Jargon Buster
Below are some of the common words, phrases and acronyms that you may come across.
A
Accommodated – Child looked after by the Local Authority by agreement with the parent. The Local Authority does not acquire parental responsibility
ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Admissions Authority – The body that decides the rules on how children will get a place at a school and who is offered a place
Admission Limit – Maximum number of pupils intended to admit into any year of a school
Admission Number – Number of pupils that must be admitted into the year of entry, if demand requires
ADOS – Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule . A standardized diagnostic test for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),
ADT – Attention Deficit Trait.
AEN – Additional Education Needs
Agreed Syllabus – Syllabus of religious education agreed between the religious bodies, LEA and teachers’ representatives for use in schools
Aided Schools – Schools set up and owned by a voluntary body. Usually a church body. The governing body employs staff, controls pupil admissions and religious education
AIM – Attendance Improvement and Monitoring
AIO – Attendance Improvement Officer. A professional employed by the LEA to help parents and LEA’s to meet their statutory duty in relation to school attendance
AMB – Area Management Board
Annual Review – Review of statement by LEA that must occur at least annually. Under the Children and Families Act 2014 local authorities must carry out a review of every EHC plan at least once every 12 months.
APDR – Access, Plan , Do, Review
Appeals – The education acts give parents rights of appeal against certain decisions relating to admission to school, special educational provision and permanent exclusion from school
AQA – Assessment and Qualifications Alliance. The largest examination board in the UK
Area Governors’ Meeting – Meeting for governors on an area basis. Once a term they meet to discuss issues in their own area
ARFID – Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
Articled Teacher – An unqualified person working as a teacher in a school, under the guidance of an experienced member of staff acting as his/her mentor
ASC – Autistic Spectrum Condition
ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder
AST – Attendance Strategy Team. AIO’s work within this team
AT / Attainment Target – The knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils of different abilities and ages are expected to have by the end of each national curriculum key stage
AuDHD – Someone diagnosed with both Autism and ADHD.
AWPU – Age Weighted Pupil Unit. The AWPU is the amount of money that every maintained school receives for each pupil that is on the school roll, whether or not they have SEN. The value of the AWPU varies from one local authority to another and according to the age of the pupils
B
BAS – Behaviour and Attendance Service
BESD – Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties
BSL – British Sign Language
BSP – Behaviour Support Plan
C
CAF – Common Assessment Framework
CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Care Order – An order of the court placing a child in the care of an authority.
CFA – Children and families act (2014).
Child in Need – Defined under Section 10 of the Children Act 1989 as a child who is “unlikely to achieve or maintain … a reasonable standard of health and development, without the provision of services by a Local Authority… “Or who is “disabled”. Every authority has a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need.
Children and Families Act 2014 – This law came into force on 1st September 2014. Part 3 of the Act sets out the new law on special educational needs and disability. The Act is supported by the SEND Regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 Years. You can download a copy of the Act HERE
Children’s Centres – These provide a one stop resource for young families, offering help and advice on everything from childcare to getting back to work
Choice Advisors – Each LA funds an independent service called Choice Advice to help parents find their way through the secondary admissions process. In some areas the advisors also cover primary and in-year admissions
CIC – Community Interest Company
CIO – Charitable Incorporated Organisation
C.L.D – Complex Learning Difficulties ( includes autism)
CME – Child Missing Education
CMO – Clinical Medical Officer
CMHT– Community Mental Health Team
Cognitive Development – Development of a child’s ability to understand and to explain relationships; usually the same as intellectual growth.
Community School – School set up and funded by an LEA
Conciliation – Conciliation involves a third party to help people negotiate with each other. The conciliator offers advice and possible solutions to problems.
COP – Code Of Practice. Guidance for LEA and schools on how ot identify, asses and provide for children with SEN
Co-production – is an equal relationship between people who use services and the people who are responsible for the delivery of services. They work together from design to delivery.
CP – Child Protection
D
DBS – Disclosure and Barring Service. Replaced the previous CRB, Criminal Records Bureau checks. Used to see if an employee has any criminal records and to make sure unsuitable people do not get to work with vulnerable people.
DCD – Developmental Coordination Disorder ( Previously known as Dyspraxia)
DDA – Disability Discrimination Act.
DFE– Department for education.
Differentiation – The way in which the school’s curriculum and teaching methods are adapted to meet the needs of children.
Direct payment – A payment made directly to a parent or young person to purchase specific services. Under the Children and Families Act 2014 a Direct Payment may be made as part of a Personal Budget so that the parent or young person can buy certain services that are specified in their EHC plan. Direct payments can only be used for provision provided on the school or college premises if the school or college agree.
