Starting Out as a Primary SENCo (EXTRACT) by Bloomsbury Publishing

Starting Out as a Primary SENCo

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Starting Out as a Primary SENCo

Finding your first post, the first year and beyond

Lynn How

BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION

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First published in Great Britain, 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

This edition published in Great Britain, 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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To all the wonderful people in the Facebook SENCo groups. You have been instrumental in helping with research for some of this book and made up a good number of people who responded to my polls. Thanks everyone!

All my colleagues from previous settings – we didn’t always agree but you have all helped shape the person I am today.

The SENsible SENCo team Abigail and Gavin, Ross McGill of Teacher Toolkit, John Magee of Kindness Matters and Chris Dyson for their support and encouragement.

And of course my family and close friends for all their love, enthusiasm and unwavering belief in me.

Foreword by Abigail Hawkins ix

About the author x

List of common SEND abbreviations xii

Introduction 1

From finding a job to completing your first year and beyond 1

Paperwork templates 2

1 So you want to be a SENCo? 3

Before you start 3

The highlights 4

Getting your first post 7

The interview 14

Pay, release time and qualifications 22

2 The first year 33

The first month 33

The first term 41

The first year 43

3 The everyday life of a SENCo 47

Organisation 51

Staff training 55

Screening and interventions 66

Data, assessment and access arrangements 69

The engagement model and personalised learning 71

Whole-school approaches 75

4 Paperwork and the graduated approach 81

The graduated approach 81 Is paperwork in school statutory? 83

Your SEND list and One Planning 83

EHCPs and annual reviews 103

5 Leadership 115

From teacher to leader 115

Working with parents and carers 118

Working with families with school avoiders 125

The ‘O’ word 129

6 Wellbeing 133

The nature of the role 133

Wellbeing and workload 135

Raising the profile of the SENCo in schools 138

Research into SENCo workload 144

The green paper 146

Final words 149

Anecdotes 149

Foreword

The responsibilities of a Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) and the difficulties associated with the role are ever-evolving. The SENCo position is crucial and highly gratifying, but it also takes a great deal of perseverance, tolerance and hard work.

That’s why I’m so excited to introduce this book about being a primary SENCo. This practical guide provides invaluable advice and support for anyone working as a SENCo or considering entering this field. Lynn has drawn on her extensive experience to create a comprehensive resource that covers everything from managing paperwork to supporting pupils with complex needs.

Throughout this book, you’ll find practical strategies and insights that can help you navigate the many challenges that come with being a SENCo. From building relationships with parents and carers to collaborating with other professionals, the advice contained within these pages is both practical and inspiring.

As someone who has worked as a SENCo for many years, I can attest to the importance of having access to resources like this. It can be a challenging and isolating role, but with the right support and guidance, it can also be incredibly rewarding. This book provides that support and guidance in abundance.

I want to take a moment to commend Lynn for her hard work in putting her brain in a book and creating this valuable resource. It’s clear that she has put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into it, and I know that it will be a vital tool for SENCos and anyone else working in the field.

In closing, I encourage you to read this book with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Whether you’re a seasoned SENCo or just starting out, the insights contained within these pages will help you to not only survive but thrive in your role.

Abigail Hawkins (FCCT) (SENSible SENCO)

About the author

My educational voyage to this point has been interesting and I did not originally set out to follow a SENCo path. Ever since I was a fresh-faced, enthusiastic 21-year-old newly qualified teacher teaching the early years foundation stage (EYFS), I have had a desire to understand children who didn’t pick up learning quickly. Not having been one of these children at school myself, I was fascinated by their challenges and became determined to support all children in reaching their potential. Fast forward a few years: I moved schools but felt I did not have sufficient understanding of pedagogy and children with SEND to make enough of an impact on their educational potential. At that point, I started my MA Education which specialised in SEND and wellbeing. After this was completed, I felt much less like someone who sits on the fence at staff meetings and more like someone who actually has a valid opinion. Much of this was probably due to the confidence that comes with experience and age, but a deeper understanding of SEND, behaviour, teaching and learning triggered a thirst for lifelong learning and CPD. Especially in SEND.

