[senco-forum] The origins of SENCos

I am a Walsall SENCO and have been in post since 1990. My predecessor, who

I became a primary school Senco in 1994, when the original CoP came into
being, and was still Senco when I retired last summer.  I started my
teaching career in secondary schools, where I was a remedial teacher and
the Head of Dept was simply Head of the Remedial Department.

When I left to have children, we were about to become teachers of the
"less-able", not to mention a separate group of teachers of the
"maladjusted".  I returned (to primary teaching) after a long time at home
and we had now transmogrified into teachers of children with special
educational needs!

Regards

Jean

 I've been pondering this subject since it was brought up.
> I am a Walsall SENCO and have been in post since 1990. My predecessor, who
> retired had the job title of, 'Head of Special Needs', it had been Head of
> the 'Remedial Department' originally! How things change.
> However, I'm sure my job title was 'Senco' before the Code of Practise.
> Whether it came about from being involved in evaluation of the draft
> version
> or not I can't remember.
> ......I wonder how many of use 'original' Sencos are still about?
> Perhaps we should be given some sort of reward? Any suggestions? (Answers
> on
> the back of a postcard please!
> And Brendan...those halcyon days at West Mids College........and the
> library
> there in the early 80s was brilliant, I wanted to do the course you talk
> about but someone else was sent from school instead, But that's another
> story.
> Chris
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
> [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of
> kngbrndn at aol.com
> Sent: 11 April 2008 20:17
> To: k.wedell at btinternet.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
> Subject: Re: [senco-forum] The origins of SENCos
>
> The School of Education at?Birmingham University keeps being?being
> mentioned
> in all references on this thread. It may be useful for the researcher to
> visit and talk to present staff -- and check their dissertation library. I
> guess all?the information is buried there.?And the records of the
> pioneering
> SEN in ordinary schools course at Walsall may not be a bad place to check.
> It's a Campus of Wolverhampton University now. It's?no longer?into teacher
> training as such.? But a wonderful guy --?Niel Duncan --?runs a?Social
> Inclusion courses (I've lectued to his students from time to time of the
> SEN
> freamework and schol inclusion.?The Walsall ?Library may house the past
> info
> you require.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: k.wedell &lt;k.wedell at btinternet.com&gt;
>
> To: senco-forum &lt;senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk&gt;
>
> Sent: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:24
>
> Subject: [senco-forum] The origins of SENCos
>
>
>
>
>
> The Warnock Committee's concept of the continuum of need began to develop
> the   idea that it would be appropriate to have a member of staff in
> mainstream   schools qualified to support other staff in meeting needs as
> well as working   directly with pupils. This then became an obvious
> development when the then   government's concept of a Code of Practice
> focussed mainly on the Statement   procedure in the draft Bill,  was
> modified as the result of pressure groups, to   include support for the
> '18
> percent'.    Christopher is correct in mentioning 'remedial teachers' -
> and
> indeed,   Birmingham Univ's sch of edcn ran a course for them in the
> middle
> sixties.  I   think they mainly worked as part of the LEA support service,
> but some were   probably also  based in larger mainstream schools. These
> often had a 'unit' for   children who were not making expected progress.
> In
> those early years there was   the concept of a distinction between the
> 'backward' and the 'retarded'.    With ap
>  ologies for these aged memories! - Klaus Wedell
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour at
> http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/ now.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________
> This email has been scanned by Netintelligence
> http://www.netintelligence.com/email
>
>