Can you be a SEN teacher with no qualifications?

[Redtaper]

Or a SEN teaching assistant?

But do they? I've known schools personally where SENCOs have been unqualified. They had little understanding of some major issues. For example, one classed pupils with EAL as SEN.

There are also schools with TAs listed as 'specialists' in dyslexia, counselling and speech and language. Their 'training' is often video-based without any assessment, coursework or exam from various commercial providers who print out certificates by the stack

@neslop

Well I’ve worked in loads of schools and not had that experience. None of the TAs have had degrees and many of the UQTs also no degree, a levels etc. My experience is with inner city states. I’m not here to diss them, they work hard in tough conditions but they’re not teachers and schools shouldn’t rely on them to teach to save money.

An acquaintance of mine is a SEN TA. She has no previous TA experience and (AFAICT) no understanding of SEN. She was telling me proudly the other day that an autistic child was screaming and stimming (though she didn't use that word - I don't think she probably knows it) and she was very firm with him, took him by the shoulders and said "You stop that right now! That is very, very naughty. If you don't stop, (insert some minor threat that I don't recall)" because 'these kids just need proper discipline and boundaries' 😭😭😭
Needless to say I was horrified. I don't know what school she's at otherwise I'd have anonymously contacted them to complain.
It's a completely unsafe system for children with SEN. But PPs are right - for that pay, you're not going to get people who know what they're doing or care to learn. The government couldn't care less about students with SEN.

@SparklingMarkling "they’re not teachers and schools shouldn’t rely on them to teach to save money" - absolutely agree with you there!

I've known schools personally where SENCOs have been unqualified

The SENCo is the only role in a state school that has to be filled by a qualified teacher.

They are not on teacher pay and conditions. They are paid as unqualified teachers on a much lower rate.

A friend of ours is technically an unqualified teacher, head of STEM department in a very good private school. He is qualified under and post grad, but in another country (with a very highly regarded education system) but because he doesn't have a PGCE most state schools wouldn't employ him or would but wanted to pay him peanuts. He's fantastic.

The Designated LAC lead also needs to be a qualified teacher.

Teacher in an SEN school - technically yes if it’s an academy, in reality they are almost always qualified teachers in U.K. or overseas.

SENCO - must be either the HT or a qualified teacher. Although non teachers often do a deputy role or assistant and do the bulk of the work. There is a SENCO qualification which is becoming standard (required to be working towards if new in to the role).

SEN TA - yes anyone can be a TA including a mainstream 1:1 or SEN school TA. However there are also some very highly qualified TAs, so impossible to know what someone’s training is.

When I was an SEN teacher most of TA team were psychology graduates and highly intelligent and motivated.

My friend is a SEN teacher, she recently finished a degree in education. She doesn’t have a teaching qualification but in two more years will have a PGCE. She worked for a year as an unqualified teacher. Then last September started a three year thing where she has to submit a portfolio and then she’ll be qualified. Halfway through the three years she’ll work for a term in a mainstream school.

It's too black and white to say training. Someone from industry may be a better teacher of economics or polictics than a history graduate who is qualified as a teacher. A sen teacher in a special school for severe needs doesn't need to degree, they need endless patience. The skill set is not the same as a senco in a grammar who may need knowledge of and, anxiety, perfectionism. TA is different and again depends what for. I don't think an almost nursing ta is the same as eg a scribe.
Ta quals can be level 2 which is gcse level. Yes ethics etc but schools do run cpd. You need a good lead but qualifications are not always relevant.

The designated lead for LAC needs to be a qualified teacher OR a head teacher/acting head. Most headteachers do have QTS, but amazingly the requirement for them to have it was dropped in 2001!

You don’t need a PGCE, just QTS.

Not in academies though, especially in secondary, there aren't many maintained schools left.

They're not always. The UQT pay scale is different but they are on teacher T&C and in academies, they don't have to follow teacher payscales and can pay what they like.

@LegendsBeyond exactly this! Parents fight for support in class when this will actually mean less access to the least qualified person in the room (the teacher) and in cases where the LSA is untrained, will be receiving the type of support where they are unchallenged and the focus is on task completion rather than the learning. The teacher then ignores the child because they have someone with them already! It's not a helpful model at all.

Nope. Close relative just qualified as a SEN teacher. Degree, and quite demanding PGCE which she got onto partly through working as a SEN TA for a couple of years. She is qualified in primary so she can teach the full curriculum...essential, as more able SEN school classes follow this.

Fucking hell ...
You'd hope someone pulled her up on it
Disgraceful

@izzy2076

All in the name of inclusion which doesn’t actually work in the real world.

@Boomboom22

It is quite black and white actually. Those “experts” who have come from industry do not teach in deprived inner city schools. So therefore this whole system is hugely damaging as the “unqualified staff” in certain schools are exactly that. Unqualified. Certainly no industry expertise which is saved for private and affluent grammars. No, just cheap people who come in clueless. And then leave. Quickly.