I have been an assistant headteacher and SENCo and taught the whole primary age range over the past 23 years. Plan A was to become a headteacher. I really enjoyed my National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and was keen to put it to good use, but my life path took a rather different turn resulting in me coming out of school altogether to pursue self-employment in educational consultancy. My many experiences, both positive and negative, have enabled me to support parents and carers and schools with SEND as well as teachers and schools with wellbeing. I have a Facebook group for SENCo wellbeing with occasional online meet ups and the aim to support any SENCos struggling with work-life balance: www.facebook.com/groups/theswea rysenco

I do a lot of blogging for my own blog, www.positiveyoungmind.com, where you can find details of how I can support you and your schools. I also write for other websites such as Education Support, Twinkl, Nexus and Teacher Toolkit, as well as having the role of editor of the Teacher Toolkit blog. Being able to support so many teachers and SENCos is an absolute privilege, and I am in no doubt that becoming a consultant was the right decision for me and my two children. Since going freelance, I have had the opportunity to work with

SENCos in schools as well as to support SENCos virtually through online CPD. This has been alongside my SENCo wellbeing network; I have an emergency button for anyone having a wellbeing crisis – which has been used. I have of course had more opportunities to write as well! It hasn’t been easy and trying to start a company when school budgets are so limited has not been without its challenges. But the right opportunities, such as working with Ross McGill at Teacher Toolkit, meeting Ben Brown and his crew of wonderfully supportive headteachers (@EdRoundtables), working with John Magee at Kindness Matters and becoming a SENCo trainer for SEND Station, have come along at the right time at the start of my freelance journey to keep my finances afloat!

After a year out of school, I also decided to go back to SENCoing as I really missed it! I am now working one day a week in a tiny village school, which fits very well around my other commitments. There is certainly never a dull moment and no two days are the same.

List of common SEND abbreviations

These are common acronyms which you may come across within your role. They will also vary in different parts of the country on occasions.

AAO Access arrangements online

ACE Adverse childhood experience

ARE Age-related expectations

CLA Children looked after (also known as LAC – Looked after children)

CT Class teacher

EAL English as an additional language

EEF Education Endowment Foundation

EHCNA Educational health and care plan needs assessment

EHCP Educational, health and care plan

EP Educational psychologist

EYFS Early years foundation stage

HLSA Higher Level Support Assistant

IEP Individual education plan (also known as a One Plan)

IHCP Individual health care plan

IPSEA Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

LA Local authority

MDA Midday assistant

MPS Main pay scale

NASENCo National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator

NPQ National Professional Qualification

OA Ordinarily Available (also known as Universal Provision)

OPP One page profile

OT Occupational therapist

PRU Pupil referral unit

QFT Quality first teaching (also known as HQT – High quality teaching)

QTS Qualified Teacher Status

SALT Speech and language therapist

SDP School development plan

SENCo Special educational needs coordinator (also known as a SENDCO or inclusion manager)

SEND Special educational needs and disabilities

SENDIASS Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Information, Advice and Support Service

SLT Senior leadership team

TIP Trauma-informed practice

TLR Teaching and learning responsibility

UP Universal Provision (also known as Ordinarily Available)

UPS Upper pay scale

SEND codes list

These codes are what are used on your school’s central data system and also are what you would write on an IEP. One point to note is that only clinicians can diagnose and therefore, specific codes such as ASD, should only be used when accompanied by a diagnosis letter.

I find it useful to add all these codes as a ‘key’ on the bottom of my SEND register to help other staff members understand what each one is.

Main areas

CI Communication and interaction

CL Cognition and learning

SEMH Social, emotional and mental health

S/P Sensory and/or physical needs

Categories within areas

ASD Autistic spectrum disorder

DCD Developmental Coordination Disorder

GDD Global developmental delay

HI Hearing impairment

MLD Moderate learning difficulty

MSI Multisensory impairment

NSA No specialist assessment of type of need, but there may be ‘SEND support’

PD Physical disability

PMLD Profound and multiple learning difficulties

SEMH Social, emotional and mental health

SLCN Speech, language and communication needs

SLD Severe learning difficulty

SpLD Specific learning difficulties

VI Visual impairment

Introduction

From finding a job to completing your first year and beyond

There is nothing quite like being a SENCo! I love the autonomy that comes with being out of the classroom and working with a wide range of children. This role has enabled me to make a lasting difference to individual children and their families’ lives. Building those relationships and organising much needed provision is one of the best bits of the job for me, alongside those special moments when your children shine and take pride in their achievements. You are a key influence in helping individuals achieve their potential as you coordinate the support that they need to access the next stage in their learning.

