About

Who are SENCOs?

SENCOs are Special Educational Needs Coordinators. It is a legal requirement for every school to have a designated SENCo in place. This person has to be a qualified teacher and must have completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination.

What do they do?

The SENCo identifies the children and young people who are on the schools SEND (Special educational needs) register. They monitor the  progress of the children and young people on the SEND register and usually co-ordinate the interventions for these individuals. The SENCOs liaise with and refer to specialist outside agencies to ensure that children and young people have the support that they require. The SENCO is responsible for all children and young people with Education Health and Care Plans and their annual and interim reviews. They will also write requests for Education Health and Care plans, although these can be requested by anyone, not just educational professionals.

Who do they work with?

SENCOs work with external professionals including health care, social care and educational professionals. These professionals include, but are not limited to, speech and language therapists, CAMHS (Rise) professionals, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Educational Psychologists, Doctors/Nurses, Social Workers, Mental Health Nurses, Sensory Support and Coventry SENDIASS. The SENCo also has a link SEN officer who works for the local authority.

How does a parent or carer get in touch with a SENCo?

The best way to get in touch with the school SENCO is to speak to the school reception team. They who will know who  the school SENCO and will be able to direct you to that person.