Moving from primary to secondary as SENCo

[GoingtotheWinchester]

Hi, after a bit of advice!

I'm currently a primary class teacher but am a qualified SENCo. Have just seen an advert for a secondary SENCo and am seriously considering applying.

Anyone else done this? Any experience - good or bad. Thoughts?

It would be an interesting new challenge but am I mad??

Does the SENDCO role that you are interested in have any mainstream subject teaching involved?

Our senco teaches business studies alongside her senco role. She also happens to be a massive twat but that’s completely irrelevant.

Good luck with secondary!..

Hi. I do both. Senior you must be fully conversant with exam access arrangements and preferably have your Level 7 testing certificate. This is usually one of the main focus for any secondary SENCO. other paperwork is similar but you need a lot of very careful coordination with secondary teachers who are more diverse - some will give you evidence of need and differentiate to the letter, others will say they do but don't and a small minority just will do things their way and you have to be very personable. Same as primary but just more teachers spread over a wider area and who teach more kids so don't know students as well. Likewise, a lot of SEND. Issues relate to executive function difficulties and speech and language issues. There is very little support for these from outside agencies unless parents pay.

Thanks guys. No teaching responsibility but I don’t have a clue about exam access! Maybe I should phone the head and talk it through with her. I do know one SENCo locally who made the move from primary to secondary but things have changed a lot in the last 10 years!

Maybe worth looking at the job description. There maybe someone who already does the EAA but as SENCO you'd be overseeing them so need to know what you are doing. Also, can you turn your hand to most subjects? If you are helping GCSE students you need to think on your feet and be about a paragraph ahead of them and very quick at research and google. Weirdly, one of the subjects that I do the most support for is Art.