Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

what happens at the senco meeting??

24 replies

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 09:48

hi

ds’s got a senco meeting booked for after the hols (his teacher said they’d get it sorted in sept)

i’ve never done anything like this n i’m scared i’ll say the wrong stuff or forget something important 😞

he struggles with change, noise, other kids being near him, panics if things go “wrong”, hates eye contact, gets fixated on random things (batteries last week, now it’s clouds 🙈)

school said they’ve “noticed stuff” too but it’s not a diagnosis or anything

what actually happens at these meetings?? do i need to bring anything??

i just want to help him but i feel thick n out my depth with all the forms n school words

any advice would help loads 💙💙

OP posts:
Bluevelvetsofa · 30/07/2025 09:57

If the school has noticed that your son is having difficulties with some things and maybe isn’t making as much progress as they and you, would hope, they will want to talk to you about extra help that they might be able to offer.

That might be more support in class, or in a small group. It might be a referral to other professionals for advice and ways to help.

They will probably want to know how he is at home; how he gets on with the family and extended family, what things he enjoys, or anything he finds difficult at home.

He doesn’t need to have a diagnosis to get extra help, but if they are feeling he needs more support, they will want to put things in place so that he has the best chance of getting it.

They’re there to help you and your child and do the best for him.

KarmaKameelion · 30/07/2025 09:57
  • bring a pen and paper to make notes
  • if you don’t understand something, don’t hesitate to ask them to explain further
  • this is especially true for acronyms - if they say and acronym like HsLW or MAT or anything like that ask them to tell you what that is.
  • remember that you are all on the same team

in terms of what to bring - write down any observations you have about your son. Anything like a daily diary which reflects on instances of when he has become overwhelmed

is he at primary and has been always been at this school? If he has changed school, any notes reports from previous school or his nursery

any notes from gp or other specialist referral

details of his home life. What does a typical day look like. Who does he share a home with, who does he share a room with. What is your custody arrangement - if he has visitations with father does he become disregated after. What extra curricular activities does he do? Diet ect.

Comedycook · 30/07/2025 09:58

When I had one I took at all the paediatricians/medical reports I had..

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

CopperWhite · 30/07/2025 09:59

It’s weeks away so don’t let yourself get stressed about it now.

It sounds like it might be an informal meeting where a parent and the senco can identify difficulties that the child has and then next steps will be decided. It will just be a conversation and if there’s forms to fill in then they can help you do it.

It is about supporting you and your child. You don’t need to worry and you don’t need to bring anything unless you have evidence of behaviours at home that you want the senco to consider. You will be as equipped as you need to be from the knowledge that you already have of your child.

stichguru · 30/07/2025 10:04

The school will tell you what they have noticed and you can confirm whether or not you have noticed the same things at home. You will discuss how these things affect him both at school and at home, and the SENDCO will probably make suggestions for what might help him. You can input into this too. An action plan will then be drawn up of next steps to support your child and who needs to do what to action this.

LIZS · 30/07/2025 10:20

Start compiling a log of issues you notice and any triggers. The initial meeting will compare observations and agree any strategies for managing his behaviour and education, short term such as small group sessions, reminders of the timetable or visual instructions, prompts for classwork, incentives and a discussion about whether any formal assessment or applying for ehcp might be helpful longer term. It might be a case of trying out the strategies before making any longer term decisions. Take pen and paper to note any action points and ideally confirm the main points and next steps by email.

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 10:22

thank u all so much - this has really helped calm me down a bit 💙

i didn’t know any of that about action plans or being able to get support without a diagnosis, so that’s really reassured me. i’ve always just thought they’d say “he’s fine” or that i’m overthinking 😔

he’s always been at the same primary, but i don’t think they ever really looked into stuff before this year. his teacher now seems more switched on n has been patient with him.

i’ll start keeping a little diary of the tricky days and write down stuff i’ve noticed. the cloud thing has been full-on this week. he had a meltdown cos one disappeared too fast 😢

no paeds reports yet but i’ve spoken to GP before about how anxious he gets n how he won’t go to parties or noisy places. they just said “monitor” but didn’t do much else

i’ll bring a notebook n try not to get flustered with all the school words. if they start saying letters i don’t get i’ll just ask, like u said.

thank u again - i don’t feel as stupid now x

OP posts:
DorcasLanesOneWeakness · 30/07/2025 10:33

Please don't worry.
I'm a primary school teacher and the parent of a child in mainstream education with special educational needs (in fact, my DC sounds quite similar to your DS).

