Glossary

Paedophilia is a psychiatric condition or disorder whereby an individual is sexually attracted and aroused by a prepubescent child (a child who has not reached puberty). Although, in general terms in society, someone who engages in any form of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 years is also referred to as a paedophile.

A paper hearing is a hearing held in private where you or your ex-partner or any legal representative are not required to be present. The judge will make a decision in private.

This is an individual who works alongside and assists a solicitor as part of a legal team but is not a qualified solicitor. A paralegal has a great deal of knowledge of the law. A paralegal will write legal letters and prepare legal documents, they will do research for the solicitor, interview clients and witnesses and prepare bundles for court.

Parental alienation is a debunked theory that is now synonymous with post-separation abuse and aims to silence abuse victims, whether adults or children.

Parental responsibility is a term used to describe the responsibilities, authority, duties, powers and legal rights a parent should fulfil for a child. Parental responsibility is defined in the CHILDREN ACT 1989 ACT SECTION 3.1 passed by the government. It says: In this act “parental responsibility” means all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property.

Under section 19 of the anti-social behaviour act 2003, your child’s school and your local authority can help you sort out your child’s behaviour and get them back into school. The school or your local authority can make a formal agreement plan called the parenting contract with you. The local authority or the school will set out what help they can give you to help your child attend school on a regular basis. You (as the parent) have to agree to act on what directions are written in the parenting contract for a set time. This contract is intended to help you improve your child’s school attendance or find an alternative provision.

If your local authority feels that they have tried to engage with you about your child to find a solution, had meetings, tried to provide help and have entered into a parenting contract with you but still your child is missing school and has irregular attendance then they may take you to court and ask the court to issue a parenting order. The court may also issue a parenting order if you and your child are not complying with a school attendance order (explained below). A parenting order can be enforced by the police and the local authority. You can appeal against the parenting order to the crown court. Failure to comply with a parenting order can result in a £1000.00 fine. A parenting order usually contains directions for the parents to follow for up to 1 year and requires the parents to attend parenting classes if not already done so.

A court case is referred to as part heard when the hearing is stopped due to lack of time for example and therefore has to be concluded at another time.

The objective of pastoral care in schools is to look after the physical and emotional wellbeing of students with regards to most aspects of school life. The school staff are responsible for providing pastoral care for students, however the school should have a designated teacher who is in charge of pastoral care. Pastoral care is not simply about supporting the students with their academic achievements, it aims to help students at the school feel safe, happy and to achieve their full potential. Pastoral care encourages an atmosphere of learning, tolerance, respect for others, friendship, equality, and students to access opportunities, all helping to improve student attendance. It also aims to help disadvantaged and vulnerable students to access education by putting provisions in place, celebrating diversity, and having all safeguarding procedures in place to provide a child-centred school environment for learning.

A paternity test is a DNA test which can show and prove that a man is the biological father of a child. A paternity test is very important when there is concern about whether a man is the biological father of a child/individual. This can affect their parental responsibility, duties and responsibilities towards the child.

A pathway plan is a plan especially for looked after children aged 16 – 17 years of age that very soon will not be under the care of the local authority anymore. The plan intends to help a looked after child to continue their further education, enter higher education, start training or a job. A pathway plan is part of a child’s personal education plan (PEP) if the child is old enough. Any help, guidance or provisions a 16 – 17 years old looked after child will need will be detailed in their pathway plan.

This is a statement at the front/top page of a court order stating that non compliance with the court order will result in some sort of punishment - often prison or a fine.

This is the Latin term for 'through lack of care or carelessness'. Per incuriam refers to when a court passes judgement or make an order but the law has not been followed or has been ignored.

This occurs when an individual lies in court under oath or when they have affirmed they are telling the truth. Perjury is an offence.

A social worker and/or your local authority will produce a personal education plan for every looked after child. This must be done within 20 school days of when the child became a looked after child. As stated above the personal education plan is a part of the overall care plan for a looked after child. A personal education plan forms part of a looked after child’s school records. It is reviewed 3 times a year.

