Glossary of terms for the SEND Local Offer

Academy

A state funded school in England that is directly funded by the department for education using the formula applied to locally maintained schools. Academies are self-governing and independent of local authority control. Academies are often grouped together in multi-academy trusts (MATs). 

Access to work

An access to work grant from the Department for Work and Pensions helps to pay for practical support for young people and adults who have a disability, health or mental health condition so they can start work, stay in work or start their own business. It can pay for things like special equipment, fares to work if public transport is not practical, a support worker or coach in the workplace or a communicator at a job interview. 

Adult community education providers

Adult community education providers include local authorities and institutes for adult learning and further and higher education providers (colleges and universities). The provider type institute for adult learning was previously known as a specialist designated institution. Its provision is diverse in character and aims to meet the needs and interests of a wide range of communities. It includes: 

• courses that lead to a qualification 
• programmes leading to qualifications while in employment, such as apprenticeships 
• provision for informal adult learning 
• provision for social and personal development. 

Age weighted pupil unit (AWPU)

The AWPU is the funding a maintained mainstream school receives for every pupil on their school roll. The AWPU amount varies by key stage. 

Alternative provision

Refers to education provided by the local authority or a school for children who cannot, for some reason, attend a mainstream setting (and do not attend a special school). This is sometimes full-time and sometimes provided on a part-time basis alongside some attendance at the mainstream setting. 

Annual review

The reviewing and updating of an education, health and care plan (EHCP) which a local authority must carry out within 12 months of finalising the EHCP and then on at least an annual basis.  The annual review meeting is part of this process. 

Appeal

Process by which a decision that a school or the local authority has made can be challenged.  For example, a permanent exclusion by a school or a decision about an EHCP by the local authority.  

Attendance

Parents have a legal obligation to provide education for their child. Most parents send their children to school. The local authority monitors attendance and if necessary, will take legal action to ensure the child is receiving an education. 

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A medical condition related to the child’s behaviour and attention span, which can affect their ability to concentrate and learn. 

Auditory processing disorder (APD)

Auditory processing disorder is a hearing condition in which the brain has difficulty processing sounds, affecting how an individual understands speech and other sounds in their environment. It is not a form of hearing loss, but rather a disruption in the way the brain interprets auditory information. 

Autism spectrum condition and autism spectrum disorder (ASC / ASD)

A lifelong development condition that affects a child’s development including communication, social interaction and understanding the world around them. 

Banding framework

The send banding framework is a system used to allocate additional resources to schools for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by some local authorities. It helps identify the level of need and determines the appropriate level of funding or assistance.  

Behaviour inclusion team

This team provides advice to schools if a young person is struggling to manage in a classroom setting in a mainstream school. 

Behaviour inclusion officers work closely with schools and local authority colleagues to provide advice on: 

• Practical strategies that cultivate an inclusive climate within the classroom to make learning accessible to all. 
• Bespoke strategies to support a young person to be better equipped to manage within a mainstream setting. 
• Support to develop trauma informed relational practice in school. 
• Strategies that support the young person and key adults to build a relationship based on mutual respect. 
• Next steps that will support the young person to experience success in school. 
• Next steps for accessing any other appropriate external support available. 

BOB ICB

NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board. 

Brokerage

Brokerage is about exploring the options for placement for a child or young person not in a mainstream school.  

Countywide Admissions Panel (CAP)

This panel considers applications for admissions to Oxfordshire special school and resource bases. It also considers whether consultations to independent non maintained special schools or out of county special schools are appropriate. 

Care and education treatment review  

Is a meeting that brings together the child/young person and their family with the people who commission and provide services (such as nurses, social workers, commissioners and other health, education and social care professionals). 

Care Quality Commission (CQC) 

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Ofsted and CQC jointly inspect local area partnerships to see how well they fulfil their responsibilities for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)  

These services assess and treat children and young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties. They range from basic pastoral care, such as identifying mental health problems, to specialist ‘tier 4’ CAMHS, which provide in-patient care for those who are severely mentally ill. 

Child in need

A child in need has been assessed under section 17 of the children act 1989 and is defined as a child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable level of health or development, or whose health and development is likely to be significantly or further impaired, without the provision of services; or a child who is disabled. 

Child protection

An assessment under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, whereby a child who is believed to be at risk of significant harm can be placed on a child protection plan. All children subject to a child protection plan will have social work oversight. 

Children and Families Act

The children and families act 2014 sets out the key SEND legislation. 

Co-production

The process where providers and/or professionals and stake holding citizens share a whole-life responsibility for the creation and delivery of products, services or knowledge. Co-production is underpinned by the principles of equality, diversity, access and reciprocity. 

Code of practice

Guidance for local authorities and schools in supporting young people, aged 0-25 years with send. This statutory code contains details of legal requirements that must be followed without exception and statutory guidance. 

Cognition and learning

Cognition and learning is one of the four areas of SEND identified in the code of practice. Children with this type of need will learn at a slower pace than their peers and it covers children with moderate learning difficulties through to those with profound and multiple learning difficulties.  

