Glossary

A framework for classifying learning into levels of thinking. The six levels run from remember and understand (lower-order) through apply and analyse to evaluate and create (higher-order). Used to design questions, lesson objectives and rubrics that push pupils beyond simple recall.

Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes. A framework that describes how pupils build understanding from disconnected facts (pre-structural, uni-structural) to connected knowledge (multi-structural, relational) and finally abstraction (extended abstract). Used to design learning intentions and evaluate depth of understanding.

Vygotsky's idea: the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with help from a more knowledgeable other. Effective teaching happens inside that gap, with support that gradually fades.

Temporary support that helps a learner do something they couldn't yet do alone, removed gradually as the learner gains confidence. Sentence stems, worked examples, partial outlines, peer support — all are scaffolds. The skill is in the removal: leaving a scaffold up too long stops the learner becoming independent.

A mental structure that organises related information. New learning either fits into an existing schema (faster) or builds a new one (slower, more effortful). Pupils with broader schemas in a subject learn related new content more easily — which is why background-knowledge gaps are so consequential.

Thinking about your own thinking — knowing what you know, what you don't, what helps you learn, and when to use which strategy. One of the most evidence-supported things schools can teach.

The deliberate act of pulling information out of long-term memory, by quizzing or recalling, rather than passively re-reading. Strengthens memory more than re-reading does.

Spreading study or review over several sessions, with gaps between them, rather than concentrating it into one session. Strongly evidence-supported, and the foundation for revision plans that work.

Mixing topics or skills within one study session rather than blocking practice on one topic at a time. Feels harder in the moment but produces stronger long-term retention.

The argument that working memory is limited, and that effective teaching deliberately manages how much novel information a learner is processing at once. Worked examples, dual coding (visual + verbal) and clear instructions all reduce extraneous cognitive load.

Working memory is small, fast and temporary — a few items at a time. Long-term memory is vast and durable but slower to access. Learning is the slow process of moving information from one to the other through repeated, spaced retrieval.

The view that learners construct understanding by linking new information to prior knowledge, rather than passively receiving it. Influences inquiry-based and project-based pedagogies.

The view that learning is observable change in behaviour, shaped by reinforcement and consequence. The classroom-management tradition descends from it. Best understood as one useful strand for habit-formation and routines.

The view that learning is fundamentally social — pupils learn through interaction with more knowledgeable others, including peers, with language as the central tool. Underpins guided reading, structured talk, and peer-mentor schemes.

The belief that ability is malleable through effort, strategy and good teaching. How we praise, set tasks and respond to failure shapes how pupils think about their own potential.

Carefully sequenced, teacher-led teaching with worked examples, guided practice and corrective feedback. Substantial evidence that for novice learners, especially in mathematics and reading, it outperforms more open approaches.

Adapting teaching so that pupils of different starting points can all access the lesson. The current evidence-informed view is that high-quality core teaching plus targeted scaffolds tends to beat heavy parallel differentiation.

Assessment whose purpose is to inform what happens next — the next lesson, the next intervention, the next teacher action. Includes hinge questions, exit tickets, mini-whiteboard checks and informal observation.

Assessment whose purpose is to summarise where a pupil has reached at a point in time — end-of-unit tests, mock exams, public examinations. Often high-stakes for pupils.

A model where pupils don't move on from a topic until they've reached an agreed standard, with reteaching for those who haven't. Most associated with Bloom, more recently with maths-mastery curricula. Strong on rigour; demanding on time.

Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council. The federal body responsible for the national curriculum across pre-primary, primary, junior and senior secondary phases in Nigeria. For current syllabi, always refer to NERDC's official channels.

Universal Basic Education. The national Nigerian programme covering the first nine years of schooling — pre-primary, primary 1–6, and junior secondary 1–3. UBEC is the federal commission; SUBEB is the state equivalent.

Early Years Foundation Stage. The framework used in England and many British-curriculum schools for children from birth to Reception (about age 5). Covers seven areas of learning. The Nigerian equivalent is ECCDE within the UBE framework.

