UK · England · Reference
England SEND & EHCP glossary
Plain-English explanations of common SEND, SEN Support and Education, Health and Care plan terms used in England.
England terminology · Last reviewed 12 September 2026
England only.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different legal frameworks and terminology. This glossary should not be used to interpret those systems. England SEND reforms are being developed, but current EHC-plan arrangements remain in place; this glossary describes the current framework.
A
- Annual review
- A formal review of an EHC plan. The local authority must review an EHC plan at least every 12 months. The review looks at progress towards outcomes, whether needs or provision have changed, and whether the plan should be maintained, amended or ceased.
- Appeal
- A legal challenge to certain local-authority decisions about EHC needs assessments and EHC plans. In England, these appeals are made to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability).
B
- Best endeavours
- A legal duty requiring certain education settings to use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision called for by a child or young person’s SEN. It does not mean that every requested support must automatically be provided, but it is a meaningful statutory duty.
C
- Code of Practice
- The SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years is statutory guidance for the England SEND system. It explains how duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and related regulations should be carried out.
D
- Disability
- Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. A child can be disabled, have SEN, or both.
E
- EHC needs assessment (EHCNA)
- The statutory assessment carried out by a local authority to decide whether a child or young person needs an Education, Health and Care plan. The authority gathers advice and information from relevant professionals and from the family or young person.
- Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan / EHCP)
- A statutory plan for a child or young person up to age 25 where the local authority decides it is necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan. It records needs, outcomes and specified provision, and may name an educational placement.
- Educational psychologist (EP / Ed Psych)
- A psychologist specialising in children and young people’s learning, development and educational needs. Educational-psychology advice is one of the forms of advice a local authority seeks during an EHC needs assessment.
F
- First-tier Tribunal (SEND)
- The independent tribunal that hears appeals about specified special educational needs decisions and disability-discrimination claims involving schools. It is often shortened to SEND Tribunal.
G
- Graduated approach
- The cycle commonly described as Assess, Plan, Do, Review. Schools use it to understand a pupil’s needs, plan support, put support in place and review whether it is working.
I
- IASS / SENDIASS
- A local Information, Advice and Support Service offering free, impartial information and support about SEND to children, young people and parents. Names vary by area; many services use SENDIASS.
L
- Local authority (LA)
- The council with legal responsibilities for parts of the SEND system, including EHC needs assessments, EHC plans and the Local Offer. Which local authority is responsible can matter when a family moves area.
- Local Offer
- Information a local authority must publish about education, health and social-care provision expected to be available for children and young people with SEND in its area, including support and services families can access.
M
- Mediation
- A confidential process in which an independent mediator helps families and the local authority try to resolve a disagreement. In most EHC-plan appeals, a parent or young person must at least consider mediation and obtain a mediation certificate before appealing; a placement-only appeal is treated differently.
O
- Outcomes
- The benefits or changes expected for the child or young person as a result of support. In an EHC plan, outcomes should be linked to the person’s needs and aspirations and help guide the provision required.
P
- Personal budget
- An amount identified to help secure particular provision in an EHC plan. A personal budget does not automatically mean cash is paid directly to a family; direct payments are one possible arrangement and are subject to rules and agreement.
R
- Reasonable adjustments
- Changes required under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent a disabled pupil from being placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled pupils. What is reasonable depends on the circumstances.
S
- SEN (special educational needs)
- A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
- SEN Support
- Support provided by a school or college for a child or young person with SEN who does not need an EHC plan, or while needs are being assessed. It should be planned and reviewed through a graduated approach.
- SENCO
- The Special Educational Needs Coordinator. In a school, the SENCO coordinates the school’s SEN provision and is usually a key contact for parents, teachers and outside professionals.
- SEND
- Special educational needs and disabilities. This is the broad term used in England for the system supporting children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities.
- Section B of an EHC plan
- The section that describes the child or young person’s special educational needs. Section B should capture all identified SEN because the special educational provision in Section F should respond to those needs.
- Section E of an EHC plan
- The section that records the outcomes sought for the child or young person, including outcomes relevant to preparing for adulthood where appropriate.
- Section F of an EHC plan
- The section that specifies the special educational provision required to meet the SEN described in Section B. Clear, specific and quantified wording is important because the local authority has a duty to secure the special educational provision specified in the plan.
- Section G of an EHC plan
- The section that specifies health provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities that result in the child or young person having SEN.
- Sections H1 and H2 of an EHC plan
- The social-care sections of an EHC plan. They record social-care provision required under specified legislation and other social-care provision reasonably required by the child or young person’s learning difficulties or disabilities.
- Section I of an EHC plan
- The section that names the school, college or other institution the child or young person will attend, or records the type of placement where appropriate.
- Section J of an EHC plan
- The section that records details of any personal budget, including arrangements for direct payments where these have been agreed.
- Section K of an EHC plan
- The section that lists the advice and information gathered during the EHC needs assessment. The reports and advice listed should be attached to the plan.
- Section 41 school or institution
- An independent special school or special post-16 institution approved by the Secretary of State under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014. This status can affect placement-request rights in the EHC-plan process.
- Special educational provision
- Educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, provision generally made for children or young people of the same age in mainstream settings, where the provision is made because of SEN.
- Statutory assessment
- A phrase families and professionals may still use for a formal SEN assessment. In the current England EHC-plan system, the legal term is usually “EHC needs assessment”.
W
- Working document
- A document used during some SEND Tribunal appeals about the contents of an EHC plan. It shows proposed amendments and which wording is agreed or still disputed as the case progresses.
Y
- Young person
- In the SEND framework, this term is commonly used for someone over compulsory school age and under 25. Certain EHC-plan rights transfer from the parent to the young person, subject to mental-capacity rules.
Official sources
GOV.UK — SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years
GOV.UK — Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
GOV.UK — Appeal an EHC plan decision
GOV.UK — Disability rights in education
Children and Families Act 2014 — Part 3
Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014
GOV.UK — SEND reform implementation guidance (current system remains during transition)