Commissioning 

To formally choose someone to do a specific piece of paid work, or to ask for a specific service from an organisation formally. 

Communication and interaction

Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs can have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them, or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives. 

Communication and interaction needs could include: 

• difficulties with producing or responding to expressive or receptive language 
• difficulties uttering speech sounds 
• difficulties understanding spoken and other communications from others 
• difficulties with understanding age-related social conventions of interaction, such as turn-taking during conversations or appropriate level of physical contact during play 

Community paediatrician

A community paediatrician is a child health doctor trained in both hospital and community settings. They have a special interest in child public health and population paediatrics, behavioural and developmental paediatrics, neuro disability, social paediatrics and child protection, and ambulatory paediatrics. They work with families and as part of a team to assess children and co-ordinate services for those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and other special needs.  

Complex medical needs

Complex medical needs refer to health needs that require a high and persistent level of supervision and individualized health care support. These needs can arise from birth, illness, or injury.  

Compulsory school age (also known as statutory school age)

A child is of compulsory school age from the beginning of the term following their 5th birthday until the last Friday of June in the year in which they become 16, provided that their 16th birthday falls before the start of the next school year. 

Consultation

Request feedback from several stakeholders on a proposal or set of questions at a given time through focus groups or surveys.  

Childcare providers

Childcare providers care for at least one individual child (who is not their own child) for a total of more than 2 hours in any one day. This is not necessarily a continuous period. They must register on the ccr to care for children under the age of 8, although there may be some exceptions to this. They can register on the vcr to care for older children. 

Childminders

A childminder is a person who is registered to look after one or more children, to whom they are not related, for reward. Childminders work on domestic premises alongside no more than 2 other childminders or assistants. They must register if they care for children under the age of 8 and can choose to register if they care for older children. They care for: 

• Children on domestic premises that are not usually the home of one of the children unless they care for children from more than 2 families, wholly or mainly in the homes of the families. 
• At least one individual child for a total of more than 2 hours in any day (not necessarily a continuous period). 

Children and young people (CYP)

The children and families act 2014 gives significant new rights directly to young people once they reach the end of compulsory school age (the end of the academic year in which they turn 16). When a young person reaches the end of compulsory school age, local authorities and other agencies should normally engage directly with the young person rather than their parent, ensuring that as part of the planning process they identify the relevant people who should be involved, and how to involve them. A person is no longer of compulsory school age after the last day of the summer term during the year in which they become 16. This distinction is important because once a child becomes a young person they are entitled to take decisions in relation to the act on their own behalf, rather than have their parents take the decisions for them. This is subject to a young person ‘having capacity’ to take a decision under the mental capacity act 2005. The local authority continues to have a responsibility for children and young people with an EHCP until they are 25 years old. 

Department for Education (DfE)

In England the DfE oversees children’s services and education policy. Their responsibilities include early years, schools, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships, and wider skills.  

Deprivation

The index of multiple deprivation ranks each small area in England from most to least deprived based on a combination of seven different factors, including: 

• income 
• employment 
• education 
• health 
• crime 
• barriers to housing and services 
• living environment 

Delegated funding 

All state funded schools (maintained schools and academies) receive funding to run their schools.  This includes a small amount for children and young people with send.  Schools can decide how to spend this money. Additional funding is given to schools to support pupils with EHCPs. 

Designated clinical officer (DCO)

The designated clinical officer plays a key role in supporting joined up working between health services, local authorities and other send partners to ensure children and young people aged 0-25 with send have the right health support to achieve the best outcomes they possibly can. 

Developmental coordination disorder (aka dyspraxia)

Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a chronic condition that begins in childhood and causes difficulties with motor (movement) skills and coordination. It is a lifelong developmental coordination disorder that affects gross and fine motor skills, and sometimes cognitive function. Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder that affects the planning and coordination of fine and gross motor skills, and may also affect memory, judgment, perception, information processing, and other cognitive abilities. It affects about 1 in 20 primary school-aged children. 

Disability

A physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. 

Disabled student allowance (DSA)

A grant you don’t need to repay. It funds support that will help a young person to succeed in higher education by breaking down the barriers you may otherwise have faced, whether they’re related to your studies, physical access, or wellbeing. In order to qualify for the allowance, the young person must: 

• Be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including open university or distance learning) 
• Qualify for student finance from student finance England 
• Be studying on a course that lasts at least a year 

Dispute resolution

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. SENDIASS are able to inform parent carers and schools about the range of support available for dispute resolution. 

Draft education, health and care plan (EHCP)

The draft EHCP is sent to parent/carers by the local authority for comments following a needs assessment or an annual review. Following this, parents/carers can request amendments to the EHCP and have 15 days to do so before the EHCP is finalised part i (name of setting) is left blank for parent/carers to express their preference for a school or setting as part of this process 

Designated safeguarding lead (DSL)

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) is the person appointed to take responsibility for safeguarding and child protection (including online safety) in early years settings and schools. They make sure that education settings and schools adhere to their statutory safeguarding policies and duties.  