Key Stages — British-curriculum age-bands. KS1 is Years 1–2 (ages 5–7), KS2 is Years 3–6 (ages 7–11), KS3 is Years 7–9 (ages 11–14), KS4 is Years 10–11 (GCSE years), KS5 is Years 12–13 (A-Level years). In Nigerian terms, KS1–2 maps to Primary, KS3 to JSS, KS4 to SSS1–2, KS5 to SSS3 onwards.

A widely used international curriculum, exam board and qualification framework. Includes Lower Secondary, IGCSE, AS and A Level. Many Nigerian international schools follow it.

Another widely used international exam board (now part of Pearson). Offers International GCSE and International A Level. Some Nigerian schools combine Edexcel and Cambridge depending on subject.

The International Baccalaureate's three programmes: Primary Years (3–12), Middle Years (11–16) and Diploma (16–19). The DP includes the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and CAS alongside subject courses.

Early Childhood Care, Development and Education. The Nigerian framework for the years before formal primary school, within UBE's pre-primary remit.

National Policy on Education. The umbrella Nigerian policy document that sets the philosophy and structure of education across phases. Revised periodically.

West African Examinations Council. The regional body that administers the Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) across West Africa.

West African Senior School Certificate Examination. The actual exam administered by WAEC — the qualification most Nigerian school-leavers hold.

National Examinations Council. The Nigerian federal alternative to WAEC, administering the NSSCE and BECE.

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. Administers university-entry examinations and coordinates admissions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The JAMB-administered computer-based test that most Nigerian university applicants take. Score requirements vary by institution and course.

A screening process most Nigerian universities run after JAMB-UTME results, to further filter applicants. Format varies: written tests, interviews, or both.

National Business and Technical Examinations Board. Administers technical and vocational qualifications — useful for pupils on a technical or craft track.

Basic Education Certificate Examination. The end-of-junior-secondary exam in Nigeria, marking the transition from JSS3 to SSS1.

Senior School Certificate Examination. The end-of-senior-secondary qualification, awarded by WAEC (WASSCE) or NECO (NSSCE).

First School Leaving Certificate. The end-of-primary certification in Nigeria. Largely formal — most pupils continue automatically into JSS1.

National Common Entrance Examination. Administered by NECO for entry into Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools). Distinct from individual private-school entrance exams.

International General Certificate of Secondary Education. Cambridge and Edexcel both offer IGCSE qualifications, taken typically at age 15–16. Widely used in Nigerian international schools.

A two-year qualification (AS in year 1, A2 in year 2) taken at ages 16–18. Used for university entry both inside and outside the UK. Offered by Cambridge, Edexcel, AQA and others.

A two-year programme covering six subjects plus the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and CAS. Recognised globally for university entry. Demanding, holistic, and increasingly available in Nigerian international schools.

The two main standardised tests for US university admission. Many US universities have moved to test-optional in recent years — check current admissions pages directly.

Single-subject US college-level courses and exams taken in high school. Some Nigerian international schools offer AP alongside or instead of A Level or IB.

A 4,000-word independent research essay required of all IB DP candidates. Begun in the first year, completed in the second.

An IB DP course examining how knowledge is constructed across disciplines. Usually 100 hours of teaching, with an essay and an exhibition assessed externally.

Creativity, Activity, Service. The IB DP requirement for students to engage in non-academic experiences across three strands, documented in a portfolio. Compulsory but not externally graded.

Special Educational Needs / Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The umbrella terms for any learner whose needs require provision additional to or different from the standard curriculum. SEND is the more inclusive current term.

Special Educational Needs Coordinator. The school staff member responsible for coordinating SEND provision — assessment, individual plans, family partnership, staff training, external referrals. In Nigerian schools, the role may be titled Inclusion Coordinator or Learning Support Coordinator.

Individual Education Plan. A working document for a SEND learner listing their strengths, challenges, agreed adaptations and targets. Used by classroom teachers; reviewed termly with the family.

Education, Health and Care Plan. A statutory English document for children whose needs require coordinated input across education, health and social-care services. The closest Nigerian analogue is a multi-agency support plan.

