SEND Terminology Guide

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a range of problem behaviours associated with difficulties with attention span, including restlessness and hyperactivity.

The review of an EHCP, which a local authority must carry out within 12 months of issuing the EHCP and then on at least an annual basis.

A written progress report completed by the school and any other professionals who have been supporting the pupil for an annual or transition review meeting.

A written report is completed by the school, recording all information and recommendations from the annual review meeting and sent to the local authority for consideration.

An appeal is when you tell a tribunal that you do not agree with the choices your local authority have made about your child’s education. This could be about the help you have at school or the school you go to.

A teacher with specialist knowledge and experience in special educational needs in early years, employed by the local authority to provide advice and support to Foundation Stage staff in private, voluntary and independent early years’ settings on the inclusion of children with SEND. They support settings around best practice when children with SEND transition to school

Stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder or Condition, the term used for a range of disorders affecting the development of social interaction, communication, and imagination.

The working document is using the EHC Template. The Assessment summary will become the EHCP if SENAR decide to issue it; otherwise, it will be issued as feedback.

The local authority must send the draft EHCP (including the appendices containing the advice and information gathered during the EHC needs assessment) to the child’s parent or the young person and give them at least 15 days to give views and make representations on the content. During this period, the local authority must make its officers available for a meeting with the child’s parent or the young person on request if they wish to discuss the content of the draft EHCP.

Stands for Cognition and Learning. Cognition is the process of gaining and understanding information through our thoughts, experiences, and senses. Learning involves acquiring knowledge through experience, study, or being taught. Support for cognition and learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation and support.

A guide for parents, schools and local authorities about the help they can give to children with special educational needs and disabilities. Schools, local authorities and children’s social services must have regard to the code (i.e. they must not ignore it) when they work with a child with special educational needs and disabilities.

This is a detailed assessment to look at child/family needs, significant health needs, physical disability or behavioural problems requiring a number of different services. If needed, this is carried out by social work staff from children’s social care following an Initial Assessment.

The local authority has a group of professionals who meet together to look at how children’s needs are being met and to ensure that resources are used fairly.

All schools’ delegated funding is calculated using the local authority Fair Funding Formula, according to a range of formula factors. Funding is allocated to maintained schools by the local authorities, and by the ESFA to academies and free schools.

Local authorities must provide arrangements to help prevent or resolve disagreements between parents whose children have special educational needs and the local authority or school. Using this service does not affect parents’ right to appeal to the SEN Tribunal.

This is a draft EHCP, offering parents 15 working days to comment or request adjustments before the final EHCP is issued.

All pre-school education provision such as nursery classes and schools, day nurseries and play groups.

A legal document that sets out a child’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and all the extra support they must receive.

Have a first degree in Psychology and a post-graduate qualification in Educational Psychology. They offer specialist advice and support to schools, settings, families, young people and other agencies. Their service plays a major role in the statutory assessment, transition, and annual review processes.

A statutory process undertaken by the local authority to determine what support a child or young person needs, normally resulting in the issue of an EHCP.

The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what you need to do to make your workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain that was established by the Equality Act 2006 and came into being on 1 October 2007. The Commission has responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of equality and non-discrimination laws in England, Scotland and Wales. It took over the responsibilities of three former commissions: the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission (which dealt with gender equality) and the Disability Rights Commission. It also has responsibility for other aspects of equality: age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. As a national human rights institution, it seeks to promote and protect human rights in Great Britain.

Stands for Hearing Impairment. Pupils with a hearing impairment range from hearing loss to those who are profoundly deaf.

Educating children with special educational needs and disabilities in local mainstream schools wherever possible.

Stands for Information Technology (sometimes called information and communication technology).

Educational Stages that schools split year groups into:

• Early Years (up to the end of Reception Class – ages 3 – 5)
• Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2 – ages 5 – 7)
• Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 – ages 7 to 11)
• Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9 – ages 11 – 14)
• Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11 – ages 14 – 16)
• Key Stage 5 (Years 12 and 13 – ages 16 – 18)

The local authority in Birmingham is Birmingham City Council.

A child has learning difficulties if they find it much harder to learn than most children of the same age.

An assistant providing in-school support for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. An LSA works under the direction of a class teacher as considered appropriate.

One person who is responsible for helping the child and family through the education system and to make sure they get the right services at the right time.

A local authority maintained school that is not a special school (i.e. it is an ordinary school). Mainstream schools form the majority of schools and include Infant, Junior, Primary and Secondary schools.

A state school including community, foundation and voluntary schools as well as community special and foundation special schools.

An adult or older pupil who is linked with a child to provide support across a number of areas such as learning or behaviour.