Dynamic support register (DSR)

A dynamic support register is a list of people with a learning disability and autistic people who need support who are at risk of going into hospital if they do not get appropriate support. 

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities. 

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a neurological condition and learning difference in which someone has difficulty with writing for their age level. This can range from issues with the physical act of writing to issues with translating thoughts into written words. Dysgraphia is manageable with interventions that can help to learn new writing strategies. 

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a common learning difficultly that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling.  It is a specific learning difficulty, which means it causes problems with certain abilities for learning, such as reading and writing. 

Early help

Early help can make the most difference when family support is provided before problems escalate. Early help or early intervention reflects the widespread recognition that it is better to identify and resolve problems early, rather than respond when difficulties have become acute, and action is needed by more expensive and specialist services. 

Early intervention

This refers to trying to address issues as soon as possible so that the child gets the right support at the right time.  

Early years foundation stage (EYFS)

The foundation stage begins when children reach the age of three in an education setting. The foundation stage continues until the end of the reception year. It prepares children for learning in year 1, when programmes of study for key stage 1 are taught.  

Early years provider

A provider of early education places for children under five years of age. This can include state-funded and private nurseries as well as child minders. 

Early years’ settings

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

Early support

Our Early Support Service coordinates health, education and social care support for the parents and carers of disabled children under the age of 5. A key worker is assigned to families that join the programme.  

Edge of care

Children and young people who are at risk of entering care, but who have not entered care. Their entry into care has been considered by the local authority, on a voluntary basis or through legal proceedings, but a decision has been made to support the family through alternative services. 

Education, employment, training (EET)

Young people from 16-18 years old are entitled to education, employment or training. This supports them to access further education, apprenticeships, employment and other training. The majority of young people in Oxfordshire remain in education until they are 18 years old. 

Education, health and care plan (EHCP)

A legal document for children and young people aged 0- 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs (sen) support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out additional provision to meet those needs. EHC plans are issued and maintained by the local authority following a formal EHC needs assessment. 

Education, health and care plan (EHCP) case work team

The EHCP casework team is responsible for delivering the statutory duties in relation to send as detailed in the children and families act 2014 and the send code of practice 2015 and for putting in place the provision given in the EHCP and monitoring its delivery.   

Educational Psychologist (EP)  

Provides psychological advice to schools, early years settings and other education providers; carrying out assessments on behalf of the local authority, for children and young people with complex educational needs and contributing to a child's EHCP. 

EHC needs assessment (EHCNA) also referred to as the statutory assessment

A local authority must carry out an EHCNA if a child or young person has or may have send that will need support providing through an EHCP. The assessment is a detailed look at the special educational needs that the child or young person has and what help they may need to learn. It is sometimes called a statutory assessment.  An EHCNA requires a formal application. 

Elective home education (EHE) (also known as home schooling)

Elective home education (EHE) refers to a decision made by parents to provide education for their children at home or in an alternative way, rather than sending them to school full-time.  Unlike education provided by a local authority (such as for children who are too ill to attend school), EHE allows parents to take direct responsibility for their child’s schooling. The parent should ensure appropriate education provision is made for the child including exams and assessments.   

Enhanced pathways (to be known as enhanced provisions in future)

In Oxfordshire enhanced provisions have been created within some mainstream schools to provide a teacher led space to support some of the most vulnerable send pupils. They offer a bespoke and specialised curriculum to meet their social, emotional, communication, sensory and academic needs whilst enabling pupils to remain at their local mainstream school.  

Education other than at school (EOTAS)

EOTAS stands for education other than at school. It is a form of education funded by the local authority for those children or young people who are unable to attend an educational setting and where the local authority is satisfied that it would be inappropriate for some, or all, of the provision to be made in a setting.  

Equalities act

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. The equality act 2010 says schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of their disability. Schools must remove barriers pupils face because of their disability so they can access and participate in education in the same way, as far as this possible, as someone who is not disabled. This responsibility applies to practices or rules the school has and to the need to provide an aid to a pupil who reasonably needs it. The equality act calls this the duty to make 'reasonable adjustments'. 

Exclusion

Exclusion in education refers to the removal of a child from school. On a temporary basis this is known as a ‘suspension’, on a permanent basis it is known as a ‘permanent exclusion’ or ‘pex’.  

Exclusion and re-integration team

If a school is considering permanent exclusion for a pupil, the school must contact the local authority’s exclusion and reintegration officer. 

Exclusion and reintegration officers (EROs) work closely with schools, governors, parents and local authority colleagues to provide advice on: 

• preventing exclusions 
• ensuring DfE guidance and procedures are followed correctly for suspensions and permanent exclusions 
• pupils receiving alternative education provision 

Early years send inclusion teachers (EYSENIT)

Early years SEN inclusion teachers work with children under 5 years, either known to or waiting to be seen by a community paediatrician, who need specialist support with their development and learning by giving support and advice to the child’s parents, carers and family and early years settings. 

