Secondary Sendcos - career advise?

[Keyboard91]

Hi,

I’m in my 5th year of teaching, and SEN is my area of expertise. I currently run an intervention program and monitor the AEN students within my subject (independent school so things work a little different to state).

I’ve been asked by a head in a state school (I really want to work at) to consider applying for the sendco position and have mixed feelings.

Is it the norm for a secondary sendco to do some teaching (and if so is this always intervention type classes or usual classes)?

Can you strike any sort of work life balance?

Is there support around for new Sendcos (who have never been in that post before)? Forums or something similar? I know what I’d be doing when I turned up on Sept 1st as a classroom teacher ... I have no idea what I’d need to do as sendco for example. All those key deadlines, JCQ assessments etc.

Finally... would you recommend your job?

Thank you in advance for any insight!

Well, you’d need to do the accreditation within a time frame. At least, you would in a state school.

You have to be qualified to do the assessments for exam arrangements and there are deadlines for submitting them. The SENCo course should prepare you for working with ASD, SpLD etc, but any training you could do would be helpful.

There were forums for SENCOs from local schools to meet together and discuss shared issues. Before I became a SENCo, I had post graduate training in SpLD, ASD, worked in a department under the aegis of Educational Psychology and was an advisory teacher for SoLD, behaviour management and ASD.

I taught intervention groups throughout secondary. I taught Key Skills in KS3, RE in KS3, KS4 specialist groups for those doing fewer GCSEs. I was the designated teacher for LAC and assistant safeguarding lead. I managed about 20 TAs and two teachers and liaised with all outside agencies. I also managed an SLCN unit and a pastoral unit and was an NQT mentor.