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Bill Goler examines how the Common Assessment Framework is working in practice and how SENCOs can and should be involved in its implementation
Nasen promotes the development of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN). Chief executive officer Lorraine Petersen explains their CPD offering
At times the collaborative partnership process for SENCOs and senior leaders in schools can be challenging and time consuming. Rita Cheminais looks at how to establish effective partnerships, and describes a new ECM self-evaluation tool that will help to strengthen partnership working
Carol Frankl describes how the concept of the Learning Walk has been adapted for accredited SENCO training and the positive effect this has had on trainees’ perception of their work
A consultation document from the DCSF seeks views on proposals for regulations to ensure that SENCOs are qualified teachers with a defined role in the leadership and management of the school
Inclusion of SEN students requires lots of involvement from teaching assistants. Enid Alston introduces a new training course designed to help
SENCOs have an important role to play in providing continuing professional development for their colleagues in schools. A recent Ofsted survey lists recommendations for improving practice.
For any SENCO looking at how SEN is defined, identified and assessed in her own local education authority and elsewhere, it soon becomes apparent that the identification and assessment of SEN is not only complex but confused. Michael Farrell suggests that SENCOs can contribute to clarifying our understandings of SEN.
The guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Inter-agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children’ is highly relevant to SENCOs.
The Education and Skills Committee report on SEN includes a brief but important analysis of the role of the SENCO, which highlights a major gap between policy rhetoric and reality.
In addition to its specific recommendations concerning SENCOs, the Education Select Committee has outlined a future strategy on special educational needs. The government’s response will have many implications for the work of SENCOs
During the last oral evidence session of the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee of Inquiry into Special Educational Needs (22 March 2006), Lord Adonis, parliamentary under-secretary of state with responsibility for SEN, responded to a wide range of questions about current and future developments in SEN policy in England.
The important issue regarding the professional status of SENCOs was raised during the Select Committee of Inquiry (SEN) oral evidence sessions held on 8 March 2005.
Nasen is committed to securing the professional status of SENCOs and membership of school leadership teams. Following a series of seminars involving effective and innovative SENCOs from primary and secondary schools, reflections on the role of the SENCO were collated and this information will be used to inform the development of detailed good practice guidance.
Nasen’s chief executive officer, Lorraine Peterson, has confirmed that the UK’s leading special educational needs professional organisation is committed to the view that SENCOs should be qualified teachers and members of school senior leadership teams. Writing in a recent edition of the Nasen publication Special, she also argues that SENCOs need sufficient time and resources to be able to carry out their duties efficiently, and in ways that enable them to coordinate the best support for pupils with special educational needs.(1)
Ian Summers, husband of a SENCO employee in Norfolk, describes how he developed a SEN diary to help his wife save time at work, thus enabling her to focus her attention on meeting the needs of pupils.
I CAN, the charity that helps children communicate has coined the term ‘communication disability’ to encompass the problems faced by all 1.2 million children and young people across the UK with speech, language or communication difficulties or delays.
The Department for Education and Skills has launched a consultation seeking views on the draft of the first cross-government guidance on information sharing in respect of children and young people.
Education for young people in secure settings is undergoing radical change. Further work is being undertaken to ensure that educational opportunities in custody are comparable to those in the community.
From 1 September all teachers with timetabled teaching commitments became entitled to PPA time (eg 2.5 hours, or half a day a week for many primary teachers).
NASEN, QCA and the University of Cambridge have collaborated to produce advice and guidance on using and moderating the P scales.