A SENCo (or SENDCo) is a school's special educational needs coordinator. Their job is to make sure that every child is supported according to their needs so they can access learning and achieve the best possible outcomes.

If this is the first meeting you have had with school about your son's needs, you can probably expect the meeting to be attended by your child's class teacher, maybe a teaching assistant who has worked closely with him and the SENCo themselves. Your son might also be invited to join in for a bit; it is good practice to include the child or young person to get their perspective. You can ask to bring someone along with you -as you describe feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, it can be really useful to have a second pair of ears present so you can chat about it with them afterwards.

From what you say in your opening post, it sounds to me as if your son is presenting with some challenges, and the purpose of the meeting will be to try to work out how best to support him in school. As a subtext, reading the areas of challenge you list, and the mention of the observations not amounting to a diagnosis, I wonder whether school may also want to discuss submitting a referral for an assessment by an educational psychologist (EP) with a view to refer to an assessment pathway for ASD (autism). This can feel like a big surprise (or not) for families, so they should be supportive and considerate if discussing this with you.

They are likely to open the meeting by saying something like: "We're here today to talk about what school is like for A. We have noticed that x, y and z (possibly listing areas of learning or aspects of social interaction or communication that your son finds difficult)."
Then they're likely to ask whether you have experienced any areas of difficulty at home: you can just be honest and describe what your son likes and doesn't like, is able to do and what he needs support with etc.

If they are hoping for a further assessment by an educational psychologist, they may give you some paperwork to fill in, detailing your experience of your son's difficulties at home. You can ask the SENCo for support to fill this in if it feels 'too much'. Teachers and SENDCos do forms like these all the time and know our way around the language, which, as you point out, can be a bit daunting. I would definitely say yes (give consent) to a referral for an assessment by an educational psychologist -they're hard to get.

School may want to propose setting some goals together and making a plan for how and by when they will be achieved, or at the very least, reviewed. It might be something like: "A will work with SENCo to learn two strategies for letting other children know he needs space in the classroom and in the playground. He will use these when required. A's class teacher will check in with A to make sure he does not get overwhelmed." There might be a few of these 'goals'. You should agree on a date for when you will meet again to review how it's going, and to set new goals based on how the previous ones were achieved.

It is important to remember that schools should support every child according to their needs, whether there is a diagnosis of anything, or not. So if a child struggles with learning to read, schools shouldn't hold off providing additional support, saying "This child doesn't have a diagnosis of anything yet, so let's just wait and see." Funding is short in schools across the country, and especially in special educational needs, but schools should try to pull together all the support they can reasonably offer each child, as every child and young person has a statutory right to an education -this means it is every child's right to access education.

Please don't worry, and good luck. There is a SEN board here on Mumsnet where very knowledgeable posters can help with most things.

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 11:03

wow thank u so much for taking the time to explain all that 💙

i’m gonna read it all again later n write down what i need to take or ask. the way u said they might open the meeting really helped - like just knowing it won’t be all scary or judgmental makes me feel less panicky

it wouldn’t surprise me if they do mention autism - i’ve wondered for a while but always felt silly saying it out loud cos no one ever picked up on it properly before. but some of what u said sounds exactly like him, especially the space thing in class n getting overwhelmed

i’ll start writing down the stuff we see at home - his fixations, meltdowns, how he plays, what sets him off. we’ve got a small notebook i can use for that

i didn’t even know u could bring someone with u so that’s a really good idea - not sure who yet but even just knowing that’s allowed helps

i’m really grateful to u n the others who’ve replied - i feel like i’ve got a starting point now instead of just being lost in my head

thank u again x

OP posts:
LIZS · 30/07/2025 11:07

They are not able to diagnose so should not be stating he has x but make a referral to an Educational Psychologist if relevant. Have you visited gp or seen hv about his behaviour in the past?

