A much needed debate around the role of the SENCO/SENDCo was started by Nancy Gedge in the TES (09.12.2016), this debate interests me as I have been working in the area of SEND for almost of all of my professional life, including undertaking the role of SENCO, supporting the professional development of SENCOs and working with a Local Authority on the Statutory functions around SEND.

Every school has to have a SENCO, and  job descriptions vary, but generally a SENCO should be contributing to the strategic development of SEN policy and procedures across a School, coordinating provision, leading, developing and supporting colleagues and working in partnership with pupils, families and other professionals. The SEND Code of Practice (2014) for example,  envisages that a SENCO will provide professional guidance to colleagues with the aim of securing high quality teaching of pupils with SEND  and that a SENCO will therefore lead teaching and learning for SEND pupils within School.

A few years ago, there was a dedicated TV channel available for the teaching profession called ‘Teachers TV’ and one programme produced for this channel, followed a High School SENCO for the day. Although focused on a High School, the tasks she was undertaking could be considered generic and easily relatable to a SENCO in a Primary School. During the day, the SENCO, was accompanied by a man with a clip board who asked her about the tasks she was completing, and then given advice on better ways to manage these tasks.

She had filed her paperwork and was given tips on how she might do this better using a RAFT approach (Refer, Action, File, Tash). She had answered a telephone call around meeting a pupil’s needs, and was advised to record the conversation on a pro forma. She had also managed to hold a meeting with a group of teaching assistants as well as undertaking some class teaching. As a support for her, in managing these operational aspects of her role another specialist was drafted in, who provided a session on provision mapping. She was then shown the principles of provision mapping and introduced to a booklet produced by the National Strategies, which introduced waves of provision within year specific groups. Throughout the day there was no mention of the role being strategic, or how it would fit into the school management structure. In essence, the role was seen as operational with little emphasis on SEND leadership, as many SENCOs at time were not required to be part of the Senior Leadership Team.

Fast forward to 2016, and there is a different picture emerging of the SENCO role, with a number of different hybrid positions developing. For example, there are a growing number of Deputy Head teachers merging the role with their other duties or taking on the responsibility for overseeing the role. There are some head teachers, especially in small rural schools who were once SENCOs, adding it to their management roles whereas in larger groups of schools such as a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) a SEND Director is appointed to lead on SEND across several schools within the group.

These different versions of the role may have been prompted by the introduction of a revised SEND Code of Practice for SEND in 2014, which stated that ‘The SENCO has an important role to play with the Headteacher and Governing Body, in determining the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school. They will be most effective in that role if they are part of the school leadership team’ (6.87) Furthermore, by mentioning the accountability of the role, within the School leadership structure ‘as part of any inspection, Ofsted will expect to see evidence of pupil progress.’ (6.72) As the role of SENCO is evolving within a new educational landscape, from an operational one to a Strategic leadership one, a title of SEND leader could define the role better.

SEN Leadership across a school now takes on a variety of forms, from assessment & identification, monitoring, tracking & evaluation, improving teaching & learning, efficient use of resources, developing expertise, working with pupils & parents to improving pupil outcomes. A SEND leader on the School Senior Leadership team would be able to monitor these themes as they are in a position to recognise the effectiveness of staff who work with pupils with SEND, they would be able to monitor the provision for pupils with SEND more effectively and they would be able to contribute more widely to leadership and management across their school.

However as SENCO roles have tended to sit within middle leadership, a change of focus is required in preparation for the role. The National Award for SENCOs, is usually completed after the role has been acquired, and this gives an overview of SEND, covering not only leadership and management, but also knowledge and sign posting around meeting children’s needs within the four defined areas of SEND within the code of practice. This is good grounding for the role, but the SEND leader does not necessary need such extensive knowledge when every teacher is defined as being a ‘Teacher of SEND’ however someone in the school should have experience of identification, assessment and intervention, and the statutory requirements around SEND and where better than the Senior Leadership for this person to sit.

 

An edited extract of this blog will appear in the 2nd Edition of TeachSENCO published March 2017