Code of practice
A guide published by the Department for Children, Schools and Familes for local authorities and schools. It provides information on how to treat children with special educational needs.
Educational psychologist
Someone who has had specialist training and experience in how children develop and learn. S/he will assess children with learning and behaviour difficulties and will help children, parents and teachers find ways to overcome these difficulties.
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
A teaching plan for a child with special educational needs. It details a child's needs, what targets s/he needs to aim for and what action the school will take to help meet these targets.
Independent parental supporter
Someone who can give parents and carers information and advice about their child's special educational needs. In Greenwich, this is a parent partnership officer.
Mainstream school
An ordinary school which can meet the needs of most children.
Peripatetic specialist teacher
A teacher with specific knowledge of special educational needs, who travels from school to school. For example, Greenwich has peripatetic services for children with hearing and visual problems.
Provision for special educational needs
The special help given to children with special educational needs.
Special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO)
A teacher with particular responsibility for all children with special educational needs. S/he co-ordinates SEN work in the school mainly by keeping a register, helping teachers to organise learning programmes and holding reviews of progress.
School Action
The process taken when a school has identified that a child's special educational needs cannot be met by using the usual strategies and resources. An individual education plan is written and additional support is given from the resources of the school.
School Action Plus
An enhanced version of School Action in which the child receives extra help from the support services available to the school.
Statutory assessment
An evaluation carried out by Greenwich Council to decide whether to give a child a statement of special educational needs. A statement is a legal document which describes a child's needs and the extra help that will be provided to meet those needs.