The SEN Code of Practice provides practical advice to Local Education Authorities, maintained schools, early education settings and others on carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs.  The Education Act 1993 placed a duty on the Secretary of State to issue a Code of Practice and the power to revise it from time to time. The first Code of Practice came into effect in 1994. Since then, the rights and duties contained in the 1993 Act have been consolidated into Part IV of the 1996 Education Act. This Code of Practice replaces the 1994 Code in England. It follows consultation in January 1999 on proposals for changes to the Code of Practice and subsequent consultation between July and October 2000 with LEAs, schools, SEN voluntary bodies, the health and social services, and others on a draft of a revised Code. The draft was then revised in the light of comments from all interested parties, and subsequently laid before and approved by Parliament.  This Code, like its predecessor, will help schools and LEAs obtain the best value from the considerable resources and expertise they invest in helping children with special educational needs. It retains much of the guidance from the original Code. But it takes account of the experiences of schools and LEAs in using the original Code and developments in education since 1994. It includes new rights and duties introduced by the SEN and Disability Act 2001 and Regulations.