Full and extended daycare playgroup:  a group that accepts children under the age of five, without their parents, for more than four hours in any day.

Opportunity playgroup:  a group that is set up primarily to provide for children with disabilities or learning difficulties alongside other children.  The children often start at an earlier age than in a regular playgroup and staff usually have more specialised training in this field.

Parent and Toddler playgroup:  a group of parents or carers with children under school age, most of the children below the age of three.  These groups provide for both children and adults.  Parents remain with the children throughout the session.

Portage:  A planned approach to home-based pre-school education for children with developmental delay, disabilities or any other special educational needs.  Portage began in Portage, Wisconsin, USA, and there is now an extensive Portage network in the UK, which is overseen by the National Portage Association.

Regional Organisations Expert in Information Technology for Communication Difficulties:  the Aids to Communication (ACE) centres in Oxford and Oldham, the Centre for Micro-Assisted Communication at Charlton Park School, London SE7 and Communication Aids Centres funded under the NHS.  Further information on these centres and on information technology for children with special educational needs may be obtained from the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET), Milburn Hill Road, Science Park, Coventry, CV4 7JJ.  Telephone: 0203 416994.

Responsible Person:  the head teacher or the appropriate governor, that is the chairman of the governing body unless the governing body have designated another governor for the purpose.  In the case of a nursery school, the responsible person is the head teacher.  The responsible person must be informed by the LEA when they conclude that a pupil at a school

has special educational needs.  The responsible person must then ensure that all those who will teach the child know about his or her special educational needs.

SCEA:  the Service Children's Education Authority.  The SCEA oversees the education of UK service children abroad.  It is funded by the Ministry of Defence and operates its own schools as well as providing advice to parents on SCEA and UK schools.

SEN coordinator:  member of staff of a school who has responsibility for coordinating SEN provision within that school.  In a small school the head teacher or deputy may take on this role.  In larger schools there may be an SEN coordinating team.

SEN Tribunal:  an independent body established under the 1993 Act for determining appeals by parents against LEA decisions on assessments and statements.  The Tribunal's decision will be binding on both parties to the appeal.