Fair access protocols (FAP)

The FAP is a mechanism developed by the local authority in partnership with all schools in their area. Its aim is to ensure that vulnerable children, and those who are having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible.   

Family group conference

A family group conference is a family-led decision-making process in which the family and friends network come together to make a plan for a child. The process is supported by an independent coordinator who helps the family prepare for the family group conference. Children are usually involved in their own family group conference, often with support from an advocate. It is a voluntary process and families cannot be forced into one.  7minguide-lifelonglinksfgc.pdf (oxfordshire.gov.uk) 

Free school meals (FSM)

All children in reception, year 1 or year 2 at a state funded school will automatically get free school meals; in addition, there is a duty on all maintained schools, academies and free schools, to provide free school meals to pupils of all ages are eligible. 

Further education (FE)

Includes any study after secondary education that’s not part of higher education (that is, not taken as part of an undergraduate or graduate degree). Courses range from basic English and maths to higher national diplomas. 

Graduated approach

When a child or young person is identified as having special needs, schools are expected to use the graduated response to support them. This includes assess, plan, do, review cycle. This is a process based on a four step cycle: 

• assess – analyse the child or young person’s special educational needs 
• plan – identify the additional and different support needed 
• do – put the support in place 
• review – regularly check how well it is working so that they can change the amount or kind of support needed 

Some children and young people will make progress and no longer need SEN support.  

Holiday activities and food programme (HAF)

The holiday activities and food programme offers families of children aged 4 to 16, who are eligible for benefits related free school meals, opportunities to access a range of free activities in the easter, summer, and Christmas school holidays.   

Each programme will provide a range of exciting activities, games and new experiences for children, along with a healthy main meal. Children will have the chance to try new sports or creative activities and to make new friends. There will also be opportunities for families to share ideas about how to source high-quality, healthy food cheaply, creative ways to encourage a healthy diet and fun ways to cook as a family. 

Health and wellbeing board

A health and wellbeing board acts as a forum where local commissioners across the NHS, social care and public health work together to improve the health and wellbeing of their local population and reduce health inequalities. The boards are intended to increase democratic input into strategic decisions about health and wellbeing services, strengthen working relationships between health and social care and encourage integrated commissioning of health and social care services. 

Healthy child programme

The healthy child programme covers pregnancy and the first five years of a child’s life, focusing on a universal preventative service that provides families with a programme of screening, immunisation, health and development reviews, supplemented by advice around health, wellbeing and parenting. 

High needs block funding

High needs block is a central government grant that funds local authorities for send.  It includes: 

• Place funding for special schools and top-up funding for all schools 
• Services for pupils with send delivered directly by the local authority or under a separate funding agreement with institutions. 

Higher education 

Higher education is education undertaken after students leave secondary school and sixth form college, usually at the age of 18, but also by mature students older than this. It usually involves studying at the undergraduate or postgraduate level for a degree at university. 

Home-to-school transport

An integral part of the school system. It ensures no child of compulsory school age is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport or the cost of transport if the child meets the distance criteria or has an EHCP. 

Integrated care board (ICB)

ICBs were legally established on 1 July 2022. They are the statutory NHS organisations responsible for planning and arranging health services for their local population. There are currently 42 ICBs in England. The local ICB is often called ‘BOB’ as it covers Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West. 

Inclusion

Inclusion refers to an approach to ensuring that all children from the local community can be educated in a mainstream school, where appropriate. 

Independent and non-maintained

Independent special schools are usually privately run for profit. Non-maintained schools are usually managed by charitable organisations and are not profit-making. Neither type of school is overseen by local authorities.  Not all independent schools are special schools. 

Integrated therapies

Also referred to as children’s integrated therapies (CIT) which include occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. Referrals to the service are made through health professionals, education professionals. And social care professionals. 

Joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA)

Analyse the health needs of populations to inform and guide commissioning of health, wellbeing and social care services within local authority areas. The JSNA’s central role is to act as the overarching primary evidence base for health and wellbeing boards to decide on key local health priorities. 

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

A set of proposed outcomes by which the success of a project can be measured. 

Key stages

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) 

Legal duties

Legislation passed by parliament often has legal requirements that local authorities must carry out.  These are called legal duties.  Within the send code of practice 2014 there are a number of duties for the local authority.  Other duties are contained in other acts of parliament such as children and families act, the equality act, and the care act and several education acts.  

Learning difficulties

A child is considered to have a learning difficulty if they have significantly greater difficulty in learning than their peers. 

Learning disability

A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning), which started before adulthood. 

Local area

The geographical area of the local authority. This includes the local authority, ICB, public health, NHS England for specialist services, early years settings, schools and further education providers. The responsibility of the local area for children and young people who have send extends to those who are residents of the local area but attend educational establishments or receive services outside the local authority’s boundaries. 

Local area leaders

The term ‘leaders’ refers to those responsible for the strategic planning, commissioning, management, delivery and evaluation of services to children and young people with send. 