A neurodevelopmental difference characterised by differences in social communication and information-processing, often alongside sensory differences. "Condition" is preferred over "disorder" by many. Specialist diagnosis is via a paediatrician or educational psychologist.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A neurodevelopmental difference affecting attention, impulse control and sometimes hyperactivity. Diagnosis is medical. School support focuses on classroom adaptations, predictable routines and movement breaks.

A specific learning difference affecting reading and spelling, often despite age-appropriate ability in other areas. Supports include structured phonics, reading-aloud routines, multi-sensory spelling and exam access arrangements.

Developmental Coordination Disorder. A motor-coordination difference affecting fine and/or gross-motor skills. Identification usually via an occupational therapist. Supports include handwriting alternatives and organisation scaffolds.

A specific learning difference affecting number sense and mathematical reasoning, distinct from poor maths teaching. Often under-identified compared to dyslexia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health. The category of need where a pupil's primary challenges are emotional, behavioural or relational. Often the behaviour you see is the communication, not the problem itself.

English as an Additional Language. A pupil whose first language is not English. EAL learners are not SEND learners by default — their need is linguistic. Supports include vocabulary pre-teaching and dual-language scaffolds.

Changes a school makes to remove or reduce barriers for a SEND or disabled pupil — large-print materials, extra time, a quiet room, a different seat. Required by anti-discrimination legislation in many jurisdictions.

A unit of sound in speech. English has roughly 44 phonemes. "Cat" has three phonemes: /c/ /a/ /t/.

The written representation of a phoneme. The phoneme /sh/ can be represented by sh (shop), ch (chef), ti (nation), or ssi (passion). One sound, multiple possible spellings.

Two letters representing one sound — sh, ch, th, ng, ai, ee, oa. Distinguished from a trigraph (three letters, one sound — igh, ear, air) and a blend (multiple sounds heard distinctly — st-, bl-, cr-).

Blending is putting sounds together to read a word — c-a-t becomes "cat". Segmenting is breaking a word into sounds to spell — "cat" becomes c-a-t. The two are reciprocal skills.

Word-shape codes used in phonics teaching. CVC = consonant-vowel-consonant (cat, dog). CCVC = two starting consonants (flat, stop). CVCC = ending consonant cluster (cast, fish). Teachers progress pupils through these shapes systematically.

Words that can't be sounded out reliably using regular phonics rules — the, was, one, people. Also called high-frequency words. Pupils learn them as wholes.

The combination of accuracy, rate and prosody — reading the right words, at a reasonable pace, with expression. Strongly correlated with comprehension.

Making meaning from text. More than decoding — involves vocabulary, background knowledge, inference and active strategies (predicting, clarifying, questioning, summarising).

Drawing conclusions from text that aren't stated explicitly. The reader fills the gap using clues from the passage and their own knowledge.

The background knowledge a reader brings to a text. A pupil who knows what a market is, what a danfo is, what suya tastes like, reads a passage set in Lagos with much fuller understanding.

Head of Year coordinates pastoral and academic care for one year group. Head of Department leads a subject team. Senior Leadership Team is the group around the head responsible for whole-school strategy and policy.

Newly Qualified Teacher (older term) or Early Career Teacher (current term) — a teacher in their first one or two years post-qualification. Most systems expect a structured induction with a mentor.

Qualified Teacher Status. The English regulatory status for teaching in state-maintained schools. The Nigerian equivalent is registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

Postgraduate Certificate in Education. A common UK route into teaching — a one-year qualification after a first degree. The Nigerian common route is a B.Ed or PGDE following a non-education first degree.

Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria. The federal body that registers teachers. Registration is the official requirement for teaching practice in Nigeria.

Designated Safeguarding Lead. The qualified school staff member with primary responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. Every school should have one and a deputy.

Ongoing assessment across a term — combining short tests, classwork records and assignments — contributing to a final grade alongside the end-of-term examination. Standard practice in Nigerian schools.