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 11:31

LIZS · 30/07/2025 11:07

They are not able to diagnose so should not be stating he has x but make a referral to an Educational Psychologist if relevant. Have you visited gp or seen hv about his behaviour in the past?

i didn’t know that - thank u for saying. they haven’t said he has anything just that they’ve noticed stuff n want to talk more in september

i spoke to the gp before cos he gets really anxious n panics about small things - like he couldn’t cope with sports day at all n once got really upset cos the bins at school had moved

gp just said to monitor it n maybe ask school to refer if it carries on

never seen the health visitor about it tho - didn’t even think of that tbh. can i still ring them when he’s 10?

it’s been building slowly for years but this past school year it’s felt more obvious

i’ll ask at the meeting about the EP referral like you said - thank u for helping x

OP posts:
Lightsug · 30/07/2025 11:36

The SENCO will be working with you. It's not at all to put you on the spot, but pair up and put the different pieces together and make a plan for your DS.

I've worked in a number of schools and without fail, the SENCOs have been lovely people who genuinely want the best for kids, advocate for their needs and can help you navigate the system.

GeniuneWorkOfFart · 30/07/2025 11:42

You say he is 10 - which means he will be starting Yr 6 in September right?

In which case it's really important to work with the school this year to get his needs identified and documented before he moves up to secondary.

From what you've said I would be pushing for a referral to your local ASD diagnostic service. I would also ask the SENCO how she thinks he will cope with the move to secondary and what support can be put in place to help him manage the transition.

Make notes of everything that concerns you about him. How is he doing academically?

Tealpins · 30/07/2025 11:51

By the way, you sound lovely. I feel very hopeful for your son, because a lovely and thoughtful mum is the best starting point for all kids, but especially autistic kids. (And I would guess your delightful sounding chap is probably autistic.)

On your local council's website there will be a page called 'Local Offer'. This will have details of the groups that meet up or organise to support parents with kids with any kind of additional need or questions about potential additional needs. They will also have a helpline for advice about things like EHCPs. Might be worth a quick browse there too - not necessarily for this senco meeting, but just to get a feel of what's out there for general support. Meeting other parents can be really helpful, or just going along and listening! I did quite a lot of that.

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 12:03

yeah he’ll be going into year 6 in september - that’s what’s scaring me a bit tbh

i know he won’t cope well with secondary if we don’t get stuff sorted this year. even small changes like new shoes or different cereal can throw him off for the day

i’ll defo ask about an asd referral n what they think about the move to secondary. i didn’t know u could talk about that stuff this early so thank u

academically he’s behind in writing n struggles with comprehension but he’s quite good at science n remembers facts better than feelings if that makes sense. hates reading out loud. always needs prompts to start work

i’ve started jotting stuff down like u all suggested - will keep going with that so i’ve got proper examples

thank u for saying the sencos are nice - i keep thinking i’ll say the wrong thing but hearing that makes me feel braver 💙

OP posts:
DorcasLanesOneWeakness · 30/07/2025 12:43

You sound so lovely. Please don't worry -you should be able to lean into the support offered by school and work together to create as smooth a transition as possible to secondary school.
In our local authority, parents make their first visits to possible secondary schools in the September of the academic year when their child starts in Year 6, so they can make informed choices about what secondary school to apply for.

Unless you live rurally and there really only is one option for a local secondary secondary school, I would browse a few different local secondary schools' websites from August onwards to see when they might post information about open evenings for parents and their children to attend to see whether they like the feel of a school. If you think your son might be autistic (my child is), something like having plenty of time to mull over a choice like this can be really helpful. Also ask the SENCo if they know whether any of the local secondary schools have a particularly good record and reputation for working positively with children with SEN / autism.