Disagreement resolution – Local authorities must provide independent disagreement resolution to help parents and young people resolve disputes with local authorities, schools and other settings about SEND
duties and provision. You can find more information on disagreement resolution in the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years 11.6 to 11.10.
Disapplication – The lifting or varying of the requirements of the National Curriculum to meet the needs of the pupil.
DLA – Disability Living allowance. A disability benefit for under 16 year olds which ; if eligible ; can help with the extra costs of having a long term illness and/or disability.
DLD – Development Language Disorder.
DSA – Disabled Students’ Allowance is support to cover university study-related costs because of a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability.
Dual Registered – When a pupil is on the roll of more than one school. For example, they attend a PRU or on a trial basis during a managed move
Dyspraxia – Now called DCD ( Developmental Coordination Disorder)
E
EA – Equality Act, formally the Disability Discrimination Act
EAL – English as an Additional Language
Early Education Settings – Educational provision for children under compulsory school age, for example nurseries, pre-schools and registered childminders.
EBD – Emotional Behaviour Disability
EBSA – Emotional Based School Avoidance.
EBSD – Emotional behavioural and social difficulties.
EHCNA – Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment.
EHCP – Education, Health, and Care plan. These took over from the ‘Statements’ in 2014.
ECM – Every Child Matters
EDP – Education Development Plan.
EHE – Elective Home Education
EMA – Ethnic Minority Achievement
EMP – Enhanced Mainstream Provision. Specialist ‘unit’ within a mainstream school
EOTAC – Education Other Than At College
EOTAS – Education Other Than At School
EOTIC – Education Other Than In College
EOTIS – Education Other Than In School
EP – Educational Psychologist
EPS – Educational Psychology Service.
ESA – Employment and Support Allowance.
EWO – Education Welfare officer. A person employed by the L.E.A. to make sure that children are getting the education they need. They deal mainly with school attendance.
Exclusions – Headteachers may exclude pupils from school for serious breaches of discipline. These may be for a fixed period or permanent
F
FE – Further Education. Levels after school but before university. e.g College, Sixth form – Age 16+
FFS – For Fudge Sake. Common term used by parents/carers
Five Outcomes – Detailed in every child matters: Change for children are as follows – 1. Be healthy 2. Stay safe 3. Enjoy and achieve 4. Make a positive contribution 5. Achieve economic wellbeing
FMS – Fine motor skills
FND – Functional Neurological Disorder
Foundation School – A former grant-maintained school, now funded by an LEA
FSM – Free School Meals
G
GCE ‘A’ Level – General Certificate of Education Advanced Level, usually taken 16+
GCE ‘AS’ Level – General Certificate of Education Advanced Supplementary Level. Usually a one-year course and is equivalent to half an A Level
GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education. Usually taken at the end of key stage 4 (age 16)
GDD– Global developmental delay
GNVQ – General National Vocational Qualification
Governing Body – The governors, with the headteacher, have overall responsibility for the school. They work for the school unpaid
Graduated approach – The SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years says that schools should follow a graduated approach when providing SEN Support. This is based on a cycle of: Assess, Plan, Do ,Review. You can find out more about the graduated approach in the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years sections 6.44 to 6.56.
Gross Motor Skills – Skills which involve large muscle activity (e.g. rolling,walking, crawling, jumping, running).
H
HDFT – Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. They provide specialist Children’s Services for children and young people, 0-19 years of age in County Durham, with physical, communication, learning and developmental difficulties or disabilities which affect health, development and wellbeing.
Home Tuition – Tuition for pupils at home, arranged by the local authority in special circumstances
HE – Higher education. Usually 18+ e.g Universities, Specialist colleges like art schools & University Centres.
HI. -Hearing Impaired.
I
IAP – Independent Appeal Panel. When appealing for a school
IBP – Individual Behaviour Plan
ICB – Integrated Care Board. ( ICBs replaced clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in the NHS in England in 2022)
IDP – Inclusion Development Programme
IEP – Individual Education Plan. A programme of learning objectives and targets – (Now being replaced by an SEN support plan)
Inclusion – A process by which schools, local authorities and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include all pupils.
Independent school – A school which is funded independently of local or central government.
