[senco-forum] The origins of SENCos

Sue -- weren't they classed as 'Training Centres" attached to local

I qualified in 1974. My dissertation was based around special needs  
and how children with SEN were educated. I visited various special  
schools at that time and they were schools, not training centres. My  
first job was working in secondary doing music and Remedial teaching.
Even when I returned to teaching in the early 80s after having a  
family, I was still employed as a remedial teacher is Primary, many  
schools having a special class or classes. It was quite forward  
looking to have just general classes with withdrawal groups, though  
that was starting to happen.
I was involved with the pilot project in my LEA in the early 90s to  
work out the best ways of supporting SEN, this pre-code, but post  
Education Act, at that time the term SENCO was appearing, certainly  
the job was being done in many schools, so I think we hit the ground  
running when the C0P came out.

Cheers,

Liz

On 12 Apr 2008, at 00:48, KngBrndn at aol.com wrote:

> Sue -- weren't they classed as 'Training Centres" attached to local  
> Heath Centres / Clinc's -- and the responsibility of the NHS. And  
> they became schools (around the 1970s)?for Severe and/or Profound  
> and Mulitiple?Learning Difficulty Children and transfered to?  
> Education. I remember, when on teacher training, there were a large  
> group of mature trainees from these centres -- undergoing? a 1 year  
> training course for them to gain qualified teacher status in  
> preparation for the change over from Health to Education. About  
> 1972 /3 they were? being re-trained. It was the move away from the  
> notion that these?children were "ineducable". This is why, even  
> today, the SLD/PMLD schools?were to?be found righr next to Health  
> Centre's and Clinics -- or even just within the grounds of mental  
> hospitals.?
>
>

Liz Curtis
Year 1 teacher
Northumberland