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 13:15

that really made me tear up a bit ngl 😢 thank u so much for saying that

sometimes i feel like i’m always messing it up but hearing things like that makes me feel like maybe i am doing ok just by showing up for him

i didn’t know about the local offer thing - i’ll have a look later tonight when the little one’s in bed. would be good to see what’s out there n maybe find a group i can listen in to like u said

i’d love to talk to other parents going through similar - sometimes it feels like everyone else has it all sorted n i’m the only one lost

i’ll also start looking at secondary schools this month like u suggested. i always thought that stuff was way off but it’s coming fast now. i’ll ask the senco what she knows about the local ones too

thank u again - means the world that u took the time x

OP posts:
TheLivelyViper · 30/07/2025 13:31

I don't have much to add compared to people who know a lot more but I'd ask about any acess arrangements for him during his SATs - a seperate room just for him, rest breaks during his exams. Ask what support she thinks would be good, say to any assesments, help, anything they offer. I'd also ask about maybe a referral for play /art therapy as it can be helpful for some kids to have a space for themselves and learn how to regulate emotions. You're doing so well you should be proud. Also was there anything on his portal about behaviour etc or does his primary school not have one? Also ask in general for extra support tou have 4 kids and 1 on the way - if you ask them about getting a family support worker from Early Help or Family Solutions (more generally) they'll be able to figure it out for you. Hope your doing well and let us know when your midwife appointment is coming up.

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 14:17

TheLivelyViper · 30/07/2025 13:31

I don't have much to add compared to people who know a lot more but I'd ask about any acess arrangements for him during his SATs - a seperate room just for him, rest breaks during his exams. Ask what support she thinks would be good, say to any assesments, help, anything they offer. I'd also ask about maybe a referral for play /art therapy as it can be helpful for some kids to have a space for themselves and learn how to regulate emotions. You're doing so well you should be proud. Also was there anything on his portal about behaviour etc or does his primary school not have one? Also ask in general for extra support tou have 4 kids and 1 on the way - if you ask them about getting a family support worker from Early Help or Family Solutions (more generally) they'll be able to figure it out for you. Hope your doing well and let us know when your midwife appointment is coming up.

thank u so much - i hadn’t even thought about sats stuff like that so that’s really helpful. i’ll write it all down so i remember to ask about rest breaks or him doing it somewhere quieter

play therapy sounds like something he’d get a lot from too - he’s always been better at showing feelings through drawings or acting stuff out than saying how he feels

there’s not much on his portal tbh - just attendance n targets. no proper notes about behaviour so i might ask if they’ve been keeping anything separate

i will ask about early help too - i’ve never had a family support worker but it sounds like it might help, especially with baby coming soon

midwife’s out next friday to check my blood pressure again so hopefully all stays settled 🤞

thank u again - honestly means a lot x

OP posts:
GeniuneWorkOfFart · 30/07/2025 15:13

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 12:03

yeah he’ll be going into year 6 in september - that’s what’s scaring me a bit tbh

i know he won’t cope well with secondary if we don’t get stuff sorted this year. even small changes like new shoes or different cereal can throw him off for the day

i’ll defo ask about an asd referral n what they think about the move to secondary. i didn’t know u could talk about that stuff this early so thank u

academically he’s behind in writing n struggles with comprehension but he’s quite good at science n remembers facts better than feelings if that makes sense. hates reading out loud. always needs prompts to start work

i’ve started jotting stuff down like u all suggested - will keep going with that so i’ve got proper examples

thank u for saying the sencos are nice - i keep thinking i’ll say the wrong thing but hearing that makes me feel braver 💙

My youngest is autistic and in Yr 9, we started planning his transition to secondary at the start of Yr 5! He does have an EHCP though.

Do you have Home Start in your area? I used to be a Home Start volunteer and I think you could benefit from that service. They don't do childcare or cleaning but they come weekly to offer you support and will do things like help you take the DC out places, or help get the house organised. They do things with you not for you, basically.

Also, are you on Facebook? If so, find your local parent carer group/s and join them. Our parent carer group has funding for advocates who can come with you to meetings to take notes and advise you on the best way forward etc. You'll also find that other parents who have experience of the SEN system locally will be really happy to advise you on things like picking the right secondary school for him.

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 15:21

GeniuneWorkOfFart · 30/07/2025 15:13

My youngest is autistic and in Yr 9, we started planning his transition to secondary at the start of Yr 5! He does have an EHCP though.

Do you have Home Start in your area? I used to be a Home Start volunteer and I think you could benefit from that service. They don't do childcare or cleaning but they come weekly to offer you support and will do things like help you take the DC out places, or help get the house organised. They do things with you not for you, basically.

