Glossary

Information for parents regarding Special Educational Needs

• Code of Practice
• Learning Difficulties
• Local Education Authority (LEA)
• Mainstream school
• Maintained school
• Named Officer
• Named Person
• Non-maintained special school
• Note in lieu of a statement
• Special Educational Needs (SEN)
• Special Educational Provision
• Special Educational Needs Tribunal
• Special School
• Statement of Special Educational Needs
• Statutory assessment
• Transition Plan

Code of Practice

A guide to schools and local education authorities (LEAs) about the help they can give to children with special educational needs. Schools and LEAs must have regard to the Code when they deal with a child with special educational needs.

Learning Difficulties

A child has learning difficulties if he or she finds it much harder to learn that most children of the same age.

Local Education Authority (LEA)

Local government body responsible for providing education and for making statutory assessments and maintaining statements.

Mainstream school

An ordinary school.

Maintained school

A state school

Named Officer

An officer of the LEA who will deal with your child's case.

Named Person

A person identified by the LEA, with your help, to give you information and advice about your child's special educational needs. A Named Person can be a friend, a relative or a member of a voluntary organisation.

Non-maintained special school

A non-profit-making special school which charges fees. Most non-maintained special schools are run by charities or charitable trusts.

Note in lieu of statement

A note in which the LEA will set out the reasons for their decision not to make a statement after a statutory assessment.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

A child has special educational needs if he or she is learning difficulties that needs special educational provision.

Special Educational Provision

The special help given to children with special educational needs.

Special Educational Needs Tribunal

An independent body that hears appeals against decisions made by LEAs.

Special School

A school which is specially organised to give help to pupils with special educational needs.

Statement of special educational needs

A document that sets out a child's needs and all the extra help he or she should get.

Statutory assessment

A very detailed examination of a child's special educational needs. It may lead to a statement

Transition Plan

A plan drawn up at the first annual review of a statement after a child's 14th birthday. It sets out the steps needed for him or her to move from school to adult life.

Additional Information

Other publications you may find useful:

• Department for Education Circulars
• Guide to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal
• The Parent's Charter

You can get copies of these documents, and a list of other useful DfEE publications, by writing to:

DfEE Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 6ZQ or phone 0845 602 2260

Copies of the Code of Practice on the Identification And Assessment of Special Educational Needs are also available.

If you need more help

There are many voluntary organisations who help children with disabilities or learning difficulties, and their parents. Others offer more general advice. You can get more details from your LEA, your local library, the Citizens' Advice Bureau or the local Council of Voluntary Service.

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Special Educational Needs Tameside MBC Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne OL6 6DL  View local map
0161 342 3750
0161 342 3714