The detailed answer key and marking guidance for a test — what an examiner is looking for and how marks are awarded. Reading mark schemes alongside past papers is one of the highest-impact revision activities.

A structured grid describing performance at different levels (often Emerging / Developing / Secure / Mastery), against multiple criteria. Makes marking transparent and gives pupils a clear target.

A test designed to produce comparable scores across different test-takers, settings or years — through fixed content, conditions and statistical adjustment. WAEC, NECO, JAMB, IGCSE, SAT and ACT are all standardised.

Norm-referenced tests rank candidates against each other (top 5% get an A). Criterion-referenced tests award grades based on meeting a fixed standard (everyone who can do X gets an A).

A single, deliberately-designed question used mid-lesson to check whether the class is ready to move on. The teacher's response depends on the answers.

A short task pupils complete in the last few minutes of a lesson, typically one question or a 3-2-1 structure. Read by the teacher between lessons to inform next day's planning.

Formative assessment informs what happens next (the next teaching action). Summative assessment summarises where pupils have reached at a point in time. Both are useful; both are different; conflating them weakens both.

The whole-school responsibility for protecting children from harm — not only dramatic harms (abuse, neglect, exploitation) but everyday ones (bullying, online risk, disengagement). Every adult in school is responsible; the DSL coordinates.

The narrower, statutory subset of safeguarding — the formal response when a child is at risk of significant harm. Schools work alongside external agencies (state social services, police), not instead of them.

When a child tells an adult about abuse, harm, or a safeguarding concern. The first response: listen, take it seriously, write it down accurately, and pass it to the DSL. Schools should not investigate disclosures themselves.

Keeping Children Safe in Education. The statutory English guidance for schools, updated annually. Not Nigerian legislation, but commonly used in international and British-curriculum schools in Nigeria as a reference.

A single document recording safeguarding-relevant pre-employment checks for every staff member, governor and regular volunteer — identity, qualifications, references, criminal-record check.

Practices designed to deter and detect unsuitable adults from working with children — careful job descriptions, multiple references, identity verification, criminal-record checks, safeguarding-scenario interviews.

The school's working document setting out priorities, actions, owners and KPIs for the next year. Usually reviewed by leadership every half-term and by the governing body each term.

The school's honest assessment of itself against an inspection or accreditation framework — judgements, evidence, areas for improvement. Often the precursor to writing the SIP.

An international management-system standard for educational institutions. Some Nigerian private schools pursue ISO 21001 as a quality marker. Not a curriculum or pedagogy framework — strictly about organisational management.

Nigeria Data Protection Regulation. Governs how personal data may be collected, stored, used and shared. Applies to schools — pupil records, staff records, parent contacts, attendance data, behaviour logs.

The school's senior finance lead — fees, payroll, supplier invoices, budget management, reporting to governors. In small schools, often combined with operations.

The group with overall accountability for the school — strategic direction, policy approval, head's appraisal, financial oversight, safeguarding oversight. Composition varies by school type.

External evaluation of a school's quality against a published framework. Inspection (Ofsted, etc.) is statutory. Accreditation (BSO, COBIS, CIS) is voluntary. Nigerian accreditation involves state ministries plus international bodies for international-curriculum schools.

VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) or LMS (Learning Management System) is the platform for lessons, resources and homework — like Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams. MIS (Management Information System) is the database for pupil records, attendance and behaviour data.

When an AI model generates plausible-sounding output that is factually wrong — invented citations, wrong dates, fabricated quotes. Not a fault in the user; an inherent limitation of current language models. The defence is critical reading and source-checking.

A login method requiring more than just a password — typically a code from an authenticator app or text message. Strongly recommended for all staff accounts that access pupil data or school systems.

Artificial intelligence systems that produce new content — text, images, audio, code or video — in response to instructions. Unlike older AI that classified or predicted, generative AI creates. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot are all generative AI tools. The outputs are plausible, not guaranteed to be accurate, so checking is always required.

The technology underlying most current AI chatbots. An LLM is trained on enormous amounts of text and learns statistical patterns in language — enabling it to predict and generate fluent, relevant responses. It does not understand in the human sense; it predicts. This is why hallucinations happen.

