Any SENCos/inclusion leaders? How many hours do you get to fulfill your role?

[OwlinaTree]

Just that really. I'm feeling completely stressed and overwhelmed at the moment with the work load and wondered if I'm being unreasonable about the expectations of my school?

I am inclusion leaders for my school of 300ish children. I teach full-time, with 2.5 hours for PPA and 3 hours a week for SEN responsibility.

I write all care plans for medical issues. I monitor individual education plans, but I don't write them all. I do all outside agency referrals, including EHA. I do funding applications, EHCP applications and reviews. Etc etc.

I really want more time to fulfill my role. I was wondering if 3 hours a week was a normal amount of release time. Please could people post how much time they get and the size of their school, plus if their responsibility is roughly the same. Thanks!

I work 4 days per week and teach for the equiviant of 1 of those days. I work in a 1200 pupil secondary and I feel overworked. Your situation sounds insane.

I’m a full time SENCO and work 3 days a week in a non-teaching role. It is nowhere near enough time to do what I need to do.

However, I have been SENCO in two other schools and in both of these roles SENCO was on top of teaching and other responsibilities. I got no extra time to do my SENCO responsibilities, I just did it after school. But the needs were much lower than the current school I’m in (mainstream, just lots of children with SEN).

What I’m saying is, I can’t say it’s enough because whilst you have 300 pupils at the school, I don’t know what % of those children are needing your time and support

Also, I feel like SENCO role requires you to feel overworked and stretched to the limit I absolutely love my job but I’m stepping down because I will burn out if I carry on.

There are about 45 children on the register. Maybe 20 with care plans? Plus the EHA ones.

I feel that way too, lookslike. I feel like I get no respect at all.

My last SENCo role in a school, I covered PPA and Management time in the Resource Base one day a week, and had 2 days a week to be FT SENCo (I worked 3 days a week, so no class responsibility).

That was a one form entry Primary + Nursery + RB with almost 50% of dc with some level of additional need. (I was not responsible for reviews etc for the RB pupils).
3 hours is not enough.
Having a teaching timetable for the other days is somewhat unworkable as you can't necessarily get other professionals you work alongside to meetings or even phone calls in those specific 3 hours.

If you have 20 children EHCPs it most definitely isn’t enough. That said, it’s the children on SEN support that take up the majority of my time, with the odd exception. You have plenty of those too!

Do you have a good relationship with your SLT? Could you perhaps write a list of the things that need doing with an estimate of how long they should take (I know that would be really hard)? Then take it to the SLT and ask them to help you prioritise what should be done in the three hours, thereby making them responsible for the reduced service (as it were)?

No one likes a problem, they like a solution. So take them some. Maybe more hours for SEN time or them hiring an SEN assistant to help ease the workload. If you could take a staffing solution to them (and remind them that when doing your job to the best of your ability, you will be able to secure extra funding and therefore it’s worth them giving you more time) they may be more willing to flex.

Or get out. If they are giving that little time, it would suggest that they don’t count SEN provision as a priority

You have my sympathies. It’s a bloody tough job with three days (I have a slightly larger case load in terms of numbers but I would say percentages are the same). You must feel like you’re drowning,

Good advice looks, thank you. I'm planning to do a report on what I've done this year, and on what I need the staff to do to help me out. There is definitely an element of everyone leaving it all to me at the moment.

There's not 20 EHCPs although I agree they don't take as much time up in a way. It's 20ish with medical care plans for allergies, physical needs etc. The nurse used to write them but it's all on me now.

Ah ok, not as heavy on the EHCPs then but on responsibilities. I have first aid assistants who do my HCPs unless they are complex and then I have an input.

An audit could help you demonstrate clearly where you are at? There are loads online but I have one set up if you want it - pm me if you do.

That would be great, thank you!