Also, are you on Facebook? If so, find your local parent carer group/s and join them. Our parent carer group has funding for advocates who can come with you to meetings to take notes and advise you on the best way forward etc. You'll also find that other parents who have experience of the SEN system locally will be really happy to advise you on things like picking the right secondary school for him.

thank u so much - i didn’t realise people started planning that early but it makes sense now, especially if things are more complicated

i’ve heard of home start but didn’t know much about it - i thought it was more for little ones so that’s really useful to know. i’ll see if we’ve got one near us

i am on facebook so i’ll look for local parent carer groups tonight - i think having someone come with me to meetings would make a big difference cos i always forget half of what’s said once i get home

it’s lovely how much people are willing to help - it’s made me feel less alone with all this so thank u x

OP posts:
GeniuneWorkOfFart · 30/07/2025 15:48

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 15:21

thank u so much - i didn’t realise people started planning that early but it makes sense now, especially if things are more complicated

i’ve heard of home start but didn’t know much about it - i thought it was more for little ones so that’s really useful to know. i’ll see if we’ve got one near us

i am on facebook so i’ll look for local parent carer groups tonight - i think having someone come with me to meetings would make a big difference cos i always forget half of what’s said once i get home

it’s lovely how much people are willing to help - it’s made me feel less alone with all this so thank u x

You have to have a child under 5 to be referred to Home Start, but being pregnant counts! Your midwife should be able to refer you or will know who can if she can't.

Our parent carer group also organises great stuff like holiday clubs, exclusive hire of places like farm parks or museums or outdoor sport centres so you can go when it's quiet and only other families who "get it" are there, and coffee mornings for parent carers. Also once they sent all the members a £75 Tesco voucher, can't remember why but I was very grateful!!

I really recommend using the summer holidays to get yourself linked in to all the real-life support you can find. Parent carer groups, Home Start, etc. Be honest with your midwife as she may well know of groups or services who could offer you support. Get clued up and you'll feel so much readier to face September armed with some knowledge and hopefully a companion for important meetings.

GeniuneWorkOfFart · 30/07/2025 15:54

Also, I hope you don't mind but I did look up your other threads as I thought I recognised your name and wanted to check I wasn't offering useless advice here! I see you have mentioned being in Romford - this course for parents of 11-25 yr olds looks like it could be really helpful for you and is online so no need to worry about childcare - https://www.haveringmind.org.uk/services/parent-support-group/

You might also find some support on this list - https://www.haveringsendiass.co.uk/pages/information-and-advice/i-am-a-parent-carer/local-support-services

Or on this list - https://familyserviceshub.havering.gov.uk/kb5/havering/directory/advice.page?id=55ia84NPgT4

TiredButTryin5x · 30/07/2025 16:27

GeniuneWorkOfFart · 30/07/2025 15:48

You have to have a child under 5 to be referred to Home Start, but being pregnant counts! Your midwife should be able to refer you or will know who can if she can't.

Our parent carer group also organises great stuff like holiday clubs, exclusive hire of places like farm parks or museums or outdoor sport centres so you can go when it's quiet and only other families who "get it" are there, and coffee mornings for parent carers. Also once they sent all the members a £75 Tesco voucher, can't remember why but I was very grateful!!

I really recommend using the summer holidays to get yourself linked in to all the real-life support you can find. Parent carer groups, Home Start, etc. Be honest with your midwife as she may well know of groups or services who could offer you support. Get clued up and you'll feel so much readier to face September armed with some knowledge and hopefully a companion for important meetings.

honestly i didn’t know being pregnant would count for home start - that’s really good to know, thank u! my midwife’s due next week so i’ll definitely ask her about it

the stuff your parent carer group does sounds amazing - even just the idea of taking the kids somewhere without worrying what people think feels like a weight off

and thank u for those links - i don’t mind at all that u looked up my threads, it’s actually really kind that you took the time. i’m in romford yes so those are all really helpful, especially the online course - childcare is always tricky so that makes a big difference

i’ll try use august to get more clued up and linked in like you said - i always feel like i’m 3 steps behind so i’d love to feel a bit more ready before september

can’t thank you enough x

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page