[SENco-forum] Select Committee Report

Hi Sharon and everyone

  I am a SENCO who has been a mainstream secondary English teacher for 28 years and also a SENCO for 18.  (Pause for gasps of 'you look too young')
  I have to say that I do honestly think that it helps enormously if the SENCO is a mainstream teacher teaching classes.  It helps in two ways.  One is that I know what it is like to have a clear idea of how to teach Fred in appropriate ways but no time to do it with 29 others in the class and a curriculum to deliver.  The second is that other teachers listen to me when I do have a way of teaching Fred in a class of 30 because they know I do it too.
  Having said that, I also get loads of good support fand advice rom those who work 1-1 and in small groups with pupils.  There's a place for it all.
  As for the Select Committee Report -  well, I should take comfort from the fact that they have listened to the arguments and said they will examine it all again.  
  In a secondary school, a dedicated SENCO is essential and has to be a teacher who has status and a place on SMT is essential.
  In a three teacher primary school, the SENCO is invariably the Head.  By the time you have divied up literacy, nuumeracy, child protection, ICT, risk assessment, foundation subjects, KS1, KS2, liaison (pause for others to add more to the list) who else can do the job but the Head?  In larger primary school, the SENCO may be a specific teacher but that person is not necessarily full time.  That's another question.
  So - I'd say yes to more ITT in SEN, yes to SENCOs being teachers, yes to SENCO's being on SMT, yes to more trainging for SENCOs and yes to a 40 hour day in the hope I can get a life too!!

  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

SEN at tringham.net wrote:
  I am way ahead of them having started my Foundation Degree in Learning
Support this year just so that I can be a SENCO.

I do not want to be a teacher - I have never wanted to be a 30 per class
teacher -nor do I see that it is a necessity for a SENco -essentially an
unbiased and equal advocate for the needs of child, parent and school. I
tutor EFL and SpLD 1:1 or small group, and am as capable of reading and
understanding changing government policy and implementing it as the next
person.

Anyhow....This new requirement for SENco's to be teachers is fine as long as
they continue with the other bit of the recommendations that says that
SENco's need more training and that ITT should have more SEN training. As
an SpLD tutor I can go into school to assess for exams or SpLD where the
SENco cannot due to there being no training available and despite having a
cupboard full of great tools. I can make suggestions, worksheets and
basically work for free (!) or as a ?5 per hour TA ,but not be employed as
a peripatetic teacher for a reasonable wage.

Balance is required as ever. Suitable SEN training & PGCE eventually for
SENco's but flexibility for the next 10 years or so please while those in
charge at DFES get their act together and we reach Nirvana.

Sharon

-

Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall