Glossary

Information, Support and Training for Parents and Carers

of Children with Special Educational Needs in Cornwall

Cornwall Parent Partnership Service

Independent Impartial Confidential Free

Glossary

Advisory and Specialist Teachers

These are the teachers who have experience of working with children with a range of learning difficulties. They will advise schools on how to plan and carry out programmes of work for children. They can also offer training for teachers and classroom assistants.

Annual Review

The Children and Young People and Families Service checks on a child’s progress to make sure the statement of special educational needs continues to meet his or her needs at school. The annual review must take place at least once a year.

Carer

A person named by a local authority to care for a child for whom the social services department has parental responsibility.

Glossary

Disagreement Resolution

The government requires the Children and Young People and Families Service to provide an independent service to help when parents/carers and the Children and Young People and Families Service or school cannot agree on how to meet a child’s special educational needs or when there is a disagreement about a disability discrimination matter. This service is provided by Peninsula Mediation.

Early Education Settings

All preschool education provision such as nursery classes and schools, day nurseries and playgroups.

Early Years Action

When the early education practitioner who works day-to-day with the child and/or the SENCO identify that a child has SEN they provide strategies that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the setting’s usual curriculum. An IEP will usually be devised.

Early Years Action Plus

When the early education practitioner who works day-to-day with the child and SENCO are provided with support from outside specialists so that alternative strategies that are additional to or different from those provided through Early Years Action can be put into place. A new IEP will usually be devised.

Educational Psychologist

A specialist who has studied how children learn and behave. He or she will have worked as a teacher and will help children, their parents and teachers find ways to overcome difficulties with children’s learning and behaviour.

Foundation Stage

This begins when children reach the age of 3. Many children attend an early education setting after their 3rd birthday. This stage continues until the end of the Reception Year and is consistent with the national curriculum. It prepares children for learning in year 1, when programmes of study for Key Stage 1 are taught.

Graduated Approach

A model of action and intervention in schools and early education settings to help children who have SEN. The approach recognises that there is a continuum of SEN and that, where necessary, increasing specialist expertise should be brought to bear on the difficulties a child may be experiencing.

Health Visitor

A specialist nurse with further training in child development, family health and welfare. The health visitor will visit to give health education, support and advice within the home.

Individual Educational Plan (IEP)

A working document for the school to record short-term targets and strategies for individual pupils, showing what is different from, or additional to, those for the rest of the class. All children with SEN will have an IEP which must be reviewed at least twice a year. Parents/carers and the child should be involved in the review.

Learning Support Assistant

Someone who works with individual pupils or groups of children in schools or early years settings. LSAs are not usually qualified teachers, but most are highly trained and many have a great deal of experience.

Mainstream School

An ordinary school for all children.

Named Officer

The person for the local education authority who knows about your child’s assessment and who can speak to you about it.

Note in Lieu

A detailed report which may be sent to you if the Children and Young People and Families Service completes a statutory assessment of your child, but decides not to issue a statement.

Paediatrician

A specialist children’s doctor.

Physiotherapist

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

Portage

A pre-school home visiting service for children with a delay in development, including those with complex learning difficulties. The Portage worker will visit regularly to set up learning activities through discussion with the parent. The family can then practice these activities between visits and will report on the child’s progress.

School Action

When a class or subject teacher identify that a pupil with special educational needs they provide interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum and strategies. An IEP will usually be devised.

School Action Plus

When the class or subject teacher and the SENCO are provided with advice or support from outside specialists, so that alternative interventions to those provided for the pupil through School Action can be put in place. The SENCO usually takes the lead although day-to-day provision continues to the the responsibility or the class or subject teacher. A new IEP will usually be devised.

SENCO

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. The member of staff of a school or early years setting who has responsibility for co-ordinating SEN provision within that school or setting.

SENDIST

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. An independent body that determines appeals against decisions made by the Children and Young People and Families Service.

Speech & Language Therapist (SALT)

A specialist who works with parents and school staff, as well as with individual children, to help overcome speech, language and communication difficulties.

Statutory Assessment

A very detailed assessment based on parental, educational, psychological and medical advice and also the advice of any other professional involved with your child, which is only carried out

Statement of Special Educational Needs

A document that sets out a child’s needs and all the extra or different help they should get.

Transition Plan

At the first annual review after your child’s 14th birthday a Transition Plan will be made. This plan will be made up from recommendations put forward from all professionals

involved with your child, including Connexions, and will outline the best way forward to

meet his/her special needs as an adult. It helps to prepare for the move from school

Connexions Service

This service provides a point of access for all 13-19 year olds to help them prepare for the transition to work and adult life.

Code of Practice

A guide for early educational settings, schools, Children and Young People and Families Services and other statutory agencies on the help they can give to children with SEN. They must take account of the Code when working with children with special educational needs.

Children and Young People and Families Service

A local government body that is responsible for providing education for children living in its area, and for carrying out statutory assessments and maintaining statements of special educational needs.

in very complex cases. This can also be called an multi-agency or multi-disciplinary assessment.

to adult life.

Only the few children with very complex needs have a statement. Most children with SEN have their needs catered for in mainstream school without the need for a statement.