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The SEND Acronym Guide

Special Education is full of Acronyms. Hopefully, this SEN Acronym guide will serve to help you navigate some of the more commonly used terminologies. You could also use this guide if you are in a meeting as an acronym bingo board! We hope this list of SEND acronyms and abbreviations is useful.

Glossary of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities SEND Acronyms.

These terms can seem outdated and I think every effort should be made to #flipthenarrative away from deficit terminology and towards strengths and individual education profiles. This guide to widely used SEND acronyms seeks to reduce some of the barriers between professionals and parents when accessing documentation.

SEND: Special Education Needs and Disabilities.
Cognition & Learning.  
PMLD: Profound multiple learning difficulties.
SLD: Severe learning difficulties.
MLD: Moderate learning difficulties
SpLD: Specific learning difficulties.
Sensory and Physical.  
VI: Visual Impairment.
HI: Hearing Impairment.
MSI: Multi-sensory Impairment.
PD: Physical Disability
Communication and Interaction.  
SLCN: Speech Language and Communication Need
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder.
ACE: Adverse Childhood Experiences
Other.  
SEMH: Social Emotional Mental Health
BESD: Behaviour Emotional Social Development.
ADHD: Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.
Glossary of School positions  
AHT: Assistant Headteacher.
Exec. Head Executive Headteacher
DHT: Deputy Headteacher.
HLTA: Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
HT: Headteacher.
LSA: Learning Support Assistant.
TA: Teaching Assistant.
MLT: Middle Leadership Team.
RCCO: Residential Child Care Officer.
RM: Residential Manager (Children’s homes)
SaLT: Speech and Language Therapist.
SLT: Senior Leadership Team.
SLIC: Speech Language Interaction Communication
Table of SEN Acronyms used in Schools

General Education Acronyms

These more general acronyms are often used on formal education documents from the DFE or OFSTED

