How did you or your senco get the job?

[Imsosorryalan]

I'm looking to get into this as I'm a class teacher now but it seems almost impossible! I can't do any training as I'm always in class and they won't consider a teacher without experience aargh! Not sure how to go about it!!

[toomuchicecream]

But you do have experience! All class teachers are now considered SEN teachers, as we all have SEN children in our classes.

What children with SEN have you had in your own class? What background reading/research have you done to support them? What strategies have you tried and why did/didn't they work? What experience do you have (as a class teacher) of working with external agencies? Have you done the on-line inclusion development programme materials (google for them if you haven't)? What SEN discussion forums/chat threads/websites/publications do you read?

In other words a) show how you've got experience of dealing with SEN children as a class teacher and b) show how you are being proactive about extending your own knowledge. Could you shadow the SENCO in your current school?

[clayspaniel]

Watching with interest. Think you have to do a special qualification and either pay for it yourself or get employer. Think it might only be possible to enrol at certain times of year...? Does anyone know?

[PurpleAlert]

One of our class teachers has just been given the SENCO post at our school. She is doing the training on the job as did our previous SENCO (paid for by the school).The qualification is 8 days of courses and two essays. And as others have said the most important thing a SENCO needs is to have has experience as a good class teacher.

Good Luck!

[peacoat]

You need to do the National Award for SEN Co-ordination within 3 years of starting work as a SENCO.

I was a year leader first, so had experience of pastoral and inclusion. As pp said, every teacher is a teacher of SEN so emphasise your experience.

Might be best to start by applying for Assistant Senco roles. Obviously do some research on evidence based interventions and look up IPSEA to get your head around some of the ideas involved in SEN. Look up Dyslexia interventions, Autism, Speech and Language etc to learn more about these areas so you have stuff to say in an interview.

Good luck!