WIRRAL PARENT PARTNERSHIP

Glossary of Terms

Advisory Support Teachers (AST):

Teachers who know about the difficulties that may affect a child's learning or education and can advise schools and parents about how to support a child.

Annual Review:

A yearly review of a statement of special educational needs.

Carer:

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

Case Worker:

Working with and supporting parents whose child is undergoing statutory assessment or has a statement of special educational needs.

Code of Practice Special Educational Needs (SEN):

Practical advice to Local Authorities, maintained schools, early education settings and others on how to identify, assess and make provision for children's special educational needs.

Connexions Personal Advisors:

Provide information, advice and guidance for all young people aged 13-19 when and where needed - whether they are at school; in further education; in or out of work

Connexions Service:

A service to help all young people aged 13-19 to prepare them for the transition to adult life.

Department for Education and Skills (DFES):

The Government Department with responsibility for Education and Skills.

Disagreement Resolution Service:

Arranges to help resolve disagreements between parents of a child with special educational needs and the LA or a school. An independent mediator brings together the two parties in an informal way to try and resolve the disagreement through discussion. Using these arrangments is voluntary and does not in any way affect a parent's right to appeal to the SENDIST Tribunal.

Early Education Settings:

All pre-school education provision such as nurseries and playgroups.

Early Years Action:

When the early education practitioner who works day to day with a child, or the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) identifies that a child has specal educational needs. They can plan interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the setting's usual curriculum and strategies. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) will usually be written.

Early Years Action Plus:

When the early years education practitioner and the SENCO are provided with advice or support from outside specialists. Alternative interventions additional to or different from strategies provided for the child through Early Years Action will be put in place. A new IEP will usually be written.

Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships:

A partnership developed to work with the LA to look at the number of nursery places and prepare early years development plans.

Educational Development Plan EDP:

Yearly plan drawn up by the Education Department.

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD):

This describes a child whose behaviour impedes his/her educational progress and is persistent over a significant period of time.

Educational Psychologist (EP):

A Professional with both teaching and psychology qualifications who will assess a child's special educational needs and give advice to schools. The LA has its own EPs but there are independent ones too.

English Language Support Teachers:

Teachers who give in-class help to children who speak other languages and are learning English.

Foundation Stage:

This is the name given to the curriculum for children from the age of three until the end of the reception year.

Graduated Approach:

This approach recognises that children learn in different ways and can have different kinds or levels of special educational needs. Increasing specialist help should be asked for depending on the needs of the individual child.

Inclusion:

The practice of educating children with special educational needs in mainstream schools wherever possible.

Independent Parental Supporter (IPS):

An IPS is someone who is a volunteer and can support parents/carers who have children with special educational needs.

Individual Education Plan (IEP):

An IEP is a working document for all teaching staff. It records key short-term targets, teaching and learning strategies for a child where these are different from or additional to those in place for the rest of the class.

Learning Support Assistant (LSA) or Teaching Assistant (TA):

An assistant providing support for pupils with SEN and/or disabilities within the classroom.

Local Authority (LA):

The local government body that is responsible for providing education and for carrying out statutory assessments and maintaining statements.

Mainstream School:

Mainstream schools are ordinary schools catering for children of all abilities.

Maintained School:

A state school.

Named Officer:

The person at the LA who liaises with you about your child if they are undergoing statutory assessment or have a Statement. In Wirral this will usually be a case worker.

Note in Lieu:

A document produced if the LA are not going to issue a Statement following Statutory Assessment.

Occupational Therapists (OT):

Health Service professionals who work alongside parents/carers and other colleagues to develop and maintain a child's ability to perform everyday tasks such as play and self-care.

OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education):

A team of inspectors who visit a school at regular intervals. They report on the quality of education and how the finances are used. Before the inspection parents have the opportunity to go to a meeting with the inspectors and are asked to complete a questionnaire. Following the inspection, parents receive a copy of the school Action Plan which is the responsibility of the Governing Body.

Paediatrician:

A doctor specialising in the health needs of babies and children.

Parent Partnership Services:

Parent Partnership services provide support and information to parents and carers whose children have special educational needs. They provide neutral and factual support to help parents play an active and informed role in their child's education. Although funded by the LA, they provide a service to parents at arms length from the authority.

Physiotherapist (Physio):

A health care professional that uses physical approaches to promote well-being. They often work closely with the OTs.

Portage:

Home-based educational support for pre-school children with special educational needs.

Pupil Referral Unit (PRU):

A specially organised school for children who would not otherwise receive an education. This may be because of illness exclusion or any other reason.

School Action:

When a class or subject teacher identifies that a pupil has special educational needs. They will provide interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school's usual differentiated curriculum. An IEP will usually be written.

School Action Plus:

When the class or subject teacher and the SENCO are provided with advice or support from outside specialist so that alternative interventions additional to or different from those provided for the pupil through School Action. The SENCO usually takes the lead, although day to day provision continues to be the responsibility of the class or subject teacher. A new IEP will usually be written.

Special Educational Needs (SEN):

A child has special educational needs if he or she has learning difficulties that need special educational provision. They have learning difficulties if they find it harder to learn than most children of the same age, or they have disabilities that make it much more difficult for them in school.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO):

This is the name used for the teacher with responsibility for the planning of the special educational provision within early education settings and schools.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribual (SENDIST):

An independent body that hears appeals against decisions made by LAs on statutory assessments and statements. They also consider parents' claims of discrimination in Schools.

Special Educational Provision:

The extra or different help given to children with special educational needs.

Speech & Language Therapy:

Speech and language therapists help children and adults with speech, language and communication difficulties.

Special School:

A school that provides education for children who have complex special educational needs.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD):

A specific rather than a general learning difficulty. For example dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Statement of Special Educational Needs:

A legal document that sets out a child's needs and all the extra help they should get.

Statutory Assessment:

An assessment of a child's special educational needs which may lead to a statement.

Transition Plan:

A plan drawn up after the year 9 annual review of a statement. It sets out the steps needed to move from school to adult life. Transition plans may also be drawn up at other times, for example when planning a move between schools.

Voluntary Organisations:

Organisations, usually charities, which provide help and advice that is often linked to particular needs.