Parents please check out your SENDCo

[redapple2001]

I understand exactly how you feel. I think parents of children who have send have no idea what actually happens in schools. That only ONE person in a WHOLE school has to have ANY qualifications in additional needs(and even then it only applies to SENCos that started after 2008). In fact they only have to get some training three years after they started the job( 2015 Code of Practice). That the Carter Review in 2015 found that there was virtually no training in supporting children with special educational needs on new teacher training courses. Also in independent and special schools ANYONE can be the SENCo and that they never need to get any training at all.
www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk/uploads/1/1/4/6/11463509/senco_-_key_information_guide__3.pdf
I would recommend that any parent, before allowing their child to join a new school, should check does the SENCo have the NASEN level 7 award or a masters degree in specifically special educational needs for young people or something similar.
Please, please check that the people looking after your child who might need specialist, trained support is qualified to do so.
Do not misunderstand me please, qualified SENCos are the most amazing people, who have a very demanding job and they do way, way more than the hours they are paid for.
But please if you are considering a special or independent school for your child who may have support needs please check the qualifications of the staff that will be taking care of your young person

Did you mean to post this on a forum mostly for school staff?

Ah sod off with your 'check the qualifications'. Teachers are all qualified.

This has given me the rage. If a parent asked to know the details of my qualifications I'd have to just walk away.

qualified SENCos teachers are the most amazing people, who have a very demanding job and they do way, way more than the hours they are paid for

Corrected it for you.

Rude.

What a rude, sensationalist post.

So, posters reading this might go and find out that their child’s SENCo only started in September (because the previous one left suddenly), and isn’t enrolled on the NASENCo award until next year.

What exactly do you think they should do with this information?!

Very rude.

I don’t know that the OP necessarily is being rude. I think she’s trying to raise the point that some schools don’t take SEN seriously and most teachers - no matter how professional - haven’t had much training in how to support pupils with SEN. As a parent of a child with SEN, and a teacher who has worked in a school without a qualified SENCO, this is definitely a question I now ask when going to open evenings.

@AttaGirrrrl since the same post has been added to two other threads I think you’re being generous in your interpretation of the op’s motives.

I think if the OP feels this strongly about it, she probably deserves our generosity. It’s bloody shit being the parent of a child with SEN and realising just how little support there is for them. If we’re being honest rather than defensive, most of us have had very little training in SEN. This is not our fault. As a parent though, realising that in some schools no one has SEN training is really quite horrifying.

Here was me thinking this was going to be a supportive “Check your SENCO is ok, because things are tough” post!

Hahah. Yes @cheesecurdsandgravy! That would be lovely wouldn’t it? Toughest job in the school, I think.

@cheesecurdsandgravy

Here was me thinking this was going to be a supportive “Check your SENCO is ok, because things are tough” post!

I know 4 local sencos who all resigned at the October 31st date last week. All were very unhappy. I wish someone had been asking them if they were ok. They have over 75 years of teaching experience between them-what a loss.

What are you hoping to achieve from your post, OP? Do you want to hound out more of them before they’ve even trained?

@cheesecurdsandgravy

Here was me thinking this was going to be a supportive “Check your SENCO is ok, because things are tough” post!

God that would be nice!! SENCO here. On my knees and thinking of quitting...I know it's not a race to the bottom but it's the hardest job I've ever done. It's like 20 different roles in one.

@AttaGirrrrl

I think if the OP feels this strongly about it, she probably deserves our generosity. It’s bloody shit being the parent of a child with SEN and realising just how little support there is for them. If we’re being honest rather than defensive, most of us have had very little training in SEN. This is not our fault. As a parent though, realising that in some schools no one has SEN training is really quite horrifying.

But yes you are absolutely right about the lack of training. It's appalling and a big part of my job is having to persuade and train staff on how to be inclusive, which is a ridiculous ask on top of the already huge workload.

I really feel for you @izzy2076. I think you’re an absolute hero

@izzy2076 I will wave a tired senco solidarity wave, not quite waving the white flag. But sometimes feeling like it.

Yes, it is annoying when people assume you're unqualified. As a Supply Teacher I get this an awful lot.

As for SEN schools - not sure about SENCO roles but I do know that given the choice the ones I have worked in much prefer to give permanent roles to unqualified teachers. I think most parents would be absolutely horrified. As a parent of 1 SEN and 1 mainstream I am so glad they are now grown up.

I'm a qualified SENCo and hold a Masters in Special and Inclusive Education. I paid for that. I gave up my evenings and weekends and spent time in uni lectures after my day job and on Saturdays. I spent my precious free time doing research and writing a 20,000 word dissertation. I chose to do this because I wanted to and because I could afford it. I was bloody lucky and it's a luxury many don't have.

Another SENCO here. Absolutely exhausted and fricking JCQ didn't help matters with changing criteria without notice.

@izzy2076 “It's appalling and a big part of my job is having to persuade and train staff on how to be inclusive, which is a ridiculous ask on top of the already huge workload.”

Yes I have seen this too. I’m not SENCO - just a late career changer, so relatively new to the school environment, but I’ve been shocked by the lack of inclusivity. One highly intelligent Aspergers child I worked with, had spent her previous three years, being excluded from much of her class time, as her teachers found her presence in class to ‘disruptive’, and there was nobody who had the simple patience or empathy to ever help her with deescalation strategies etc.
She went on to excel academically, and is now positively thriving. It was such a joy to see that change.

In fairness to the OP a lot of teachers are absolutely not qualified. Some do not even have degrees but yet have responsibility for a whole primary school class. I mean we all knew that on this board, and I think it’s becoming apparent now to many parents who obviously haven’t had a clue what’s been going on in education over the last few years.

Even in my own childrens primary school I have no idea who is even qualified now.

I don’t work with anybody who doesn’t have a degree and QTS.

@ScarletLake

Well I certainly have, unfortunately.

@ScarletLake

I don’t work with anybody who doesn’t have a degree and QTS.

That’s nice. We couldn’t afford to replace one of our qualified teachers when they retired so now one of our HLTAs is a class teacher. Another of our qualified teachers has gone part time for health reasons so her class is also in the care of a HLTA two days a week.

As an academy this is allowed and the lack of proper funding means that any future leavers will probably be replaced by non qualified teachers too.

Fortunately we have a truly excellent SENDCO but she wears other hats too so is stretched.