Glossary
Accessibility Plan
Shows how school access is to be improved for pupils/students, staff and visitors with disabilities in a given timeframe. It must anticipate the need to make reasonable adjustments where ever practicable.
Augmentative and alternative communication
Methods of communication that can help people who are unable to use verbal speech to communicate – often using technology.
Behaviour Support Team
Behaviour support teams are set up to support individuals with learning disabilities and their families. They may differ in terms of the services they offer; some may offer assessments for diagnosis or provide different strategies to support individuals with their behaviour.
British Sign Language – BSL
A visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expression, and body language. Sign Language is used mainly by people who are Deaf or have hearing impairments. The most common form of Sign Language is BSL.
Child and Adolescent Health Service - CAMHS
Supporting the emotional and personal development of students.
Cognition and Learning
Characterised by difficulties in thinking, attention and concentration skills – dyslexia, learning difficulties etc.
Complex Communication Needs (CCN) Team
The Complex Communication Needs team are qualified specialist teachers and specialist practitioners with vast experience of addressing the needs of children and young people on the autism spectrum from early years to higher education. The team also supports teachers and education professionals to meet the individual teaching, learning and wellbeing needs of students with autism in their educational setting.
Communication and Interaction
Characterised by difficulties in being able to understand and/or express yourself. Can also be difficulties in interacting with other people – Autism, speech and language difficulties etc.
Differentiated
Adapted and changed for children based on differing levels of need and ability.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS)
The government check all people working with children must complete
Educational Psychologists
A professional who supports, monitors and thinks with the school, assesses and identifies children’s needs.
Education Health and Care Plan
The Education Health and Care Plan (E.H.C.P.) or E.H.C plan, is a system that puts you and your child at the very centre of the assessment and planning process. It is designed to make sure that your views are not only heard but also understood.
Eligibility criteria
The individual criteria a service states must be met before they can work with an individual/family.
English as an additional language (EAL)
Someone whose first language at home is not English.
Early Help
Support for families experiencing a range of difficulties.
Early Years and Foundation Stage – EYFS
Pre School and Reception classes.
Financial Year
A year as reckoned for taxing or accounting purposes, which runs from April to April.
Governing Body
Each school has a governing body which comprises members of the local community, parents, teachers, staff and representatives of the Local Education Authority. They are required by law to meet at least once a term but can meet more frequently in order to discuss specific matters.
Health visitor/school nurse
Health Professional who monitors, supports and gives advice to families and schools on all aspects of children’s well-being and health needs.
Hearing Impaired service
Worcestershire service of specialists who give advice, support and monitor children with HI.
Key stage 1 – KS1
Years 1 and 2.
Key Stage 2 – KS2
Years 3 to Year 6.
Learning Support Team (LST)
The Learning Support Team provides support to meet the needs of pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (SPLD) and those struggling to engage or unmotivated to learn.
Local Offer
Local authorities are required to set out in their Local Offer information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. Local authorities must consult locally on what provision the Local Offer should contain.
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.
Occupational Therapists
Professionals from the Health Service who identify, assess, support, monitor, offer advice to children, schools, families for children with functional, motor or sensory needs.
Outreach Team
Professionals who support children with physical disabilities in mainstream schools.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
A school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.
Playground buddies
Year 6 children who are given extra responsibility at playtimes and lunchtimes to support other children in different parts of the playground.
Provision Map
A list of provision and support beyond the classroom to remove barriers and accelerate progress and well-being.
Pupil Voice
Pupils having the opportunity to have a say in decisions in school that affect them. It entails pupils playing an active role in their education and schooling as a result of schools becoming more attentive and responsive, in sustained and routine ways.
Quality First Teaching (QFT)
High quality inclusive teaching together with our continuous whole school processes for assessing, planning, implementing, tracking, monitoring and reviewing your child's progress.
Reasonable Adjustment
A school or college must ensure that pupils with additional needs can fully participate in the education provided by the school, and that they can enjoy the other benefits, facilities and services that the school provides.
Resilience
The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.
Risk Assessment
The overall process or method where you: Identify hazards and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm (hazard identification). Analyse and evaluate the risk associated with that hazard (risk analysis, and risk evaluation).
SENDCo
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.
SEN Register
Special Educational Needs List of children, so the school continually hold them in mind.
SEN Policy
The document that reflects the statutory requirements of special educational needs and how the actual practice of the school meets them.
Sensory Advisory Service
The service who gives advice, assessment and support to children with sensory processing difficulties – covers both hearing and vision impairment.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
Characterised by impairment in some aspect of physical functioning or difficulty in sensory processing compared to ‘normal’ sensory profile – hearing impaired, vision impaired, sensory impairment, cerebral palsy etc.
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Difficulties
Characterised by problems with regulation of emotion, social skills – ADHD etc.
Social Services
Services that support the child and the family accessing the correct services and safeguard children.
Specialist Interventions
Support programmes that requires specific training to deliver and targets a specific area of need.
Speech and language therapists
Professionals from the Health Service who identify, assess, support, monitor, offer advice to children, schools, families for children with communication, social, language needs.
Staff Handbook
Document given to all new staff informing of all the processes and procedures in school and signposting to relevant school policies.
Teaching Assistant
Additional adults who support the learning process, social behaviour and needs of children.
Visually Impaired service
Worcestershire service of specialists who give advice, support and monitor children with VI.
Visual Timetable
A timetable showing the day’s events/lessons in pictorial or photograph form for children who struggles with sequencing their day and/or have difficulties with communication and/or reading.
Worcestershire Local Authority
A local authority is an organization that is officially responsible for all the public services and facilities in a particular area.