the SEND acronym guide
The SEN Acronym Guide
ACE: Advisory Centre for Education – an advisory service for parents.
ACL: Adult and Community Learning.
ACS: Average Class Size.
AEN: Additional Educational Needs.
AfL: Assessment for Learning.
ALS: Additional Literacy Support.
AMP: Asset Management Plan.
APA: Annual Performance Assessment.
APP: Assessing Pupil Progress.
ASPECT: Assessment Profile on Entry for Children and Toddlers.
AST: Advanced Skills Teacher.
ATs: Attainment Targets.
AWPU: Age Weighted Pupil Unit.
BECTA: British Educational Communications and Technology Agency.
BES: Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
BEST: Behaviour and Education Support Team.
BIP: Behaviour Improvement Programme.
BSA: Basic Skills Agency.
BST: Behaviour Support Team.
CA: Contextualised Attainment.
CAL: Computer-Assisted Learning.
CHYPS: Child and Young Peoples Services.
CAF: Common Assessment Framework.
CASE: Campaign for State Education.
CASPA: Comparison and analysis of Special Pupil Attainment
CAT: Cognitive Ability Tests for knowing, thinking and reasoning.
CFR: Consistent Financial Reporting.
CPR: Child Protection Register central register.
CIC: Children in the Care.
CLLD: Communication, Language and Literacy Development.
CoGs: Co-ordinators of Governor Services.
Core subjects: English, maths and science.
COSHH: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.
CPD: Continuing Professional Development.
CPI: Child Protection Issue.
CPS: Common Pay Scale.
CRB: Criminal Records Bureau.
CRE: Commission for Racial Equality.
CSSI: Challenge, Support, Standards and Intervention.
CT: Children’s Trust.
CVA: Contextual Value Added.
DDA: Disability Discrimination Act.
DFC: Devolved Formula Capital.
DfE: Department for Education.
DRC: Disability Rights Commission.
DSG: Dedicated Schools Grant.
EAL: English as an Additional Language.
EBD (Generally no longer used): Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.
ECaR: Every Child a Reader.
ECaW: Every Child a Writer.
EDP: Education Development Plan.
EMAS: Ethnic Minority Achievement Service.
EOC: Equal Opportunities Commission.
EOTAS: Education other than at School.
EP: Educational Psychologist.
ES: Extended School.
ESO: Education Supervision Order.
EYFS: Early Years Foundation Stage.
EWO: Education Welfare Officer.
FE: Further Education.
FFT: Fischer Family Trust.
FGB: Full Governing Body.
FMSiS: Financial Management Standard in Schools.
FOI: Freedom of Information.
FSES: Full Service Extended School.
FSM: Free School Meals.
FT: Floor Target.
FTE: Full Time Equivalent.
GCSE: General Certificate of Secondary Education.
GRTAP: Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Programme.
H2S: Hard to Shift.
HASAW: Health and Safety at Work.
HCA: Helping Children Achieve.
HE: Higher Education.
HLTA: Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
HMCI: Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools.
HMI: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate.
HOD: Head of Department.
HOY: Head of Year.
HR: Human Resources.
HSE: Health and Safety Executive.
ICT: Information and Communication Technology.
IEP: Individual Education Plan.
IIP: Investors in People.
INSET: In-Service Education and Training.
IPF: Institute of Public Finance.
IS: Intensive Support.
ISB: Individual Schools Budget.
KASS: Kent Association of Special Schools.
KS: Key Stages.
KS1: Key Stage 1: Pupils aged 3-7.
KS2: Key Stage 2 – Pupils aged 7-11.
KS3: Key Stage 3 – Pupils aged 11-14.
KS4: Key Stage 4 – Pupils aged 14-16.
LA: Local Authority.
LAC: Looked After Child.
LiL: Leadership in Learning.
LMS: Local Management of Schools.
LSA: Learning Support Assistant.
LSC: Learning and Skills Council.
MA. Management Allowance.
MFG: Minimum Funding Guarantee.
MFL: Modern Foreign Languages.
NC: National Curriculum.
NEET: Not in Education, Employment or Training.
NFER: National Foundations for Educational Research.
NFF: National Formula Funding.
NGA: National Governors’ Association.
NGfL: National Grid for Learning.
NHSP: National Healthy Schools Programme.
NLE: National Leaders of Education.
NMS: National Minimum Standards for Residential Schools.
NNEB: The National Nursery Examination Board.
NOF: New Opportunities Fund.
NOR: Number On Roll.
NOV: Notes Of Visit.
NPQH/SL/ML National Professional Qualifications for Headteachers/Senior Leaders/Middle 
NQT: Newly Qualified Teacher.
NSS: National Support School.
NTI: Notice to Improve.
NTG: Narrowing the Gap.
Ofqual: Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator.
Ofsted: Office for Standards in Education.
PAN: Planned Admissions Number. (For us for Academic Year 2015-16 = 56).
PECS: Picture Exchange Communication System.
PGR: Parent Governor Representatives.
PI: Performance Indicators.
PIB: Pre-Inspection Briefing.
PLASC: Pupil Level Annual Schools Census.
PPA: Planning, Preparation and Assessment.
PRP: Performance Related Pay.
PRS: Pupil Referral Service.
PRU: Pupil Referral Unit.
PSA: Parent Support Adviser.
PSHE: Personal, Social and Health Education.
PSA: Parent Support Adviser.
P2S: Pathways to Success.
PSP: Pastoral Support Programme/Plan.
PTR: Pupil/Teacher Ratio.
QCA: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
QTS: Qualified Teacher Status.
RA: Relative Attainment.
RAP: Raising Attainment Plan.
RI: Registered Inspector.
RIG: Rewards and Incentives Group.
RIO: Real Ideas Organisation.
ROA: Record of Achievement.
RSS Residential Special School.
SAFE: Security Action for Education.
SALT: Speech and Language Therapist.
SATs: Standard Assessment Tasks used for curriculum assessment.
SP: School Profile. A report by governors on the school’s performance.
SDP: School Development Plan.
SEAL: Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning.
SEBS: Social Environmental Behaviour Skills.
SEF: Self/School Evaluation Form.
SEN: Special Educational Needs.
SENCO: SEN Co-ordinator.
SHA : Secondary Heads Association.
SIC: Statement of Internal Control.
SIMs: Schools Information Management Systems.
SIP: School Improvement Partner.
SIP: School Improvement Plan.
SLT: Senior Leadership Team.
SPR: School Performance Review.
TEACCH: Treatment & Education of Autistic & related Communication handicapped Children.
T&L: Teaching and Learning.
TLRs: Teaching and Learning Responsibility.
UPS: Upper Pay Spine.
YJB: Youth Justice Board.
YOT: Youth Offending Team.

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