SENCO award | Mumsnet

cansu · 2022-10-29T20:25:24+00:00

I am considering asking for the funding for this. Can someone give me a heads up on how many hours of work this would be? Is it a case of just coping with intense periods when assignments are due or is this something that will take hours of work every week? I really need to have some insight on whether this is something I can deal with or not?

TwitTw00 · 29/10/2022 21:38

I found it to be intense periods of work, which I could mainly do in the holidays. I calculated it took over 100+ hours of my own time. It resulted in less than a 3% wage increase and many, many extra hours. I couldn't have done the award, nor the SENCO role, with young children.

Appuskidu · 30/10/2022 17:24

The NASENCo award was very time consuming and, I felt, really missed the point. It was all about referencing essays correctly to pass the course , rather than teaching you anything at all about being a senco. I know several people that self-funded and regret it as they have now left the profession completely. It was a final, ‘I’ll try side-stepping teaching into SEND to see if the job was any better from a work/life balance’ perspective, only to find it was worse!

Be prepared for the job to come with no extra pay and insufficient time to do it properly, as well 😳.

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 31/10/2022 20:15

I had to put in a lot of work too. 4 - 5 hours a week, not includin actually attending the teaching sessions - that's a lot on top of a full time job.

Original poster

cansu · 31/10/2022 20:49

Thank you. Some food for thought. Much appreciated.

OP posts:

Lavender79 · 01/11/2022 08:05

I agree with PP. I found it to be a total waste of time that provided me with no real practical support to fulfil the role.

Unfortunately, I had no choice whether to do it.

Thankfully I didn't have to fund it myself but what a waste of money for the school!

parrotonmyshoulder · 26/11/2022 09:31

I have just passed it. No sense of achievement, no improvement in how I do my job, just another item ticked off the never ending list of tasks that I contend with (mostly ineffectively).
At least 100 hours of my own time. Several holidays given over to it.

Is anyone currently coping with (or better still, as I say about children, thriving in!) the SENCO role? I am at my limit, with generally hostile colleagues, demanding parents and a failing/ failed LA who offer no support but place all the blame on schools. Not school. SENCOs.

I have no routine or ability to plan my work, as every day is fire fighting from start to end (at least 9 hours with no break, usually 10). I can’t put in place anything to improve the provision, change the hostile attitudes, educate and inform parents etc.

The NASENCO award offered nothing to improve any of this.

izzy2076 · 27/11/2022 08:34

parrotonmyshoulder · 26/11/2022 09:31

I have just passed it. No sense of achievement, no improvement in how I do my job, just another item ticked off the never ending list of tasks that I contend with (mostly ineffectively).
At least 100 hours of my own time. Several holidays given over to it.

Is anyone currently coping with (or better still, as I say about children, thriving in!) the SENCO role? I am at my limit, with generally hostile colleagues, demanding parents and a failing/ failed LA who offer no support but place all the blame on schools. Not school. SENCOs.

I have no routine or ability to plan my work, as every day is fire fighting from start to end (at least 9 hours with no break, usually 10). I can’t put in place anything to improve the provision, change the hostile attitudes, educate and inform parents etc.

The NASENCO award offered nothing to improve any of this.

I could have written this post. The SENCO role in mainstream has become untenable for me for the reasons you've just given! I'm moving to a PRU in the hope that it'll be far more streamlined with a smaller caseload and I'll get to work more directly with kids.

Foxymoxy68 · 29/11/2022 04:20

I really enjoyed doing my SENCo award. It was very hard work and drove me to tears on many occasions but I felt a real sense of satisfaction when I completed it. I also made some amazing friends who, 6 years on, are an incredible support to me when things get tough or when I need advice. Which is often!!! 😂
However, being a SENCo in a mainstream primary is becoming untenable. Every day is a battle and I feel like a failure. Yes, there are moments of joy and I try to hold onto those but the system is not fit for purpose any more. Far too many high needs children in mainstream due to lack of special school places and a shortage of people who want to work with these children due to the demands of the job and the crap pay! Not the kids’ fault obviously.
I can retire in July (at 55) and am counting down the days.

parrotonmyshoulder · 29/11/2022 06:47

I’m glad you enjoyed it, foxy. Mine was all virtual so missed out on the chance to meet people, which probably made it worse.
Enjoy retirement!

Appuskidu · 29/11/2022 09:48

However, being a SENCo in a mainstream primary is becoming untenable

I completely agree with this. In my local cluster of schools, I am the only senco who is still in post from when I took over 6 years ago-every single other person has left. It’s so depressing!

izzy2076 · 29/11/2022 21:48

Appuskidu · 29/11/2022 09:48

However, being a SENCo in a mainstream primary is becoming untenable

I completely agree with this. In my local cluster of schools, I am the only senco who is still in post from when I took over 6 years ago-every single other person has left. It’s so depressing!

Same where I am. It used to be the best job in the school but now seems like the worst job. Expectations from parents are sky high, the code of practice isn't fit for purpose as there's no money or LSAs... the local authority has no money... it's an utter shitshow.