Local area nominated officer (LANO)

The LANO will act on behalf of those involved in the strategic planning, commissioning, delivery, oversight and evaluation of alternative provision arrangements for children and young people who live in the local area, linking with the ICB. 

Local Area Partnership (LAP)

The LAP comprises Oxfordshire county council and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire west integrated care board and schools and the parent carer forum.  In Oxfordshire, young people are represented on the partnership through the send youth forum. 

Local Community Support Services (LCSS)

The LCSS is part of the early help service and offers advice and support to professional partners in the community to deliver early help. 

Local offer

The local offer is published by the local authority to give children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families information about what education, health and care provision is available in their local area. It also gives information about training, employment, and independent living for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 

Looked after child (LAC) also Children looked after (CLA) (section 20)

Section 20 of the children act 1989 refers to a child who is looked after. This is with the consent of those with parental responsibility for the child. It is also known as a voluntary agreement. For short breaks, the child is only looked after while attending the short-break provision.  

Mainstream school

This is a school, primary or secondary, that provides education for all children, whether or not they have special educational needs or disabilities 

Maintained school

A school funded and supported by the local authority. The local authority does not maintain academies. 

Managed move

A managed move initiates a process leading to a pupil's permanent transfer to another mainstream school. Managed moves should be voluntary and agreed upon by all parties involved, including the parents and the new school's admission authority. 

Mediation

This is a statutory service commissioned by local authorities which is designed to help settle disagreements between parents or young people and local authorities over ehc needs assessments and plans and which parents and young people can use before deciding whether to appeal to the first-tier tribunal about decisions on assessment or the special educational element of a plan. Mediation can cover any one or all three elements of an ehc plan and must be offered to the parent or young person when the final plan is issued, but they are not able to appeal to the tribunal about the health and social care aspects of the plan. 

Part of dispute resolution in the statutory assessment process requires parents to consider mediation. Currently this is offered through global mediation 

Moderate learning difficulties (MLD)

People with greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills and in understanding concepts. They may also have associated speech and language delay, low self-esteem, low levels of concentration and under-developed social skills.  

Multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH)

MASHs are multi-agency approaches to identify and protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. 

Multi-agency team

Professionals from different specialisms (health/education/ social care/voluntary organisations) work together in your child's best interest. 

Multi-agency panel (MAP)

This panel considers: 

• requests for EHCNAs and makes a decision whether or not to proceed to a statutory assessment 
• requests for reassessments for children and young people with EHCPs. 
• whether or not it is necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHCP following an EHCNA, including making recommendations on resource attached to the EHCP and consideration of whether exploration of provision other than mainstream is appropriate 
• requests for children and young people with EHCPs to be educated outside of the chronological year group (also known as offsetting). 
• requests for exploration of provision other than mainstream following an annual review. 

Multi agency quality assurance (MAQA)

Part of the process that local area partners in Oxfordshire use to monitor the quality of EHCPs. 

Multi-disciplinary

Involving professionals from a range of disciplines (usually education, social care and health). 

Multi-academy trust (MAT)

A multi-academy trust is a non-profit organisation that is responsible for running a group of academies that are in partnership with each other. Funding is received directly from the department for education (rather than via local councils).  

Neurodevelopmental condition or disorder (NDC)

A condition that begins to emerge during childhood. 

No longer looked after

This refers to children who have ceased to be looked after in care. They may have returned to live with their parents or another family member, become subject to a special guardianship order or been adopted. 

Not in education, employment or training (NEET)

Not in education, employment or training, a term used to describe 16-25 year olds who have an EHCP who are not taking part in education, employment or training.  For young people without an EHCP the age range is 16-18. 

Neurodevelopmental diagnostic clinic (NDC)

One of the specialist CAMHS services offering diagnostic assessment of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as other neuro developmental conditions. 

NHS continuing care

NHS continuing care is support provided for children and young people under 18 who need a tailored package of care because of their disability, an accident or illness. It can be provided in any setting, for example in the home or in a residential care home. 

Non-maintained special school

Schools in England approved by the secretary of state under section 342 of the education act 1996 as special schools which are not maintained by the state but charge fees on a not for profit basis. Most non-maintained special schools are run by major charities or charitable trusts. 

Non-statutory services

Non-statutory public services are not required by law. 

OCC

Oxfordshire County Council  

Occupational Therapist (OT)

A healthcare professional who specialises in helping people with difficulties to improve their ability to carry out activities, by providing therapeutic techniques. This can help a child access the physical and learning curriculum. 

Ofsted

Office for standards in education, children’s services and skills is a non-ministerial government department which has responsibility for the inspection of schools, children’s services, and local send provision in England. 

Ordinarily available toolkit (OAT) also referred to as ordinarily available send provision

It is a set of recommendations bringing together best practices from across Oxfordshire schools. The document provides guidance on the send provision that mainstream schools need to make for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in Oxfordshire. It outlines what children and young people with send and their families can expect to be normally, or ‘ordinarily’, available to them without specialist support. 