The instruction, question or piece of text you give to an AI tool to get a response. A well-crafted prompt produces a useful output; a vague prompt produces a vague output. The quality of your prompt is almost always the biggest factor in the quality of what the AI produces.

The skill of writing, structuring and iterating prompts to get reliable, high-quality outputs from an AI tool. Includes specifying role, context, task, format and constraints. A core skill for any professional using AI. PromptPaddi's curated library does much of this engineering for you.

The maximum amount of text an AI model can read and hold in mind in a single session — your prompt plus its own previous responses. Older models had small windows; current models can handle book-length contexts. When you exceed the window, the model forgets earlier content.

The unit AI models use to process text. Roughly 75 words equals 100 tokens in English. AI pricing and context limits are typically measured in tokens. Very long conversations cost more and approach the context window limit faster.

A setting that controls how random or deterministic an AI's output is. Low temperature produces more predictable, consistent answers — good for factual tasks. High temperature produces more varied, creative output — good for brainstorming. Most AI interfaces set this automatically.

Giving an AI a task without any examples of what a good response looks like — just a clear instruction. Works well for common, familiar tasks. For complex or specialised outputs, adding one or two examples (few-shot prompting) often improves results significantly.

Providing one or more examples of the desired output before asking the AI to produce its own version. Particularly useful when you need a specific tone, format or level of detail that a plain instruction might not capture.

Asking an AI to show its reasoning step by step before arriving at a conclusion. Significantly improves accuracy on logical, mathematical and analytical tasks. Usually achieved by adding "think step by step" or "explain your reasoning" to the prompt.

A technique where an AI is connected to an external knowledge base or document collection, retrieving relevant information before generating a response. Reduces hallucination for specialised topics. Used in enterprise AI systems where accuracy on a specific corpus matters.

Systematic skew in AI outputs caused by patterns in training data. AI trained mostly on Western, English-language content may produce outputs that feel culturally foreign or inappropriate in Nigerian contexts. Recognising bias is part of responsible AI use — always review outputs with your professional and cultural knowledge.

The AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, powered by the GPT family of large language models. One of the most widely used AI tools globally. Available at chat.openai.com. The free tier gives access to GPT-4o Mini; paid ChatGPT Plus gives access to GPT-4o and other models.

The AI assistant developed by Anthropic. Known for long context windows, nuanced analytical outputs and careful, safety-conscious responses. Available at claude.ai. Integrated into PromptPaddi as one of 9 supported launch platforms.

Google's AI assistant, integrated with Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides). Available at gemini.google.com. Particularly useful for educators already using Google Classroom. Supports real-time web search, making it useful for current information.

Microsoft's AI assistant, integrated into Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams). Particularly useful for schools running Microsoft environments. Also available as a standalone chat interface at copilot.microsoft.com.

The field of computer science and AI concerned with enabling computers to understand and generate human language. The foundation on which all AI chatbots, translation tools, text summarisers and AI writing assistants are built.

The ability to understand how AI works, what it can and cannot do, how to use it effectively and ethically, and how to critically evaluate its outputs. Increasingly considered a core professional skill alongside digital literacy. PromptPaddi Academy's Pillar 2 covers AI literacy in full.

A verifiable, shareable digital credential that represents a skill, course completion or achievement. Built on the Open Badges standard — each badge contains metadata about who earned it, what it required and who issued it. Can be displayed on LinkedIn, email signatures and CVs. PromptPaddi Academy issues digital badges on module completion.

Synthetic media — video, audio or image — generated by AI to make it appear that a real person said or did something they did not. A serious and growing safeguarding concern for schools. Pupils need to know deepfakes exist, how to identify them and not to create or share them.

The 12 user roles that organise the PromptPaddi library. Each track contains prompts curated specifically for that professional context: Teacher/Educator, Non-teaching Staff, School Owner, Potential School Owner, Lesson Teacher, Home Educator, Parent, HR Professional, Educator-Entrepreneur, Education Job Seeker, Education Adviser and Adult Learner. Users select their track at signup and see their track's prompts by default.

