Jargon buster
SEND terms in plain English
The words councils and schools use, explained simply.
- Annual review
- The yearly meeting and process to check and update an EHC plan.
- ASF (Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund)
- Government funding for therapy for adopted and special guardianship children.
- Child in need
- A legal category (section 17 Children Act 1989) that includes all disabled children.
- DLA (Disability Living Allowance)
- A non-means-tested benefit for children under 16 who need extra care or have mobility needs.
- Educational psychologist (EP)
- A specialist in how children learn and develop, whose advice is required in an EHC needs assessment.
- EHC needs assessment
- The council's detailed assessment to decide whether a child needs an EHC plan.
- EHCP (Education, Health and Care plan)
- A legal document setting out a child's special educational needs and the support they must get.
- Graduated approach
- The assess–plan–do–review cycle schools use for SEN support.
- IPSEA
- A national charity giving free, legally based SEND advice.
- Local offer
- A council's published information about SEND services in its area.
- Mediation certificate
- A certificate you usually need before appealing to the SEND Tribunal.
- Part-time timetable
- A reduced school day. It's only allowed in exceptional cases and with parents' agreement.
- Personal budget
- An amount of money identified to deliver some of the support in an EHC plan.
- Phase transfer
- When a child with an EHC plan moves to a new stage of education, such as primary to secondary.
- Pupil Premium Plus
- Extra school funding for looked-after and previously looked-after children.
- Reasonable adjustments
- Changes schools must make so disabled pupils aren't put at a disadvantage.
- Section 42 duty
- The council's legal duty to make sure the support in Section F actually happens.
- Section B
- The part of an EHC plan describing all of a child's special educational needs.
- Section F
- The part of an EHC plan setting out the special educational support a child must receive.
- Section I
- The part of an EHC plan naming the school or setting.
- SEN support
- Extra help a school gives from its own resources, without an EHC plan.
- SENCO
- The teacher responsible for special educational needs in a school.
- SEND Code of Practice
- The statutory guidance councils, schools and health bodies must follow on SEND.
- SEND Tribunal
- The independent tribunal that hears parents' appeals against council EHCP decisions.
- SEND35 form
- The form used to register an appeal with the SEND Tribunal about an EHC plan.
- SENDIASS
- A free, impartial, local information and advice service for SEND families.
- Special guardianship order (SGO)
- A court order giving a carer, often a relative, parental responsibility until a child is 18.
- Virtual School Head
- A council officer who promotes the education of looked-after and previously looked-after children.