New SENCO, help please!

[justtheonethen]

Was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on the national SENCO award?
I'm going to be SENCO next year and will be doing the award.
What I want to know is how much time (if any) you have from your school to do the work. Have many people finished it in a year?

Also, are any of you safeguarding officer as well? Would that be usual?

Am trying to work out exactly what I'm going to be doing next year, obviously managing TAs/intervention, supporting teachers, liaising with parents and outside agencies and applying for EHPs etc. Am I missing anything? I've asked for the job but am now having a freak out that I'm going to miss something!

Any advice gratefully received!

Hello! I did mine 5 years ago and I did it in a year. It took 6 days off work for face to face instruction (which was easypeasy) and some assignments. I didn't find it particularly taxing although I'm used to studying part time. There were some Friday evenings frantically typing my essays to submit by midnight, but generally it was fine.

Welcome to the gang! Best job in a school by far.

We have a separate safeguarding officer.

Your main priorities are identification of students with SEN and what their SEN is, designing and implementing intervention, monitoring and evaluating those and tracking progress. Pragmatically, the start of the year is all about having the SEN register sorted, getting the TA timetables done and sharing information with teachers. Then start to plan your interventions and observe students in class so you can help advise teachers.

Particularly since the new CoP it's heavily leaning towards Quality First Teaching so making sure teachers have all of the information they need to meet the students' needs in the classroom.

Engage parents.

Got loads of advice to give and happy to share any forms etc I've created (like provision map, IEPs, observation programs, powerpoints for training etc) - PM if you need anything.

Wow thank you pea great advice!

I would love anything you have, that would be so helpful.

I'm really looking forward to it, it is the direction I have wanted to go in for a while.

Come read the SN Children Boards. Look up and then go on the IPSEA Training if you can.

When you are SENCO will you be on the SLT?

hi I'll also be a senco I sept and just applied for the award at worcester. really looking forward to it. Would be good to start a senco thread.

I did the award 3 years ago. I did it in a year and only time off I had was for attending the taught sessions. Al the work I had to do at home in my own time. It isn't too taxing (I did my masters alongside it) and the assignments aren't too big.

I am senco in a small secondary comprehensive and am always safeguarding officer and responsible for pupil premium. I am titled assistant head for inclusion so sit on SLT.

Thank you everyone. I will look at SN boards and look at appropriate training. Good idea about mentor, we have a sister school so that could work well.

I'm already on SLT so that won't change. I'll also be I charge of assessment which I think fits with it quite well.

Thank you everyone for the advice. Didn't think the work would be too taxing but a friend is doing it and struggling so wanted to get more opinion!

Yes ruby that's a great idea.

I'm watching with interest. I'm going to be new to senco role from sept & looking to start training ASAP too. Already AH & SLT in a small primary. Full time class teacher this year too but hopefully will have some time out of class next year.

I'm considering doing this as well. Can anyone tell me what the assignments are like and might be about? I haven't written an essay for years; I think I'll be a bit rusty!

How many of you are part time?

Good luck to you all. Can I ask that any of your limited spare time is spent reading some of the excellent threads on the SN Children Boards and also getting to know the IPSEA site and their training too.

You are probably aware that there have bee lots of recent changes about how children with SEN have their needs met and there appears to be quite substantial discrepancy between the law and Local Authority Policy, which is what schools are trained in usually.

It is also essential that the SENCO is a part of the SLT and I the Code of Practice recommends this as well as sufficient time and admin support to enable the job to be done well.

It's a tough role but hopefully a great one too. I wish you all the very best with it.

Starlight the SN boards really are very informative if you're a SENCO. It helps to see things from the parents' perspective, that they might not necessarily say to the SENCO..

Thanks. It's nice to know they get read. There can be a lot of frustration there but I reckon a lot to inform good practice too.