AVAILABILITY OF FREE TRAINING COURSES FOR NEW SENCOs – NEW NATIONAL SENCO QUALIFICATION

BRIEFING FOR DIVISIONS

JUNE 2010

On appointment, new SENCOs have up to three years to obtain the National Qualification.

SENCOs who took up lead SENCO responsibilities within the 12 months prior to 1 September 2009 have three years from September 2009 to obtain the Award.

The previous Labour Government introduced a statutory requirement for all ‘new’ (defined below) special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) (defined below) to undertake mandatory training in relation to their role of special educational needs co-ordinators.

The NUT welcomed this recognition that SENCOs require training about their role. Most SENCOs identify that they have training needs which are unmet. Surveys by the NUT have consistently found that special educational needs co-ordinators would like more training and identify a lack of training as a barrier which they face in carrying out their role and responsibilities, as outlined in the SEN Code of Practice.

Who designed the training for special educational needs co-ordinators?

The TDA have developed a framework of nationally approved training for teachers ‘new’ to the role of SENCO. SENCOs were consulted by the TDA when they drew up the draft specification for nationally approved training for SENCOs. Some courses started in September 2009 and some began in January 2010. Further courses will be starting in September 2010.

Do head teachers know about this training available for new SENCOs?

Not necessarily. It is important that divisions bring this to the attention of head teachers. Head teachers may not realise that new SENCOs are required to complete the training. Head teachers will not be aware that the training for new SENCOs is free and that they can claim supply cover costs for release for up to ten days at £150 per day.

Who is providing the training?

The training is provided by TDA-approved SENCO training providers. The TDA went out to tender, asking providers to apply to run courses which would lead to the Award of the new National SENCO Qualification, which is called the National Award for SEN Co-ordination.

A list of all the approved training providers, including contact details and the dates on which each will start to offer the course, is included at the end of this briefing.

When SENCOs complete this nationally approved training, they are awarded the National Award for SEN Co-ordination.

What is involved in the training?

To achieve the National Award for SEN Co-ordination, teachers will be required to meet the learning outcomes in Criteria Six of the ‘specification document’ produced by the TDA. This is on the TDA website. The SENCO Qualification is validated at Masters’ level and provides 60 credits. The length of time required to complete the training will depend on participating SENCOs’ prior experience, knowledge, understanding and skills. It is expected that it will take about one year, (part time) to complete national SENCO training for an eligible teacher starting from scratch, if they do not have accreditation for prior learning or experience.

Can SENCOs who are not ‘new’ to the post of SENCO complete a course?

The national training is designed primarily to address the training needs of SENCOs who are new to the role. However, it is likely that the training will also attract some skilled and experienced SENCOs even if these teachers are already able to demonstrate some or all of the required learning outcomes. Training providers, therefore, have been asked to have arrangements in place for such SENCOs to be considered for the Award of the Qualification without undergoing a full programme, taking account of prior experience and learning. The TDA is not providing funding for SENCOs who do not meet their definition of a ‘new’ SENCO. These SENCOs will need to ask their school to pay.

Who will pay for the training?

The TDA pays for the course for new SENCOs. The training providers have been mandated to be able to transfer funds to schools to cover the supply costs associated with the SENCO training. The training providers have been asked to seek assurances from each participating SENCO school, that the SENCO is eligible for funded training (i.e., by virtue of being new to the role).

This means that the teacher must confirm that they were in the SENCO post for less than 12 months as at 1 September 2009. The school must confirm that they will release the teacher to attend any taught sessions and that the school will support the teacher to complete all the required elements of professional development to be carried out in the school.

Which SENCOs are eligible to be defined as ‘a new SENCO’?

Funding from the TDA to the course providers is only available to support SENCOs undertaking courses who are ‘new’ to the post. Funding is available in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years.

To be eligible for funding, SENCOs must:

(a)be a teacher who has obtained Qualified Teacher Status and satisfactorily completed their induction, or a head teacher or acting head teacher; and

(b)be working at an eligible mainstream school, i.e., a community, foundation or voluntary school or a maintained nursery school; and

(c)be new to the role of SENCO.

The definition of ‘being new to the role’ is set out below.

For courses beginning in September 2010, the TDA defines being new to the role as:

  • being in post, as a SENCO, for a total of less than 12 months (in their present or in any previous schools) at the time of starting the course or in post as a SENCO for less than 12 months in the period up to 1 September 2009 and unable to take up a nationally approved course in September 2009 or January 2010; and
  • employed as a SENCO under a permanent contract or as a fixed-term contract of not less than one year in length at the time of application for the training. The contract should not expire before the end of the course; and
  • not have previously enrolled on and completed nationally approved SENCO training.

The TDA is funding a total of £3,300 per teacher. This will include:

  • a maximum of £1,500 per teacher to cover supply costs (£150 per day);
  • a maximum of £1,800 per student to cover fees and other set-up costs.

Funding will be paid directly to the training provider by the TDA who should ensure that schools receive the appropriate supply cover payment.

