… | Lesson order codes on timetables |
| MFL | Modern Foreign Languages | Languages such as French, Spanish, German, etc. |
| PE | Physical Education | Sports or fitness lessons |
| ICT | Information and Communication Technology | Computing lessons |
School Qualification and Exam Board Abbreviations
| Abbreviation / Name | Full Name | Notes / Context |
|---|---|---|
| OFQUAL | Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation | Regulates qualifications, exams, and assessments in England |
| UCAS | Universities and Colleges Admissions Service | Central organisation for higher education applications |
| AQA | Assessment and Qualifications Alliance | One of the main GCSE and A-level exam boards in the UK |
| OCR | Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations | Major exam board offering GCSEs, A-levels, vocational qualifications |
| Edexcel / Pearson | Edexcel (Pearson Education) | Provides GCSEs, A-levels, and BTEC qualifications |
| WJEC | Welsh Joint Education Committee | Provides GCSEs, A-levels, and vocational qualifications (mainly Wales) |
| CCEA | Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment | Exam board for Northern Ireland |
| NCFE | Northern Council for Further Education | Vocational and technical qualifications |
| City & Guilds | City and Guilds of London Institute | Vocational and technical qualifications across various sectors |
| BTEC | Business and Technology Education Council | Vocational qualifications, often offered through Edexcel |
| NVQ | National Vocational Qualification | Work-based vocational qualification |
| RSL | Rockschool Ltd | Music and performing arts qualifications |
| ABRSM | Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | Music graded exams and diplomas |
| LAMDA | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art | Drama and performance qualifications |
| Level 1 | Level 1 Qualification | Entry-level GCSE equivalents or basic vocational awards |
| Level 2 | Level 2 Qualification | Equivalent to GCSE standard (A*-C / 9-4) |
| Level 3 | Level 3 Qualification | Equivalent to A-level standard |
| T-Levels | Technical Levels | New technical post-16 qualifications, equivalent to 3 A-levels |
| Functional Skills | Functional Skills Qualifications | Maths, English, ICT practical skills for work/study |
| Apprenticeship | Apprenticeship Qualification | Combines work-based learning with assessment |
OFQUAL, UCAS, all of the testing boards from AQA to WJEC - and, of course, our exams - SATs and GCSEs included. They are all better known by those designations than their official names - for instance, GCSE Engineering. Even for parents and students in the know, the constant addition of new classes and agencies presents an ongoing challenge to stay on top of the acronym soup.
Some schools have a “Wider World” or enrichment rotation, where students try out subjects like coding, drama, debating, or philosophy for a few weeks. These lessons don’t count as core subjects but help explore new skills and interests.
How To Navigate Your School Timetable
I don’t even understand my son’s new school timetable; what does it all mean? And how can my child be expected to keep up if even I'm stumped?
Emma, Secondary School Parent
School timetables can feel like a secret code at first, full of acronyms and abbreviations that aren’t always obvious. Imagine a student wishing to build STEM skills and not being able to tell which courses would serve that purpose. Even with support from teachers, form tutors, or older students, both parents and students can find themselves wondering what certain subjects or lesson types actually involve. Here are some basic tips so that you can confidently navigate your timetable, choose the right subjects, and make the most of your school day:
Keeping a glossary of abbreviations handy can help everyone understand the schedule, plan study time effectively, and reduce first-week confusion.
Other School Timetable Terms You Should Know
With no legend on your child's school timetable, you probably need a reference chart to help identify what s/he will study during their secondary school education. You may print this list of acronyms out or screenshot it and save it in your phone or tablet's gallery. Even after your student gets used to which class to report to and what s/he'll study once there, you will once again have to figure out what courses s/he's getting marks in when report cards come out.
- ABC – Administration, business management and computing
- ASN – Additional Support Needs. A little extra help for a pupil in need.
- D&T – Design and Technology. This includes things that were called “techie” back in our school days. Your child may make a pot stand in the first few weeks in this class.
- Guidance Teacher. A guidance teacher may be allocated to a pupil all the way through school and will watch progress, give advice, help out and be a point of contact for parents.
- HFT – Health, Food and Technology. In the olden days, this course used to be called Domestic Science; typically, only female students were assigned it. This course's syllabus shows that the menu hasn’t changed much.
- ICT – Information and Computer Technology.
- Modern Studies – Modern studies “aims to help pupils understand the political, social and economic forces which affect individuals, groups and nations. It is concerned with contemporary issues in Britain, Europe, the USA and the developing world and encourages pupils to consider these in an objective, tolerant and natural way”.
- NQT – Newly Qualified Teacher.
- PSE – Personal and Social Education. It may also be known as Personal, Social and Health Education or Citizenship. It is “everything that a school does to support and promote the personal and social development of its young people”.
- PTA – Parent Teachers’ Association.
- RMPS – Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies. Formerly known as RE.
- SMT – Senior Management Team. Like the Cabinet but more powerful.
- SS – Social Studies/Subjects. In many schools, this course entails the study of history, geography and modern studies. This course's syllabus may vary from campus to campus or, more broadly, from one school district to the next.
- TE – Technical Education. The department that teaches D&T.
- Support for Learning – Provision of support for children with Additional Support Needs. In mainstream schools, this can be as high as one in five children.
- Support for Learning is closely related to the SEN designation, which means Special Educational Needs.
We hope that this short list helps shine some light on some of the jargon that you may find on your child's class timetable or other school publications. We know that these few points do not form an exhaustive list of every course your child might be assigned. So if you know of other acronyms not featured here, you could let us know so we can add them.
Support For Learning: Additional Student Support
Many schools offer pastoral support, SEN provisions, EAL help, and counselling to make sure students have help if they struggle academically or socially.
UK schools provide a variety of support systems to help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. For students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), schools have SEN departments and SENCos (Special Educational Needs Coordinators) who organise extra help, resources, and tailored lesson plans.
Students whose first language isn’t English often receive EAL (English as an Additional Language) support to improve literacy and confidence in lessons.
Pastoral care is another key support system: tutors, form teachers, or mentors check in regularly to help with wellbeing, attendance, friendships, and stress management. Many schools also offer counselling services or wellbeing programmes to support mental health.
Form or tutor time is often more than a check-in. Schools use it for pastoral care, wellbeing sessions, assembly prep, or mentoring, so don’t skip it — it’s where you can get advice and stay organised.
In addition, some schools provide small group interventions or one-to-one sessions for subjects like Maths, English, or Science, helping students catch up or prepare for exams like GCSEs. These sessions may appear on timetables under abbreviations like Nu (Numeracy), Cm (Core Maths), or Ex (English Intervention).
Starting The School Year Off Right
Beyond curriculum and timetables, at the start of the school year, you may have a ton of concerns and questions. And anxiety about fitting in and making these few years as productive and rewarding as possible. But don't forget that everyone is in the same boat...
Many schools hold a welcome or induction event at the start of the year. This is your chance to get familiar with the school, meet some of the teachers and classmates, and see where your lessons and common areas are located. You will also be given a map of the school, showing classrooms, the cafeteria, bathrooms, the gym, sports courts, and even emergency routes. Walking through the school before your first full day can make a huge difference in feeling confident and prepared.
The key to ensuring the best possible start to the school year is getting started on the right foot. With this information and all of the other resources available to you and your pupil, you're well on your way to achieving your goals. You can start preparing for GCSE Science and any other subjects you'll be testing in.
Résumer avec l'IA :
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
