sendmattersuk

The SEND and AP Improvement Plan: 3 things that could feel different for SENDCOs

I don’t know a SENDCO who thinks the SEND system is helping them to work efficiently, focus on the right things and consistently have impact. I don’t know many parents who speak glowingly of their experience of getting an EHCP. I don’t know any Local Authorities who aren’t consumed and overwhelmed by workload.

So something needs to change. But what is going to change for schools? What does the SEN and AP Improvement Plan tell us change is going to look like, and how might that change the SENDCO role?

Hidden at the whole-class level

SEND has an identity crisis. Or at the very least, good teaching practice for pupils with SEND has an identity crisis. This relates to the requirement for ‘additional to and different from’.

A signpost for SENDCOs

I’m about to publish my tenth SEND and SENDCO-related blog on another website, which I hope people here might find useful. I’ve therefore created one blogpost here, with links to the first 9.

The summer term SENDCO

Consider these 8 areas as potential priorities for the summer term, which broadly fit into 2 categories: doing the summer term well and preparing to do next year well

Why everyone should want to be a SENDCO

All teachers should want to be a SENDCO. Whether for the professional development it brings, for the difference it can make to pupils who otherwise might struggle, or just to step up to a whole-school role, ambitious colleagues should view it as an essential step on their own route to leadership.

SENDCOs: 12 questions you’ll want to think about before OFSTED arrive

Try out your answers to some of these with your line manager or a supportive colleague, so you can be as prepared as possible for the OFSTED call.

Seeing without observing: how to be a visible SENDCO without adding to school scrutiny

As a SENDCO, you need to know what is going on in class. You need to make sure students are receiving quality-first teaching. You need to be able to diagnose where this isn’t happening so you can support teachers to develop their practice. You also need to do this without creating a culture of fear.Continue reading “Seeing without observing: how to be a visible SENDCO without adding to school scrutiny”

New to the SENDCO role/new to a school? Try to tick off these things by the end of September

Rather than try to master everything in the first month, this list gives 10 ideas for things to try and tick off by September 30th. Each should be manageable alongside teaching and other responsibilities; it should be broad enough to cover many elements of the role, without expecting you to master everything in just over 4 weeks.

Supporting the needs of learners with SEND through remote teaching

A few tips follow on how teachers might support students with SEND through their whole-class teaching, while it is through a screen. SENDCOs may want to share some of these strategies in their communication with all teachers or adapt them for individual children. Although these tips are aimed to support the most learners possible, SENDCOsContinue reading “Supporting the needs of learners with SEND through remote teaching”

The lockdown SENDCO – how to support children and families during another school closure

Schools to close again. Lots to put in place for Headteachers, whose roles I don’t envy. But what about the SENDCO? Follow these steps, to ensure children and families can be well-supported during school closure: Be aware of the needs of your teams, and of yourself. If you have Teaching Assistants who are clinically extremelyContinue reading “The lockdown SENDCO – how to support children and families during another school closure”