Outcome

An outcome is a benefit or difference made to an individual as a result of an intervention.  This refers to what a child or young person will be able to do as a result of the support provided. 

Outreach services

Support services provided to schools or pupils by specialist professionals, for example, providing support for communication or behaviour difficulties, or learning how to do day to day activities. 

Oxfordshire parent carers forum (OxPCF)

Oxfordshire parent carers forum (OxPCF) is an independent group enabling the voices of parent carers of children and young people with send across Oxfordshire to be heard.   

Parent carer forums are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities who work alongside local authorities, education, health and other services providers to ensure that the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor meet the needs of children and families. 

Oxfordshire way

Our approach to supporting people to live well and independently within their communities, remaining fit and healthy for as long as possible.  

Paediatrician

A doctor specialising in the needs of babies and children. 

Parent carer

A parent carer is a parent or guardian who provides substantial care and support to a child with special needs, disabilities, or chronic illnesses. This role often involves managing medical appointments, therapies, education plans, and daily activities to ensure the child's well-being and development. Parent carers navigate various support systems and advocate for their child's needs. 

Parental responsibility

Parental responsibility is defined under section 3 (1) of the children act 1989 as meaning all the duties, rights, powers, responsibilities and authority which parents have with respect to their children and their children’s property. Under section 2 of the children act 1989, parental responsibility falls upon:  

• all mothers and fathers who were married to each other at the time of the child’s birth (including those who have since separated or divorced)  
• mothers who were not married to the father at the time of the child’s birth, and  
• fathers who were not married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth, but who have obtained parental responsibility either by agreement with the child’s mother or through a court order  

Under section 12 of the children act 1989, where a court makes a residence order in favour of any person who is not the parent or guardian of the child, that person has parental responsibility for the child while the residence order remains in force.  

Parent Carer Forum (PCF)

A parent carer forum is an independent collective group of parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They provide a platform for the parent carers to share their experiences and work together to influence local services. By collaborating with local authorities, healthcare providers, and educational institutions, parent carer forums aim to improve the quality and accessibility of services and outcomes for children with send and their families. 

Partnerships

Partnership is often about agencies working together with each other, but it can also be about agencies working together with families. 

Person centred

A way of working that makes sure a child or young person is central to and involved in all aspects of planning and decision-making with the professionals and services working with them. 

Personal budget

A personal budget is the amount of money your local council will pay towards any social care and support you need.  The money in your personal budget can be paid to you, to help you make more decision about how it is spent.  This is known as a direct payment.  There are processes in place to ensure that the budget is spent on what it is allocated for.  By having a personal budget, you are responsible for putting in place and ensuring quality of any support. 

Personal education plan (PEP)

An element of a care plan maintained by a local authority in respect of a looked after child, which sets out the education needs of the child. If a looked after child has an EHC plan, the regular reviews of the EHC plan should, where possible, coincide with reviews of the personal education plan 

Profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD)

In addition to very severe learning difficulties, pupils with PMLD 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 personal care. 

Priority action plan (PAP)

A local area partnership is required to create plan to show how they will address failings or areas of concern identified by a local area send inspection. 

Pupil premium

State funded schools in England get extra funding from the government to help them improve the attainment of their disadvantaged pupils.  

Pupil referral unit (PRU)

PRUs teach children who aren’t able to attend school and may not otherwise receive suitable education. This could be because they have a short- or long-term illness, have been excluded, or are a new starter waiting for a mainstream school place. 

Quality first teaching

Quality first teaching is an approach that emphasizes high-quality, inclusive teaching for all students in a classroom. It focuses on: 

• whole-class teaching, ensuring every student has access to key skills and knowledge 
• personalised teaching, recognizing individual needs and abilities 
• scaffolded learning and strategies to support students with additional needs 

Quality improvement framework (QIF)

The QIF is being developed as part of the send transformation programme with a specific focus on the quality and timeliness of EHCPs and will ensure that education, health and social care input into EHCPs is of a high and consistent standard. 

Re-integration timetables

A reintegration timetable can be used in exceptional circumstances where a reduction in education may be viewed as in the interests of the child and on a fixed-term basis only. 

We remain committed to all children's entitlement to a full-time education offer and makes clear the requirement that a reintegration timetable cannot be implemented without written agreement from parent/carer (and where appropriate the virtual school where a child is ‘looked after’, youth offending worker when the child is on a court order, social worker where a child protection, team around the family or child in need plan is in place or SEN team at the local authority where appropriate). 

Reasonable adjustments

Under the equality act 2010 organisations are required to make changes in their approach or provision to ensure that services are accessible to disabled people as well as to everybody else. 

Relational practice model

Relational practice focusses on restorative approaches to addressing behaviour issues rather than punishment. We are currently running a pilot relational schools project for headteachers, which started in July 2023. 

Resource base

A resource base is a classroom or area for enhanced support, based within a mainstream school, providing support for pupils with a range of complex needs.  Resource bases are for children with EHCPs and must be named in the EHCP. 

