will consider the effectiveness of schools' policies and practices and the extent to which schools have had regard to the Code.

1:16. The ordering of the guidance reflects the consideration that it should be read as a whole, so that a full picture can be gained of the various parts of the processes, the roles of all concerned, and the particular considerations affecting the treatment of children at different
stages in their lives and school careers.  The format of the document is:

Part 1:   Introduction:   Principles and procedures

Part 2:   Stages 1-3:      School-based stages of assessment and provision

Part 3:   Stage 4:           Statutory assessments

Part 4:   Stage 5:           Statements

Part 5:   Children under five with special educational needs

Part 6:   The annual review of statements.

1:7. The Code thus starts with the school-based stages of assessment and provision since some general issues can most appropriately be addressed in this Part.  That should not, however, be taken to diminish the importance of addressing needs as early as possible, such as at the pre-school stage when appropriate, as explained in Part 5.  Nor should the emphasis on the work of mainstream schools be seen to diminish the importance of the work of or the relevance of the Code to special schools (see Glossary).  Throughout, the law on which the Code offers guidance is summarised in lined boxes with the text in light blue: except where stated otherwise, references to 'the Act' are to the Education Act 1993; references to, 'sections' are references to sections in the Act; references to 'the Regulations' are to the Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulations 1994.

1:8. Bodies helping children with special educational needs and their parents in Wales should bear in mind that the Welsh Language Act 1993 (see Glossary) has the fundamental principle that the Welsh language should be treated on the basis of equality with the English language.  All bodies serving the public in Wales are required to agree schemes setting out the services they provide, and intend to provide, through the medium of Welsh.  In their dealings particularly with parents, those bodies should remember the requirements of the Welsh Language Act and the need to communicate in the language preferred by parents.