[senco-forum] New Senco

From: hepburnbrian at hotmail.com> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>

oooer Brian - lovely stuff
I am in the happy position that we have a strong Pastoral system - 4 Houses
and Heads of House - which deals with behaviour - at least I refuse to have
much to do with behaviour unless I see it as a special need..............I
make the rules really and help out if called upon to call in outside
services etc - if they're just naughty in one or two classes because the
teacher can't deal with them - then they're not mine. If it seems to have a
deeper basis and they are a trouble all over the place - then I'll help out
too but the major responsibility for behaviour is with the heads of house. 
We also have a behaviour system - green, amber and red reports - which I
helped set up and wrote the report cards for it - and that has targets on
and is monitored closely.
As you say, Brian, we have enough to deal with trying to get the kids to be
functionally literate and then deal with the demands of a very academic (in
my school) curriculum. 
I am finding that I deal more with 1:1 work e.g. anger management, self
esteem, anxiety issues etc. 
I am about to go to Oxford for a 2 day course (OCTC) so that I can be more
effective and not just a listener ( we have a school counsellor to do that).

I thought at one time that the role of senco might even disappear and be
taken over by admin people and senior TAs but then a light dawned - there
are so few E.P.s and their time is so limited - I can do some of the work
which I would call them in to do. 
Our outreach service is also very limited and so there is a need for work
with children who do have real issues in their lives which manifest
themselves in the classroom as bad behaviour. 
That's the way my role is heading as I see it. 
My LEA has just re-vamped their SEN funding system - a set amount will come
in every year which includes statements - and if we have exceptional needs
we have to apply for it - and despite what others say, IEPs are used less by
me than formerly - still for statements and most at SA+ - I tend to write
more information for staff about learning preferences, what works for this
or that child etc rather than little targets which are often covered any way
by departments as they do a lot of target setting these days and a child can
only deal with so much, I think I've waffled a bit - holidays after all -
hope you're all enjoying a well earned rest
After all the above, I love my job and am so happy to be doing it. I am so
privileged to be in the position that I am - and when the children stop
making me laugh, which they do constantly,  and stop cheering me up every
day with their little faces round my office door in the morning - then I'll
give up and grow roses.
Janice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts

> From: hepburnbrian at hotmail.com> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] New Senco> Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2007 20:28:59 +0000>
> > > .My initial task is to bring behaviour and learning under> >one
umbrella and to increase inclusion in the classroom. Shoiuld be a >
>doddle.> > Great email address, Kev. Cheap, though. I trust Shelagh is
impressed.> > You've got to bring learning and behaviour together, eh? I
hope someone has > told your pastoral system.> > I reckon you'll have enough
to do teaching kids to read. If they become > literate, they've got a chance
of meeting the KS3 curriculum half way. At > that point, they may start
believing lessons have something to do with them > and start to behave. Then
again, they might not.> > If SMT (SLT? I'm out of touch) want you to pick up
naughty kids who can read > already, tell SMT to naff off.> > Someone must
have asked you at interview what the job of a SENCO entailed. > Whatever you
answered impressed them enough to give you the job. So do that.> > >From an
LA point of view, I'd want you to send me the dates of your Annual > Reviews
on time. Return the AR paperwork promptly and give me some darn good >
reasons why I shoudn't strip the hours of support from you.> > Learning and
behaviour? I bet they've got this chapel they'd like you to > paint at the
same time.> > Happy Easter> > Brian> >
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