Management Skills for SEN Coordinators in the Primary School

Jennifer Goodwin, Rosita Heron, Sylvia Philips

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9781138421547
• eBook ISBN: 9781135712549
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Specifically designed for busy teachers who have responsibility for co- ordinating a subject area within their primary school. Each volume in the series conforms to a concise style, while providing a wealth of tips, case studies and photocopiable material that teachers can use immediately. subject they are called on to co-ordinate, these books provide guidance and examples to tackle the job. There are special volumes dedicated to dealing with OFSTED, creating whole school policy and the demands of co-ordinating several subjects within a small school. The entire set of 16 volumes is available.

The SEN coordinator as manager: Developing management skills

Chapter 1

The role and responsibilities of a SEN coordinator

Chapter 2

Leadership: Becoming a leader

Chapter 3

Managing and supporting people: Developing good communication and interpersonal skills

Chapter 4

Managing meetings and managing self

Chapter 5

Managing the SEN policy, practices and procedures under the Code of Practice

The role and responsibilities of a SEN coordinator

Introduction

The role of SEN coordinator is unique in that it is the only coordinator role which has its responsibilities defined within a government publication. Not only that, but all mainstream schools are expected to have such a designated teacher. Your starting point then, in developing your role, should be to consider the responsibilities identified in the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs (DFE, 1994a), paragraph 2:14.

The SENCO has responsibility for:

■ the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy

■ liaising with and advising fellow teachers

■ co-ordinating provision for children with special educational needs

■ maintaining the school’s SEN register and overseeing the records on all pupils with special educational needs

■ liaising with parents of children with special educational needs

■ contributing to the in-service training of staff

■ liaising with external agencies including the Educational Psychology Service and other support agencies, medical and social services and voluntary bodies

(DFE, 1994a, pp. 9–10)

Whilst the existence of this list of responsibilities is useful — it provides you with support for your work with colleagues and helps you to negotiate your more precise role within the school’s management structure — it is not overly prescriptive. You can still show initiative in how you meet these responsibilities.

If you are just taking up the role, these responsibilities can seem daunting, particularly as, in primary schools, they are usually in addition to full-time teaching. Indeed, the Code of Practice recognised the magnitude of the role, suggesting that governors and headteachers:

. . . may need to give careful thought to the SEN Co-ordinator’s timetable in the light of this Code and in the context of resources available to the school. (DFE, 1994a, p. 10)

A recent survey on the implementation of the Code of Practice (Lewis, 1996) found that most SENCOs welcomed both the Code and their role, although they cited some obstacles to discharging their responsibilities (particularly resources, time and status). For primary SENCOs the predominant problem was that the position had to be added to ‘a portfolio of responsibilities already undertaken by the class teacher (or deputy headteacher)’ (Lewis, 1996).

Negotiating some ‘time release’ to undertake key aspects of your role might be one of the major tasks ahead of you. However, if you are to do so, you must be able to make a strong case based on an understanding of your role in the context of your school. A plaintive cry for ‘more time’ is unlikely to be heeded. If you have considered the nature of your role, how you are to carry out specific tasks and your management style, then you will be able to identify:

■ why you need to have time without a class (i.e. what you will do in the time);

■ how much time you need;

■ when the time is needed;

■ whether the time is needed on a short-term or long-term basis.

Until you have really examined your role and your own professional skills and development, you cannot (and should not) make hasty decisions about implementation.

Examples of these tasks may be:

■ You wish to visit 1 or 2 schools to see their SEN provision. This is a short-term need for professional development. Visits could perhaps take place during one or two ‘professional development days’ (or half-day release from school with/without ‘cover’).

■ You need time to manage paperwork and meet parents/other professionals.

This is a long-term need. Some SENCOs are excused from ‘assembly’ for this: in some schools the head has arranged for supply cover for a set time each week (varying from one hour to two days a week!) Some responsibilities are re-allocated to teachers or (as in the case of meeting parents) to the headteacher.

■ You would like time to work collaboratively with other teachers in the classroom.

This might be to support them in assessing needs or in modifying teaching materials or providing a ‘model for teaching’. This may require short- or long-term ‘cover’ arrangements.

Although the Code of Practice may be amended in an attempt to reduce some of the bureaucracy and paperwork it has led to, the key responsibilities listed at the beginning of this chapter are unlikely to change. The TTA’s National Standards for SENCOs (TTA, 1998) identify four key areas of SEN coordination in relation to the tasks involved and there is general acceptance of these main areas.

The TTA paper identifies four key areas of SEN coordination:

■ Strategic Direction and Development of SEN Provision in the School

■ Teaching and Learning

■ Leading and Managing Staff

■ Efficient and Effective Deployment of Staff and Resources

(TTA, 1998, p. 11)

In order to undertake the tasks involved, SENCOs will need knowledge and understanding and a set of skills and attributes. Some of these requirements would be identified as ‘subject knowledge’ in the case of a subject leader/coordinator, and can be interpreted as ‘knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes related to SEN’, whereas others relate more clearly to the role of coordinator — a middle manager/leadership role. It is clearly very important that as a SENCO you keep up to date with developments in the field of SEN (and education generally) and that you feel confident in your own teaching. This book is, however, more concerned with helping you to develop the management skills you will need as a SENCO.

Consideration of the TTA National Standards and a list of ‘competencies’ drawn up by the SEN Training Consortium (SENTC, 1996) at the request of the DFE (reproduced as Appendix A), has led us to identify the following management skills which form the basis of this book.

Management skills for SENCOs

■ leading and managing teams

■ managing people

■ chairing meetings

■ consultancy (advising, liaising)

■ planning, maintaining, reviewing and evaluating systems and policies including preparing and managing inspections

■ supporting people (colleagues, parents, pupils)

■ administration (including managing paperwork and time)

■ coordinating (provision and support)

■ communication (spoken and written)

■ monitoring, reviewing, evaluation of pupil’s progress

■ managing material resources and finance

■ self-management

■ planning/delivering professional development for self and others

There is a strong emphasis on good interpersonal ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of figures
• Series editor’s preface
• Acknowledgments
• Part one – The SEN coordinator as manager
• Part two – Managing teaching and learning
• Part three – Working with others
• Part four – Resources
• Appendix Recommended competencies for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO)
• References
• Index