Residential holiday schemes for disabled children

A residential holiday scheme for disabled children provides care and accommodation wholly or mainly for disabled children for a specified period for the purposes of a holiday, or for recreational, sporting, cultural or educational purposes. Ofsted inspects these schemes under the care standards act 2000, part 2 (extension of the application of part 2 to holiday schemes for disabled children) (England) regulations 2013. 

Residential special schools

Residential special schools are defined in section 59 of the safeguarding vulnerable groups act 2006. They vary in size and nature. The sector includes large non-maintained special schools, which make provision for very specific needs and take children as full boarders from all over the country, to smaller, more local providers, which cater for children with a range of different special needs and disabilities who may be resident at the school only during the week. There are also a small number of independent residential special schools that also tend to cater for children with very specialist needs. 

Restorative practice

A term used to describe principles, behaviours and approaches which build and maintain healthy relationships and a sense of community; and can resolve difficulties and repair harm where there has been conflict. For more information about restorative practice in schools, please see restorative practice | oxfordshire schools. 

Speech and language therapist (SALT)

Stands for speech and language therapist – they help children who have speech, language and communication difficulties, and also children with eating and drinking difficulties.  Schools are able to refer to the local NHS services for assessments. 

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

a child or young person has special educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need special health and education support, we shorten this to SEND. 

The send code of practice 2014 and the children and families act 2014 gives guidance to health and social care, education and local authorities to make sure that children and young people with send are properly supported. 

If you or a child that you care for needs extra health and education support, an application can be made for an education, health and care plan (ehc) to your local council. 

SEND information, advice and support service (IAS or SENDIASS)

Every local authority must have an IAS service to provide free, impartial information, advice and support to parent carers of children and young people with send 0-25 and also to young people.  

SEND transformation programme

The SEND transformation programme is taking place across Oxfordshire in response to the last Ofsted/CQC inspection. 

SENCO 

A SENCO is a qualified teacher in a school or maintained nursery school who has responsibility for co-ordinating SEN provision. In a small school, the headteacher or deputy may take on this role. In larger schools there may be a team of SENCOs. Other early years settings in group provision arrangements are expected to identify an individual to perform the role of SENCO. 

SENDCO helpdesk

The SENDCO helpdesk is an early advice service. It is run by specialist SENCOs who can: 

• Support SENCOs to deliver a comprehensive graduated response within their schools/settings 
• Answer queries and problem-solve  
• Signpost and consider the next steps 
• Raise awareness of our local offer 

Sensory integration (SI)

Sensory integration, sometimes called sensory processing, refers to the processes in the brain that make sense of the information coming in from our senses, giving us information about what is happening outside and inside our body. 

Short breaks

The local authority has a duty to provide short break services for disabled children and make clear how families can access the services. The route to having access to the service may be through a children's services assessment of need.  

The purpose of short breaks is to give breaks to carers, but also for children to have a change of scene and have fun. 

Short-break-only homes

Short-break-only homes provide breaks for carers of disabled children to support them to continue to care for their children at home. Homes often provide these breaks as part of a wider package of support. They provide care to children in need (as directed under section 17 of the children act 1989) and children looked after/in care (as directed under section 20 of the children act 1989). Unlike in other children’s homes, most of the children are resident for a few agreed days at a time, though some children can stay longer. Most of the year, the children in these homes live with their parents. 

Sixth-form colleges

A sixth-form college is an educational institution where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as a levels, or school-level qualifications, such as GCSEs. 

Strategic improvement and assurance board (SIAB)

Oxfordshire send strategic improvement and assurance board is made up of senior leaders from across the local area partnership and members of the pcf and its purpose is to oversee and drive the action required to deliver better services for send children, young people and their families in Oxfordshire. 

Single point of access (SPA)  

Organisations can be very complex. Sometimes it is useful to have one person to go to in the organisation who can then liaise with others on your behalf. 

Special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO)

A qualified teacher in a school or maintained nursery school who has responsibility for co-ordinating SEN provision. In a small school, the headteacher or deputy may take on this role. In larger schools there may be a team of SENCOs. Early years settings in group provision arrangements (that is where several settings are part of one group) are expected to identify an individual to perform the role of SENCO and childminders are encouraged to do so, possibly sharing the role between them where they are registered with an agency. 

This is a duty under the send code of practice. 

Special guardianship order

Special guardianship is an order made by the family court that places a child or young person to live with someone other than their parents on a long-term basis. Those who a child is placed will become the child’s special guardians. 

SEN support

Help given to a pupil/student that is additional to or different from the help routinely provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum. This may include the education setting receiving advice or support from outside specialists. 

Sen support is in relation to school's duties under the send code of practice and is about the right support at the right time. It relates to the school evaluating the child's needs and following the 'graduated approach'. Children on SEN support will have a SEN support (provision) plan. 