This reference will be given by an individual who knows you well in a social or relaxed setting outside of school and work. This type of reference will show your prospective employer what you are like as a person, maybe some information on your skills, and your character.

A personal statement is a short personal summary about yourself and what you bring to the job or course you are applying for. It highlights your relevant skills, strengths, and experience. It can accompany a CV when applying for a job (if the company asks for one). It can also accompany an application form such as when students apply for a university place through UCAS. Many universities ask for personal statements as part of their UCAS application and entrance procedure.

Another word for a court application that you submit to the court to start proceedings or resolve matters.

Another word for applicant - the person who submits an application form to the family court to start proceedings.

Physically abusing a child means hitting, pulling hair, burning, suffocating, violently shaking or poisoning them to name a few. It also includes bringing about an illness in a child.

A local authority social worker will make an application to the court to grant a placement order for a child to be put up for adoption. This will happen where no other suitable accommodation has been found for the child.

This is an individual who starts court/legal proceedings against another individual, group of individuals, company or organisation.

The police can keep a child in custody for up to a total of 96 hours and then they will have to either charge them or let them go free. The court will allow a set period of time, initially 12 hours then an extra 24 hours then an additional 24 hours then more until cumulatively a total of 96 hours is reached.

If a child is 16 years of age and over the police can take fingerprints and photos without anyone’s consent. If a child is 15 – 16 years of age, the child and their parents will jointly have to agree to the fingerprints being taken. If the child is under 14 years of age the parents consent is required.

Unless there is risk of another crime being committed or there is danger to life, the police should only interview the child if the parents or another adult is present. The interview should be recorded (written or taped) and your child has the right to see or hear the recording after the interview.

A search of a child can be done by a police officer. At all times during the search the child has the right to have their parent(s) present. If clothing is to be removed then the search must be done by an individual of the same gender. Any intimate searches must be done in private.

Porn is short for pornography. This is the showing of a human being without any clothes on or very limited clothing where their genitals can be seen. Porn is also the showing of people in sexual acts.

Your position statement will be read by the judge/magistrate and your ex-partner/their solicitor and barrister before a court hearing. It is often 1-2 A4 pages long and concisely details your position for a particular court hearing. It argues your viewpoint and makes your stand clear. It tells the court what you want the court to do and why. Your position statement should NOT include evidence because the court will already have your witness statement and evidence if you have made an application to the court, or when the judge/magistrate ordered this hearing and asked for you and your partner to send in your witness statements and evidence by certain dates. Your position statement also ensures that important points are not missed during the hearing, especially if the hearing is rushed. If you want to write a position statement before every hearing, please do so. This will help you in the hearing.

Positive action is something that you can do on your own free will to help a person with a protected characteristic if they have particular needs, are disadvantaged, and are under-represented somewhere.

A pre-school nursery provides child-care for children aged between 6 weeks – 5 years of age. They can be state funded or a private one charging fees. Nurseries offer professional childcare and early childhood education before a child enters compulsory education at age 5 years at a primary school. A nursery can offer full-time or part-time childcare, are open for longer hours and available for most of the year, not just term-time. Another name for pre-school nursery is creche, pre-primary school or play school.

A pre-school playgroup is an Ofsted registered childcare facility that provides care for children under the age of 5 years. They can provide between 2-3 hours of care a day during term-time. A playgroup is less formal than the pre-school experience and education provided at a nursery. They do activities such as reading stories to children, art, craft, sand and water play, adventure play, music and movement, as well as encouraging children to socialise with each other. The playgroups Ofsted certificate of registration and public liability insurance will be on display on the facility.

This is when a judgement in a court case is widely recognised and becomes an example how other courts could make their decisions in similar cases. It can become the basis of future decisions and judgements.

A previously looked after child is one that was in care and looked after by the local authority but has now returned home, been adopted or turned 18 years of age so is no longer in care.

This is the individual who has/is given the main responsibility for caring and protecting a child.

