[senco-forum] advice for sen teacher training

Hi everyone, 
I wonder if any of you could offer advice to a friend of mine? He is 
currently an engineer, but has a burning desire to retrain as a 
teacher- specifically, he wants to teach pupils with SEN in the special 
school sector- or a SILC as they are now known round here (don't ask).

My background is firmly mainstream, although I have been senco and am 
now inclusion manager in my current school, so my experience of special 
schools is very limited. My impression locally is that special schools 
are closing and/ or admissions are reducing, as more pupils remain 
'included' in mainstream, and I have said as much to my friend, 
although I'm not sure if this is just anecdotal, based on my limited 
experience.

Does anyone work in this sector? Do you know recently qualified 
teachers who have gone straight into the special school sector? Could 
he, for example, do GTP (graduate teaching programme?) in a special 
school? With a young family to support, the drop in income associated 
with a straight pgce would be hard for them, I think. Would you advise 
some time in mainstream before going into this sector? How hard is it 
to get a job in a special school? Bearing in mind my impression of 
closures etc, is there any job security?

I have talked to him about the different sorts of provision- i.e. 
resourced units attached to mainstream settings, as well as SILCs (see 
above) and also a bit about PRUs, although the last is not really what 
he or I mean by special schools. He is still thinking hard about it as 
it is a big step for their family. My advice has been to try to spend 
as much time as he can in a range of special schools/ resourced units 
so that he is sure it's for him. What advice would colleagues on the 
forum add to this?

Sorry for so many questions, but I feel I cannot answer the questions 
he has, but that somebody out there might be able to. Any responses 
will be most gratefully received and passed on.

Helen C
primary inclusion manager

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