It can also be challenging at times, from the mess you may inherit to the parents and carers who don’t appreciate all you do, or from trying to extract paperwork from busy class teachers to making yourself heard at senior leadership team (SLT) meetings. Many aspects of being a SENCo take place behind the scenes; like the project managers behind art installations or the personal assistants to celebrities, you are integral to success but not the one in the limelight. I am happy to be backstage as I know what my impact is. My pupils’ success is my success. Having said that, a key part of this book focuses on providing you with strategies to push SENCoing further into the spotlight and raise your profile.

My book is designed to be an accessible read for someone new to the role, someone considering becoming a SENCo, or someone who would like an extra perspective. Everything I have written is based on my experiences and those of colleagues in other schools. Although my experience is mainly primary, through my consultancy role, I have also supported secondary schools and there are plenty of overlaps, as well as many occasions where secondary colleagues need to do things differently to primary, often due to the sheer numbers of teachers and students involved! So, although this book has a primary focus, I hope that secondary SENCos and Assistant SENCos will find it helpful as well! There are always alternative ways of doing things and different perspectives, but I have aimed to provide practical and manageable suggestions to support you in this

wonderful role. Whatever reason you have for choosing this book, thank you for joining me.

Paperwork templates

Downloadable paperwork templates linked to the text are available online at bloomsbury.pub/primary-SENCo. When you see references to downloadable forms or templates or this logo, it means that the resources are available to download from the URL above. This URL can also be accessed using the QR code below.

1 So you want to be a SENCo?

Before you start

For anyone considering becoming a SENCo as your next career path, I have a few pearls of wisdom for you to explore. SENCos are a largely misunderstood bunch (more on that in a future chapter!) and what you think the SENCo does in your school may be far removed from the actual job. I would liken it in many respects to the role of stage crew in a theatre. They can be elusive but are fundamental to the success of the whole operation. They often remain behind the scenes, so other teachers don’t necessarily see the blood, sweat and tears (hopefully not!) that go into keeping the SEND provision in the school ticking over like a well-oiled machine. To initially find out more about what the role involves, I suggest you:

● Shadow your school SENCo whenever possible and see if you can attend meetings. Find out what the post entails, what the workload is like and what help is available from your local authority (LA), in order to get a wider understanding of the role.

● Consider your own experience of children with SEND. If it is limited, get some more. If your school has limited resources for releasing you to do this or you don’t already teach a range of children, you could try doing some volunteering (current workload dependent).

Luckily, I had 16 years’ worth of classroom experience before starting my first SENCo role, which meant I already had a wide range of experience in scaffolding (see Chapter 3), learning about and supporting behaviour and SEMH. I had also come across a plethora of needs. I still meet children with needs I know little about and need to research more fully before I can support the class teacher. However, as I have a lot of experience, I am easily able to offer strategies to use in class that have worked for me in the past. That is not to say I have all the answers; occasionally I am rather at a loss in how to support an individual effectively and need to enlist the support of someone more qualified!

Although you don’t need as much experience as I have, the role would be seriously challenging for anyone who has recently qualified in teaching unless they have significant prior experience. When teachers take a moment to ‘sound

off’ about an issue they need help with in their class, that previous experience allows me to empathise with them more effectively, as in many cases I have been there, done that, learned the hard way and am able to suggest practical solutions.

● Look into the training and any courses that you need to do. Previously, you needed to complete a National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (NASENCo) qualification within three years of taking up your post. However, the general consensus among SENCos is that the course bears little resemblance to actual SENCoing and is very time consuming when you have enough to do already. It has now been replaced with a national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (NPQ SENCo) award. At the time of writing, it is not yet clear what exactly this will look like but the first cohorts are currently being signed up. Check course contents from different providers carefully to see which will be most useful for you, as they do vary.

● Check the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ (Department for Education (DfE), 2014b) and look at section six in detail. This defines what the SENCo’s role is and which are the school’s and the teacher’s responsibilities. Be aware that the lines blur rather and that what is often the class teacher’s responsibility becomes the SENCo’s problem when things are not going well. Overall, it is a joint effort with the buck stopping with you and then your headteacher. It is useful, however, to remind teachers what their responsibilities are, as sometimes they are not fully aware. If you decide to print any part of this document, use school ink and paper as it is rather large!

● Join SEND forums on social media and you will soon get the gist of some common issues that occur within the role as well as plenty of moral support. These groups will also emphasise that SENCos shouldn’t be expected to have all the answers and may need to get support and advice from elsewhere (see Where to find support, p. 133).

The highlights

All these things sound a little negative, but I’d also like to bring your attention to some of the highlights of the role. As a class teacher, even though you may feel you are clearly speaking a different language some of the time, you get the moments when your pupils finally understand the concept you are explaining.