Under section 66 of the children act 1989 private fostering is when a child lives with an individual for more than 28 days who is not the child’s parent(s), relative or has parental responsibility for the child. Under section 105 of the children act 1989 a relative is classified as siblings, step parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. The private foster carer however can be an extended family member such as a cousin. The private foster care has to be for more than 28 days as stated above and continuous. If there is an occasional break it can be for no more than 27 days.

This is also known as an independent school and is registered with the department of education. A private school is funded by the school fees paid by the parents of the children who attend the school. The school is also funded via investments made by the school. Sometimes an organisation can sponsor the school. These schools have their own curriculums. They do not have to follow the national curriculum. Their admissions intake does not usually depend on a child’s ability though some independent schools can have entrance exams where they will choose the highest achievers. These schools have their own criteria on exclusions. Some independent schools are inspected by Ofsted, some by the independent schools inspectorate and some by the school inspection service.

This is a legal right where communication between a law firm and a client for example can be kept confidential. Privilege protects sensitive and confidential information from being disclosed. Privilege also gives individuals the right not to answer questions or disclose information.

This is the Latin term for 'for the public good'. Pro bono refers to legal services or representation provided by a barrister, solicitor or law firm free of charge to help individuals on low income or benefits or cannot get legal aid.

A probate is a legal document giving an individual the right to distribute the estate of a person who has passed away in accordance with their will. Normally a person who is named as the executor in a will, needs to apply for probate.

An individual who's job it is to deliver court papers, often face to face, to a person whom the court wants to send them to. The process server will need to complete a certificate of service form to inform the court that this has been done.

This reference is given by an individual who knows you on a professional level and will give insight into your professional ability and capabilities.

Out of 100 children, approximately 0.1% are a profoundly gifted child. This is a rare child that is extraordinarily gifted such as the can read a full text of play the violin before nursery age. A profoundly gifted child may score 99.9% in tests, have a very high IQ and are gifted intellectually

A prohibited item is one which is not allowed to be brought onto the school premises.

A prohibited steps order is a section 8 order made by the court where the order stops you or your ex-partner from doing a particular act, such as, taking the child abroad if that is not in the best interest of the child. 

A protected characteristic is one which can be the reason or cause for discrimination. The equality act 2010 identified 9 protected characteristics of individuals by which they can be discriminated against. They are: Age Gender/sex Sexual orientation Religion Disability Pregnancy or being on maternity leave Gender reassignment Being married or in a civil partnership Race – skin colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origin It is against the law to discriminate against anyone due to any of the above protected characteristics in education. It is against the law to discriminate against anyone who associates with anyone of the above protected characteristics. It is also against the law to discriminate against anyone who has complained about discrimination or supported someone who has complained about discrimination.

A provision map is often part of the SEN support plan and also written by the SENCO. The provision map details the support your child gets, how this support impacts your child and how much it costs the school financially.

Puberty is the process or period of time in a child/teenager’s life where they experience physical changes in their bodies. This happens when they are sexually maturing from a child to an adult who is able to sexually reproduce. Children will also experience emotional changes as well. Girls go through puberty between ages 10 – 14 years. Boys go through puberty between ages 12 – 16 years.

This is a barrister whom members of the public can contact and instruct directly without going through a solicitor.

These are cases brought to the family court by the local authority mainly with regards to children.

In England and Wales a public school is an exclusive fee charging independent (private) school. The majority are single sex schools and entrance is often based on ability and achievement. Eton, Charterhouse, Westminster, and Harrow are public schools. The majority of public schools are boarding schools.

Since 2011 pupil premium is money/funds forwarded to schools from the government to help the most disadvantaged and underprivileged children at the school to attain academic achievements. The disadvantage can be due to family finances, a child being local authority care or a family breakdown and upheaval.

Pupil referral units are state schools that educate children who are unable to attend a mainstream school or college. If these children do not attend a pupil referral unit they’re chance of getting an education is very limited

A putative father is the presumed father of an illegitimate child. This relationship has no legal basis and has not been legally proved or otherwise.