A short tag added to a PromptPaddi prompt to adapt its output for a specific context. Available on paid tiers. Examples: /waec (WAEC syllabus and style), /naija (Nigerian cultural context), /jssce (Junior Secondary), /primary (Primary level), /british (British-curriculum schools), /ks3 (Key Stage 3). Codes can be stacked for precise targeting.

A variable inside a PromptPaddi prompt — shown in square brackets — that the user replaces with their specific details before launching the prompt to an AI tool. Examples: [YEAR GROUP], [SUBJECT], [PUPIL NAME], [TOPIC]. Placeholders make one prompt infinitely reusable.

A curated collection of 20–50 related prompts focused on a specific topic, task type or module theme. Available to download as PDF or plain text. Used within the PromptPaddi Academy to provide learners with ready-to-use resources for each module.

A PromptPaddi resource available to all users — including free trial users — explaining how to use AI tools responsibly in educational settings. Covers data privacy, verification of outputs, academic integrity, age-appropriate use, and what not to share with AI tools.

A flag displayed on prompts that cover sensitive areas — mental health, safeguarding, SEND diagnosis, legal matters, medical conditions — indicating that the AI output should be reviewed by a qualified specialist before being acted upon. Not a warning that the prompt is dangerous; a reminder that professional judgement is required.

The four paid access levels on PromptPaddi: Starter (limited track access), Pro (full track access, favourites, modifier codes), Consultant (all tracks, full Academy access), Enterprise (whole-school licence with staff dashboard). New users start with 200 free prompts across 3 days — no card needed. Each higher tier unlocks more prompts, features and Academy content.

The feature allowing paid subscribers (Starter and above) to save prompts to a personal favourites list for quick access. Favourites are stored against the user's account and accessible from the dedicated Favourites tab. Useful for building a personal workflow library from the main prompt collection.

Nigerian slang (from Yoruba) meaning to flee or escape, now widely used to describe emigrating from Nigeria in search of better economic, educational or professional opportunities — primarily to the UK, Canada, USA, Ireland and other English-speaking countries. A significant phenomenon affecting Nigerian school communities as teachers, nurses and other professionals relocate abroad.

World Education Services (WES) and ECCTIS (formerly NARIC) are credential evaluation services. They assess foreign qualifications — Nigerian degrees, HNDs, professional certificates — and compare them to equivalent qualifications in the destination country. Required by most UK, Canadian and US employers and universities when assessing applicants with overseas credentials.

International English Language Testing System. The most widely accepted English language test for immigration, university admission and professional registration — recognised in the UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries. IELTS Academic is for study; IELTS General Training is for work and migration. Scores run from 0 to 9 band.

The primary UK work visa for qualified professionals. Requires a job offer from a UK-licensed sponsor employer, a minimum salary threshold, and a points score. Nigerian teachers, nurses, engineers and other professionals use this route. The sponsoring employer handles the Certificate of Sponsorship.

National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in Nigeria and Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in the UK — the systems that grade qualifications by level. Knowing the UK level equivalent of a Nigerian qualification helps adults understand where their credentials sit and what further study they may need.

An 11-digit unique identifier issued by Nigeria's National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to every Nigerian resident. Compulsory for many government services including SIM registration, passport application, voter registration, JAMB registration and banking.

A compulsory one-year national service scheme for Nigerian graduates under the age of 30. Graduates are posted to a state other than their home state for orientation camp, primary assignment and community development service. The NYSC discharge certificate is required for many jobs and postgraduate applications.

The Nigerian federal body responsible for registering businesses — sole traders, partnerships and limited liability companies. CAC registration gives a business legal status, a business name and a registration number. Required for opening a business bank account, securing contracts and filing taxes.

The Nigerian federal agency responsible for assessing and collecting taxes from companies and non-resident individuals. FIRS issues Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), processes company income tax returns and manages VAT registration. State Inland Revenue Services handle Personal Income Tax for employed individuals.