Stands for Moderate Learning Difficulties. The general level of academic attainment of children and young people with MLD will be significantly lower than that of their peers. Generally, they will have difficulty acquiring literacy and numeracy skills.

The ongoing assessment of work, progress, expenditure or achievement.

Professionals from different specialisms (health/education/social care/voluntary organisations) working together in the best interest of your child.

Multi-agency meetings are a key element of the process of successfully working with children and young people who have been identified as having unmet needs and require support from more than one agency/service to meet these needs. For example, housing.

A place (usually a classroom or therapy room) where children have the opportunity to learn/receive information using all of their senses.

The topics that the Government has decided all children in mainstream schools will learn.

A professional employed by the Health Trust to work with the child, parents and teachers. Occupational Therapists use therapeutic techniques (advising on equipment and environmental adaptations where appropriate) to improve a child’s ability to access the physical and learning curriculum.

Support services provided to schools or pupils by specialist professionals: for example, providing support for communication or behaviour difficulties.

A doctor specialising in the needs of babies and children.

A range of groups that provide support and information to parents/carers whose children have special educational needs or disabilities.

Stands for Person Centred Planning or Person Centred Review.

A specialist who works with children who have movement difficulties. They can advise parents on suitable exercises for their children.

Stands for Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. In addition to very severe learning difficulties, pupils may have other significant difficulties, such as physical disabilities, sensory impairment or a severe medical condition. Pupils require a high level of adult support, both for their learning needs and also for their care.

A map of support showing what the school is providing for their SEND pupils, so parents can better understand what support is on offer, when and where.

A Pastoral Support Plan (PSP) is a school-based intervention that is designed to support children and young people with health care needs or who may be anxious and phobic or who may be at risk of becoming disaffected through repeated fixed-term exclusion or permanent exclusion. A PSP is designed to be a short-term intervention tool which is reviewed regularly.

A doctor who helps people who have difficulties with the way they feel and behave. Child Psychiatrists specialise in helping children.

Refers to the number the school can admit to the relevant age group in any one year.

Provides education for excluded pupils or others who may be out of school for a variety of reasons.

A Resource Base is a classroom or area for enhanced support, based within a mainstream school, providing education for pupils with a range of complex needs.

Stands for Speech and Language Therapist. They help children who have speech, language and communication difficulties.

A team of integrated professionals who work in specific geographical locations in the city.

Stands for Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. These needs are a type of special educational need where a child communicates through behaviour in response to unmet social, emotional or mental health needs. Children with SEMH needs often have difficulties in managing their emotions or their behaviour. They can show inappropriate responses to their emotions.

Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review (service)

Stands for special educational needs and disabilities. A child is said to have a special educational need if they have learning difficulties that need special educational provision.

When a class or subject teacher, working with the SENCo, identifies that a child has special educational needs that require advice or support from outside agencies. They take action by giving help that is additional to, or different from, the help most other children have.

A team of experienced qualified teaching and non-teaching staff who provide skilled support for children who have hearing, vision and multi needs sensory impairment including deaf/blind. Teaching staff offer a wide range of skills to teach and support children and families from the time of diagnosis in the critical early years’ and throughout school life.

Stands for Sensory Impairment.  Sensory impairment is when one of your senses, sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and spatial awareness, is no longer normal. For example, if you find it hard to hear or have a hearing aid, then you have a hearing impairment.

Stands for Speech, Language and Communication Needs. Pupils may have difficulties with expressive language or receptive language and/or processing difficulties.

Stands for Severe Learning Difficulties. Pupils with severe learning difficulties have significant intellectual or cognitive impairments. They may also have difficulties in mobility and coordination, communication and perception and learning self-help skills. Pupils with severe learning difficulties will need support in all areas of the curriculum.

A member of staff of a school or early education setting who has responsibility for coordinating special educational needs and disabilities provision within that school.

A school which is specially organised to make special educational provision for pupils with special educational needs and education, health and care plans whose needs cannot be met in a mainstream school.

Stands for Specific Learning Difficulties in a particular area of learning.

Statutory Assessment is a formal procedure, governed by law (Children’s and Families Act 2014), which involves the collection of detailed assessments of a child’s special educational needs or disabilities. Assessment works best when all involved (parents, school staff, health and social services, psychologists and other local authority staff) work in partnership to secure the best outcome for the child.

A person employed in school to support children’s learning under the direction of a class teacher.

A plan devised at the time of a Transition from one key stage to another.

Also known as the Pupil Referral Unit or Resource Base.

Stands for Visual Impairment – a range of difficulties from partial sight through to blindness.