Require School SENCOs to be fully qualified for the role.

School senco's to be qualified before they take the role and they must have done in depth training on special educational needs. The current role can be filled by a person not qualified for the role and they have 3 years to qualify which is ridiculous.

Change the qualification a teacher needs to be a senco so that they must have in depth training on special educational needs as well as training on the paperwork they will have to complete whilst in the role and this training must be completed before they can hold the position. Abolish the current system that allows a teacher to train for the role whilst holding the role and take 3 yrs to qualify.

The Government is determined to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and focus on preparing them for adult life. We have established the SEND Review, which aims to improve experiences of the SEND system, with services working in co-production with children, young people and parents, and ensure we target and distribute resources in a way that best ensures children’s needs are met quickly and effectively. Once finalised, proposals will be published for full public consultation.

All maintained schools must have a qualified teacher that is designated as the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). In collaboration with the headteacher and governing body, SENCOs play a vital role in determining the strategic development of SEND policy and provision in the school. The SENCO has a key role in ensuring children and young people with SEND get the support they need as early as possible and are able to achieve the best outcomes. That is why ensuring SENCOs are fully qualified for their role is essential.

SENCOS must complete the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO) within 3 years of appointment. This must be a postgraduate course accredited by a recognised higher education provider. To ensure that SENCOs receive the training required to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, the National College for Teaching and Leadership has worked with providers to develop a set of learning outcomes. To achieve the award, SENCOs must be able to demonstrate to the provider that they are able to achieve the learning outcomes by the end of the programme. These learning outcomes can be accessed at www.gov.uk.

Through the SEND Review, this Government continues to prioritise the outcomes for children and young people with SEND and focus on preparing them for adult life.

Department for Education