Course providers have been asked to seek assurances from each school that their SENCO will be released from school to attend any taught sessions and will be supported by the school to complete the required elements of professional development to be carried out in schools.

Can existing SENCOs claim TDA funding to carry out the National Award?

No. The TDA funding is only available to SENCOs who are new to the role. SENCOs already in post for 12 months or longer before September 2008 are not required by law to acquire the Award.

The Education (SEN Co-ordinators) (England) Regulations 2008 relate to all New SENCOs appointed between September 2008 and September 2010. It is the SENCOs appointed between these dates who must undertake the mandatory training.

What should divisions do?

  • Ask your Local Authority whether it has made head teachers aware that they should send ‘new’ SENCOs on September 2010 courses.
  • Inform NUT head teacher members that these free courses are available in September 2010 for new SENCOs.
  • Inform all head teachers of maintained schools that SENCOs must be qualified teachers. Head teachers should not appoint any person to the role of SENCO unless they have Qualified Teacher Status.

SENCO TRAINING PROVIDERS

The TDA went out to tender, asking providers to apply to run courses which would lead to the Award of a new national SENCO qualification– the National Award for SEN Coordination.

Here is a list of all approved training providers, including contact details and the dates on which each will start to offer the course.

BathSpaUniversity
Course available from September 2009
Contact name: Zara Johnson
E-mail:
Tel: 01225 875593
Website:

University of Bedfordshire
Course available from September 2009
Contact name: Professor Janice Wearmouth
E-mail:

Tel: 01234 793153

Best Practice Network
Course available from October 2009
Contact name: Ginny Middleton
E-mail:
Tel: 0117 920 9200
Website:

Eastern Leadership Centre, University of Cambridge
Contact name: Stacy Spalthoff
E-mail
Tel: 01223 499224

CanterburyChristChurchUniversity
Course available from September 2009
Contact name: Alison Ekins (Course Director)
E-mail:
Tel: 01227 782395

University of Chichester
Course available from January 2010

University of Cumbria
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Nicola Williams
E-mail:
Tel: 01539 430355
Website:

EdgeHillUniversity
Course available from: October 2009
Contact name: Fiona Hallett
E-mail:
Tel: 01257 517115
Website:

University of Gloucestershire
Course available from September 2009
Dr. Amanda Pill
Email:
Tel: 01242 714736

LeedsMetropolitanUniversity
Course available from: April 2010
Contact: The Carnegie Professional Courses Administration Team
E-mail:
Tel: 0113 812 3169

ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity
Course available from January 2010
Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader: Mal Ashman, e-mail: , tel: 0161 247 2079 or 07850 954195
Programme Coordinator: Jessica Berrigan
E-mail:
Tel: 0161 247 6425

University of Northampton
Course available from January 2010
Academic contact: Steve Cullingford-Agnew, e-mail: , tel: 01604 892 897
Administrative contact: Pam Cormack, e-mail: , tel: 01604 892 586
Website:

NottinghamshireCounty Council
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Alex Maslen
E-mail:
Tel: 0115 953 5043

University of Reading
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Rosemary Jones
E-mail:

OxfordBrookesUniversity
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Lynne Cook
E-mail:

Tel: 01865 488518

RoehamptonUniversity
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Cathy Svensson
E-mail:
Tel: 0208 3923016

Real Training
Course available from January 2010
Contact names: Siobhan Mellor and Jane Marshall
E-mail: ;
Tel: 01273 35 80 80
Website:

School of Education, University of Birmingham
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Christopher Robertson
E-mail:
Tel: 0121 414 4832

School of Education, University of Leeds
Course available from September 2009
Contact name: Sue Pearson
E-mail:
Tel: 0113 343 3227

SENJIT, Institute of Education, University of London
Course available from: September 2009 in some local authorities; January 2010 at the Institute of Education and other local authorities.
Responsible tutor: Pam Wright, e-mail:
Administrator: Tina Catchpole, e-mail:
Tel: 020 7612 6305
Website:

Serco Education & Children’s Services and the University of Wolverhampton
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Louise Wilde
E-mail:
Tel: 01275 370620
Website:

SheffieldHallamUniversity
Course available from January 2010
Contact names: Dave Gubbins and Niki Elliot
E-mail: and
Tel: 0114 225 5325 and 0114 225 5174

South West Consortium: University of Plymouth and University of Exeter
Course available from January 2010
University tutors: University of Plymouth, Mike Murphy, e-mail: ; University of Exeter, Hazel Lawson, e-mail:
Administrative contact: James Wadham
E-mail:
Website:

University of the West of England
Course available from September 2009
Dr. Carolyn Bromfield
Email:
Tel: 0117 328 4100

Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care, University of Winchester
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Tony Simmons, Senior CPD Administrator
E-mail:
Tel: 01962 827327

University of Worcester
Course available from January 2010
Contact name: Alison Clarke
E-mail:
Tel: 01905 855 056