The SENCO, in partnership with the leadership team, has an important role in promoting effective teaching and learning and in supporting the early identification of children's needs.
Experienced SENCOs tell us that their role in leading the coordination of support is facilitated by:
- Having protected time for the SENCO role.
- Developing a whole setting ethos whereby SEND is understood as everybody's responsibility.
- Having protected time with all teaching and support staff to look at provision and to review support that is in place. SENCOs also highlight the importance of meeting with wider staff across the setting (e.g. office and lunchtime staff) to ensure that children's needs and presentation are understood by all.
- Upskilling key people to conduct observations and baseline assessments, including the use of screening tools, so that these tasks do not need to be coordinated solely by the SENCO.
- Cascading good practice within settings and ensuring that new staff and NQTs receive appropriate support and induction in relation to effective teaching and learning for all children, including those with SEND.
- Leading and/or coordinating training and CPD opportunities for all staff (e.g. regular input at staff meetings).
- Signposting staff to top tips across different areas of need and sharing support strategies from external agencies with staff, ensuring that recommendations are 'scaled up' to the benefit of all children where possible.
- Ensuring there are well developed processes within settings so that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to SEND, before seeking support from the SENCO. This includes teaching and support staff recording strategies and approaches they have tried and their impact (see notice, check, try).