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) — Nigeria's health insurance framework, now transitioning to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). An HMO (Health Maintenance Organisation) is the private body that administers a plan under the NHIS. Employees and employers contribute; members access care at registered healthcare providers.

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. The Nigerian regulatory body for food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals and similar products. Schools and caterers must only purchase NAFDAC-registered products. Relevant to school kitchens, laboratory supplies and the health and wellbeing category for adult learners.

Money sent by a person working abroad to family members in their home country. Nigeria is one of the largest recipients of remittances in Africa. Understanding remittance channels — banks, apps like Wise and Remitly, Western Union — exchange rates and tax implications is essential knowledge for the diaspora readiness category.

UK qualifications in English, maths and ICT designed for adult learners who did not achieve GCSE standard or whose overseas qualifications are not recognised. Levels run from Entry 1 to Level 2. Level 2 is equivalent to GCSE grade 4/C. Many UK employer and professional registration processes accept Functional Skills Level 2 as a GCSE equivalent.

English for Speakers of Other Languages. The UK term for language learning programmes for adult learners in community and further education settings. Covers reading, writing, speaking and listening at levels from Entry 1 to Level 2. Distinct from IELTS, which is an exam; ESOL is a learning programme.

State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) is the state-level body implementing UBE policy — funding public primary and junior secondary schools, deploying teachers and overseeing quality in each state. UBEC is the federal commission that provides matching grants to states. Most school owners interact with SUBEB for registration and inspections.

Each of Nigeria's 36 states and the FCT has its own Ministry of Education, which regulates senior secondary schools and private schools, conducts inspections, approves curricula and issues proprietor's licences. Federal Unity Schools are overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education.

National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools. The umbrella body representing owners of private schools in Nigeria across all phases. Advocates for the sector, provides professional development and supports members with regulatory compliance, WAEC/NECO centre registration and school management.

The oldest and largest teacher trade union in Nigeria, representing teachers at all phases in both public and private sectors. The NUT negotiates teachers' salaries, terms and conditions, and advocates for education funding. Its state chapters engage with SUBEB and state ministries.

Federal Government Colleges — also called Unity Schools — are federal boarding secondary schools spread across Nigeria, designed to promote national unity by mixing pupils from different states. Admission is via the NCEE. They are generally well-resourced and academically competitive.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) operate various loan and grant schemes relevant to education sector entrepreneurs — including student loan programmes, the Creative Industries Financing Initiative and the BOI Education Fund. Conditions and eligibility change frequently; always verify on official websites.

Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. The UK government's inspection body for schools, early years settings and further education providers. Not a Nigerian regulator, but widely referenced in British-curriculum and international schools in Nigeria and in migration and teacher registration contexts.

A voluntary inspection scheme for British-curriculum schools outside the UK, conducted on behalf of the UK government. BSO-accredited schools are inspected against standards similar to UK maintained schools. A recognised quality mark for international parents choosing schools abroad.

Council of British International Schools. A membership association for British schools worldwide. COBIS Accreditation involves a rigorous inspection process and ongoing monitoring. Membership signals quality, governance standards and safeguarding compliance to international families.

A global membership and accreditation body for international schools. CIS accreditation is a widely recognised quality standard for schools outside their home country's national system, including many IB and international-curriculum schools in Nigeria.

The umbrella body for independent schools in the UK. ISC member schools are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Referenced in Nigeria as some high-fee schools align themselves with ISC standards and market to British expatriates and international families.

An alternative title for the School Improvement Plan (SIP) — a working document setting out the school's strategic priorities, actions, success criteria and timelines for the next one to three years. Used interchangeably with SIP; SDP is the more common term in many Nigerian private school contexts.

Structured learning and development that professionals undertake throughout their careers to maintain and advance their skills and knowledge. In education, CPD includes INSET days, courses, conferences, coaching, online learning, reading and action research. Many professional bodies expect a minimum number of CPD hours per year.

In-Service Training day — a dedicated staff professional development day when pupils are not in school. Schools typically have 5 INSET days per academic year. Topics range from whole-school priorities (safeguarding, assessment, curriculum) to subject or phase-specific training.

