[senco-forum] SENCos MUST be on the SMT?

I've been digging through the archives but can't find the

Like you, Mark, I found that I wasn't able to pin down a specific reference.

Backtracking, the Government Response to the Education and Select
Committee's Report on SEN (which I thought was only a hair's breadth short
of disgraceful) included the following:

'We have reflected carefully on the Select Committee's comments on SENCOs.
We share their view as to their importance and believe that the person
taking on the lead responsibility should be a teacher and a member of the
senior leadership team in the school. We will be introducing an amendment to
the Education and Inspections Bill to require governing bodies to make such
an appointment for the purpose of coordinating the provision of education
for children with SEN and to give the Secretary of State a power to make
regulations relating to the role, responsibilities, experience and training
required.'
However, when the Education and Inspections Act 2006 came into force, it set
out (s173) only a duty for governing bodies to appoint a SENCO and 'to
ensure that special educational needs co-ordinators have prescribed
qualifications or prescribed experience (or both)...'

The key point came up in the Commons where Jim Knight, Minister of State for
Schools, was pressed on the issue of the senior status of SENCOs.  Full text
at

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm061102/debtext/
61102-0016.htm

This exchange seems to be the important one:

Annette Brooke: The hon. Gentleman has highlighted my point. It is vital
that the SENCO should be a member of the senior management team, in a clear
position of responsibility and thus able to give instructions to other
members of staff.

Jim Knight: Regulations will require the designated SENCO to be on the
school's leadership team.

I might well have missed them, but I suspect we're still waiting for the
Regulations.

Biff

----- Original Message -----
From: <webmaster at aylesburyvale-sec.bucks.sch.uk>
To: <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 2:09 PM
Subject: [senco-forum] SENCos MUST be on the SMT?

> I've been digging through the archives but can't find the
> specifics on this.
>
> Somewhere I seem to remember that the advice that SENCos
> should be on SMT had become firmer.
>
> I just can't find where this is. Also I need to know whether
> this is just 'advice' of the take it or leave it type, or
> whether this is something that schools _have_ to do (or
> else)?
>
> Also what about PRUs?
>
> Can anyone point me in the right direction of the
> legislation/guidance/whatever please?
>
> Thank you in advance (gosh that sounds presumptuous)
>
>
>
>
> --
> Mark Norwood
> www.avssc.org
> "How can one not be fond of something that the Daily Mail
> despises?" (Stephen Fry)
>
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