Internal Exclusion – This where a pupil is sent somewhere within school, with appropriate support, or moved to another class on a temporary basis. May happen during break times
IPS – Independent Parent Supporter. A trained volunteer who can support or advocate for parents at meetings and tribunals. They can also help with form filing
ISAR – Inclusion and SEN Action Record. Each child who is identified as having SEN has their needs recorded using this system
ISEN – Inclusion and Special Educational Needs
ISPS – Integrated Support and Psychology Service
IW – Inclusion Worker
K
Key stages – The National Curriculum uses the term key stages to describe the age band in which the child falls. Key stage 1 is infant, key stage 2 is junior, key stage 3 is 11-14 years and key stage 4 is 14+.
Keyworker – Someone who provides children, young people and parents with a single point of contact to help make sure the support they receive is co-ordinated. A keyworker could be provided directly by a local authority or local health organisation, a school or college, or from a voluntary or private sector body.
Kinship Carer – Family or friends who step up, often during an unexpected crisis, to care for a child when their parents aren’t able to.
KS – Key Stages
L
LA – Local Authority. Deals with the administration of a local council. The education department may be part of the LA’s children’s services authority or trust.
LAC – Looked After Children
LD – Learning Disability
LEA – Local Education Authority.
LEA Maintained School – School for which the LEA has financial and administrative responsibility
Learning Difficulty – If a child has a learning difficulty s/he finds it much harder to learn than most children of the same age do.
LM – Learning Mentor
Local Offer – The Local Offer, published by every local authority, tells you what support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their families. It includes information about education, health and care provision.It also gives information about training, employment and
independent living for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Find Durhams HERE.
Looked-after child – A child who is ‘cared for’ by the local authority, either in a long-term placement or for short periods
LSA – Learning Support Assistant
LSU – Learning Support Unit
M
Maintained School – Any county or voluntary school maintained by the authority, including any maintained special school not established in a hospital
Managed Move To A Different School – This is something that the school arranges and should only be done if the parent and the LA agree that it is in the best interest of the pupil.
MCT – Making Changes Together.
Mediation – Where a trained person helps sort out any conflict between one child and other pupils or teachers
Mislocated Children – Children of compulsory school age whose whereabouts are unknown.
MLD – Mild Learning Difficulties
MS- Multiple Sclerosis. A condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms such as problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation, or balance
MSI – Multi-Sensory Impairment. A combination of visual and hearing difficulties
N
NASEN – National Association for Special Educational Needs
NC – National Curriculum
NCLB – No Child Left Behind. The aim is for all young people to be on a roll of mainstream schools and to be educated within their local communities.
NEADS – Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder
NEET- Young people aged 16-25 not in education, employment or training.
Neurodevelopmental Pathway – A new pathway for ADHD and Autism diagnosis. A panel will decide, based on the child / young persons referral form ; whether they will be put on to the pathway or not.
Neurodiverse /Neurodivergent – Describes the minority group that diverts neurologically from said “norm”. This is estimated to be 1 in 7 people including – Autism, ADHD, VAST, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia and Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) as well as many other conditions.
Neurodiversity – Neurodiversity describes the population as a whole and recognises the diversity of different brains.
Neurotypical – Describes most of the population ; the majority group that expresses themselves in ways that are seen as the societal “norm”.
Non-Contact Days – Five days a year on which pupils do not attend school. Teachers use these days for training and report writing. Also known as inset days
Non-Contact Time – Non-teaching time where teachers prepare lesson plans etc
Note In Lieu – Issued to a child parents and school when following a statutory assessment the LEA decides not to make a statement. The note should describe the child’s SEN and explain why the LEA does not think it necessary to make a statement
NQT – Newly Qualified Teacher
Number On Roll – Head count of full-time and part-time pupils, excluding nursey unit
O
OCD – Obsessive compulsive disorder
OFSTED – Office for Standards in Education. Inspects and advises on schools and colleges
OMG – Oh My Goodness. Another term commonly used by parents/carers
Open Enrolment – All schools must admit pupils up to their admission number which is calculated according to the capacity of the school buildings
OT – Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapy,
Out Of Area Pupils – Pupils being taught in a school maintained by one authority while living in the area of another authority
Oversubscription Criteria – The rules about who has priority for a place when a school does not have places for all the children who apply
P
PALs – Patient advice and liaison team.
PAN – The Published Admission Number. The number of children that a school has agreed to admit each year
Parent – Any person who has custody of a child or young person
Parental Responsibility – All rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law the parent of a child has
PAS – Psychology and Assessment Service
PCF – Parent Carer Forum
PD – Physical disability/difficulty
PDA – Pathological Demand Avoidance.
PECS – Picture Exchange Communication System.
PEP – Personal Education Plan
PFA – Preparing For Adulthood
PIP – Personal independent payments. A disability benefit for 16 years plus which ; if eligible ; can help with the extra costs of having a long term illness and/or disability.