SEN support provision plan or SEN support plan

An SEN support provision plan is a document that schools can complete over time, as part of the graduated approach, for pupils with a range of needs or a high level of need in a specific area.  It details the main areas of need, the provision that the school intend to put in place and the agencies responsible for supporting the provision.  Where necessary, schools can use this document to access additional funding to support pupils with complex needs in their setting or to support an application for a statutory assessment. 

This may be called different things in different schools. 

Special educational provision

Special educational provision means any educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age. 

Specific learning difficulty (SPLD)

A specific learning difficulty is a neurodevelopmental disorder that may affect an individual’s ability to receive, process and recall information. It is a difference or difficulty with particular aspects of learning. The term SPLD is used to denote a range of learning difficulties. 

Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)

Stands for speech, language and communication needs – pupils may have difficulties with expressive language or receptive language and/or processing difficulties. 

Severe learning difficulties (SLD)

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

Special educational needs support services (SENSS)

The SEN support service is responsible for early intervention and statutory duties in relation to SEN. SENSS supports and empowers children and young people, their schools, settings and families, sharing good practice in relation to different needs. 

Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH)

These are special educational needs 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.  ADHD is included under this category. 

Special school

A school 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. 

Single point of request for involvement (SPORFI)

A single point of request for involvement - is a form used by early years settings to identify which from a range of early years support services, including EYESENIT, speech and language therapists, physiotherapy and occupational therapy and the SENSS team are most appropriate to request support from to avoid duplication. 

State funded school

All children in England aged 5 to 16 are entitled to a free place at a state funded school. State schools receive funding through the local authority (if they are locally maintained) or directly from the government (if they are an academy). There are both mainstream and special state funded schools. 

Statutory guidance

Statutory guidance is guidance which local authorities and other local bodies have a legal duty to follow. 

Statutory services

Statutory public services are required under legislation. 

Strategy

A strategy is a high-level document outlining a vision for where an organisation wants to be and what steps the organisation will take to get there. 

Strength and needs assessment

A strength and needs assessment of a child and his or her family, designed to identify needs at an early stage and enable suitable interventions to be put in place to support the family. 

Supported internship

A study programme specifically aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 who have an EHC plan and want to move into employment and need extra support to do so. 

Suspension

A suspension is an exclusion (removal from school roll) for a fixed period. 

Teaching Assistant (TA)

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

Team around the child (TAC) 

Team around the child is a group of people, including the child, family members and professionals, who come together to support the child and family who have additional needs. The tac is based on the principle of collective action and holistic view of the child and family. The tac develops and implements an action plan that covers the health, education, development and welfare of the child and family. 

Team around the family (TAF)

The aim of this team around the family (TAF), is to work with you and those around you, to help understand what is going on and to decide and agree on the best way forward.  

A TAF meeting will take place to complete the TAF plan, which should address each worry identified in the assessment and indicate what actions need to take place to support positive change. 

Threshold of needs

The threshold of needs creates an explicit link between the assessment framework, so assessments produced clearly illustrate both a child’s level of need and any associated risks, thus determining the most appropriate support and service.  

Transition plan

A plan devised at the time of a transition or move from one key stage to another, for example when a child moves from a mainstream to a specialist provision, or from primary to secondary school.  

Tribunal

An independent body that hears appeals lodged by parents/carers or by a young person aged 16 or over and under 25 years, against sen decisions made by the local authority. 

Unpaid carers

An unpaid carer is a person of any age who provides unpaid help and support to wife, husband, partner, son, daughter, parent, relative, partner, friend or neighbour who cannot manage without the carers help. 

Virtual school

Supports children in care to achieve better academically, in whatever school they attend, by monitoring progress and attendance. The virtual school also helps to advise schools on cases of children who are not in care but are on child in need and child protection plans.

Virtual school head (VSH)

The virtual school head (VSH) is an officer of a local authority who leads a virtual school team that tracks the progress of children cared for by the authority as if they attended a single school. The children and families act 2014 requires every local authority to appoint an officer who is an employee of that or another authority to discharge this duty. 

Young person

A person over compulsory school age (the end of the academic year in which they turn 16). From this point the right to make decisions about matters covered by the Children and Families Act 2014 applies to the young person directly, rather than to their parents, if the young person has the capacity to do so. 

Youth justice board (YJB)

The youth justice board for England and Wales is an executive non-departmental public body. Its board members are appointed by the secretary of state for justice. The youth justice board oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales, works to prevent offending and reoffending by children and young people under the age of 18 and ensures that custody for them is safe, secure and addresses the causes of their offending behaviour.  

Youth offending team (YOT)

Youth offending teams are part of local authorities and are separate from the police and the justice system. They work with local agencies including the police, probation officers, health, children’s services, schools and the local community, to run local crime prevention programmes, help young people at the police station if they’re arrested, help young people and their families at court, supervise young people serving a community sentence and stay in touch with a young person if they’re sentenced to custody. 

16 to 19 academies

These are state-funded, non-fee-paying schools, independent of local authorities, that cater for pupils aged 16 to 19.