Disclosure and Barring Service check — a UK criminal record check required for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults. Enhanced DBS is required for all school staff. In Nigeria, the equivalent involves a police character certificate. International schools in Nigeria often require DBS checks for UK-trained applicants.

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria. The professional body for HR professionals in Nigeria. CIPM membership and certification (Associate, Member, Fellow) are recognised standards for HR practice. The CIPM also sets ethical and professional standards for employment management in Nigerian organisations.

A formal, structured review of an employee's performance against agreed objectives, conducted at regular intervals — typically annually or bi-annually. Should be linked to CPD planning, salary review, promotion and capability procedures where necessary. In schools, the head's appraisal is conducted by the governing body.

The initial period of employment — typically 3 to 6 months — during which a new employee's performance and suitability are assessed. The employer can end the contract more easily during this period. Clear expectations, regular check-ins and honest feedback make probation useful for both sides.

A medium-term planning document — typically half a term to a full term — that sequences lessons for a subject at a given year group. Includes topics, learning objectives, activities, assessment opportunities, resources and homework. The SoW sits between a long-term curriculum plan and individual lesson plans.

A clear statement of what pupils will know or be able to do by the end of a lesson or activity. Strong objectives are measurable, use Bloom's verbs and are shared with pupils. "Pupils will be able to identify the main features of a persuasive text" is a learning objective. "Learn about persuasive writing" is not.

Teaching and learning that deliberately connects two or more subjects, so pupils see the relationships between disciplines. A geography lesson that includes graph skills (mathematics), a literature lesson set in a historical period, a science lesson that involves persuasive writing — all are cross-curricular.

An instructional approach where pupils learn by working over an extended period on a complex, real-world project that produces a tangible product or presentation. Develops collaboration, critical thinking and communication alongside subject knowledge. Requires careful design to ensure rigorous content coverage.

A learner-driven approach where pupils generate questions, investigate, analyse evidence and draw conclusions, rather than receiving knowledge from the teacher directly. Strong for developing critical thinking; requires solid background knowledge to be effective.

A model where pupils encounter new content — often via video or reading — before the lesson, so that class time is used for practice, application and discussion rather than first instruction. Requires pupils to engage reliably outside class, which can be challenging in low-connectivity environments.

Structured assessment where pupils evaluate each other's work against agreed criteria. When done well, it develops critical thinking and helps pupils internalise quality standards. Requires training pupils in how to give useful, specific feedback — praise alone is not peer assessment.

The ethical framework around honest academic work — including the prohibition of plagiarism, ghost-writing, contract cheating, AI misuse and exam malpractice. AI tools have significantly complicated academic integrity: the same tool a teacher uses legitimately for planning can be misused by a pupil to complete assessed work.

The school's responsibility for the social, emotional and personal well-being of its pupils — going beyond academic outcomes. Pastoral structures include form tutors, heads of year, school counsellors and mentors. Pastoral and academic systems work alongside each other, not in competition.

A training qualification that teaches non-clinical staff to recognise signs of mental health distress, provide initial support and signpost to professional help. Growing in Nigerian schools as awareness of student mental health increases. Not a substitute for clinical intervention.

In the Nigerian private school context, the legal owner or founding individual of a school — distinct from the principal (academic leader) or head teacher. The proprietor holds the licence from the state ministry or SUBEB and carries ultimate legal and financial responsibility for the school.

The governance structure for schools set up as charitable trusts or limited companies. Trustees or directors carry legal fiduciary responsibility and are distinct from an advisory council. Required in multi-school groups and mission-driven school organisations.

The deliberate process of identifying and developing future leaders within the school to fill key roles as they become vacant. Reduces the risk of institutional knowledge being lost when a long-serving head or proprietor leaves. Particularly important in single-proprietor private schools.

A formal document produced annually by a school, summarising its ethos, curriculum, achievements, fees, policies and key contact information for prospective families. A statutory requirement in some jurisdictions; considered best practice everywhere.