PIVATS – Performance Indicators for Value Added Target Setting
PMLD– Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.
PNES – Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure
Portage – A home visiting service which offers support, help and advice to families with a child under 5 who has special needs.
Provision – The special support and extra help that children with S.E.N. receive in school to meet their needs
PRU – Pupil Referral Unit
PSP – Pastoral Support Programme
PTA – Parent Teacher Association
Pupil Planning Team – Advise on and educate pupils with behavioural problems and pupils who have been excluded from school
Q
QCA – Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
R
Reasonable adjustments – Reasonable adjustments are changes schools and other settings are required to make which could include: changes to physical features – for example, creating a ramp so that students can enter a classroom or providing extra support.
REC – Race Equality Council
Restorative Justice – Allows a child to put right any harm done by talking through their actions with the person they did it to
ROSCO / ROSSCO – Remote Observational Schedule for Social Communication. – Part of an autism assessment to be done online when unable to do it face to face. ( e.g During covid pandemic)
RSD– Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. A condition characterised by extreme emotional pain and sensitivity triggered by the perception of rejection, criticism, or failure.
RTC – Right to Choose. The legal right to choose where you have ANY NHS treatment which is being used more recently for private referral for ADHD and Autism diagnosis assessments.
S
SALT – Speech And Language Therapist / Speech and Language Therapy.
SATs – Standard Assessment Tasks
SEAL – Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
SEMH – Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SEN – Special Educational Needs. If a child has a learning difficulty that calls for specialist educational provisions to be made for them
SEN Casework Officer – The LA officer responsible for writing and maintaining statements
SENCO – Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. Member of staff in a school or an early years setting who co-ordinates special educational needs provision
SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years – SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years. This is the statutory guidance that supports Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. It tells local authorities, early year’s settings, schools,
colleges, health and social care providers and others what they must and should do to identify, assess and provide for
children and young people with SEN or disabilities. You can download a full copy of the Code HERE or adownload a shorter version for parents HERE
SEND – Special Educational Needs & Disability.
SENDIASS – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service
SEND Reforms – The UK Government’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms in England aim to overhaul the system of support for children and young people
SEND Tribunal – Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. An independent body that determines appeals by parents against LEA decisions on assessments and statements
SEN Mediation – Independent service to resolve disputes between parents, schools, LEA
SENSAP – Special Educational Needs Statutory Assessment and Provision
SEN Short Note – Brief information on some extra needs in education
SEN support – SEN support includes any help for children and young people with SEN that is additional to or different from the support generally made for other children of the same age. The purpose of SEN support is to help children achieve the outcomes or learning objectives that have been set for them by the school. Schools should involve parents in this process.
SENST – Special Educational Needs Support Team. Incorporated into the ISPS service
SEN Support Plan – Plan with educational support needs and goals
SILC – Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre
SLD – Severe Learning Disability
SLA – Service Level Agreement
SLE – Service Level Entitlement
SpLD – Specific Learning Disability
Special Measures – A school may be identified as a failing school by an Ofsted inspection. Special measures will be required to be carried out to put the school on course to reach acceptable standards. The governing body is involved in the process
Statement of SEN – A legal document stating the specialist educational provision necessary to meet the child’s needs which have now been replaced by EHCPs ( Education and Health Care Plans)
Statutory Assessment – If a significant cause for concern has been raised, a request for a statutory assessment may be made by the parent or school to the LEA. An assessment of the child’s attainment in order to provide if necessary specialist educational provision
Statutory Functions – Functions conferred or imposed by a statutory instrument (law)
T
TA – Teaching Assistant
TEWV– Tees Esk Wear Valley NHS trust. They are the Mental Health and Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham. TEWV perform the Neurodevelopmental Assessments ( ASD and ADHD) for 5-18 year olds in County Durham.
U
UPN – Unique Pupil Reference Number
V
VI – Visually Impaired.
Voluntary Aided School – A school set up and owned by a voluntary body, usually a church body, largely financed through an LEA. The governing body employ the staff and control pupil admissions and religious education
Voluntary Controlled School – A school set up by a voluntary body, usually a church body. Totally funded through an LEA. The LEA employs the staff
W
White Paper – An official proposal document that outlines the government’s plans to change how it supports children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It is not a new law, but rather a “blueprint” of ideas designed to invite public feedback before any laws are officially changed
Y
YOT – Youth Offending Team
YP – Young person. Usually aged 14-18 years of age.
If there are any terms, phrases or words you think we may have missed, please get in touch and we will do our best to add them to the list.