{"id":77881,"date":"2025-02-21T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/?p=77881"},"modified":"2025-09-25T14:29:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T13:29:29","slug":"what-is-a-senco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a SENCo?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The role of a special education needs coordinator (SENCo) is highly valuable in UK schools and is a teaching career that provides great job satisfaction whilst making a real difference to children\u2019s lives. If you\u2019re looking at becoming a SENCo or are simply interested in what the role involves, then this article will help you understand more about the role of a SENCo, the key job responsibilities and how you can become a SENCo in your school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-role-of-a-senco\">What is the Role of a SENCo?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Special educational needs coordinators &#8211; or SENCos &#8211; are an important role in all mainstream schools. In the UK, all schools must have a SENCo, whether they\u2019re a local authority school, academy, privately-funded school or free school. It\u2019s a highly rewarding career and plays a vital part in helping special educational needs (SEN) children to reach their full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The role of a SENCo is performed by a qualified teacher and may involve working at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/send-in-early-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">early years<\/a>, primary, secondary or further education level. You may be responsible for an individual school or work across multiple sites, such as a group of small village primary schools.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/senco-3.jpg\" alt=\"A special educational needs coordinator working with an SEN pupil\" class=\"wp-image-77904\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>SENCos are also sometimes known as special educational needs and disabilities coordinators (SENDCo) or additional learning needs coordinators (ALNCo), depending on the setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a SENCo, it\u2019s your responsibility to be the main point of contact for parents and staff members to answer queries and offer your support and advice on special educational needs. The SENCo is responsible for identifying students\u2019 needs, ensuring suitable provisions are in place, implementing the SEN policy and taking the lead on raising educational achievement amongst SEN pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-senco-responsibilities\">SENCo Responsibilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The role of a SENCo is very rewarding and makes a real difference to children\u2019s lives but it can also be challenging and hard work at times, so requires real passion and dedication. The key responsibilities of a SENCo include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understanding the different types of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-are-specific-learning-difficulties\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">learning difficulties<\/a> and disabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating the school\u2019s SEN strategy and policy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Communicating the SEN policy to other staff members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leading, supporting and training staff members in SEN provisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identifying and assessing pupils\u2019 needs and observing them in the classroom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liaising with parents of SEN children.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building good rapport with SEN pupils.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintaining accurate pupil records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Designing and delivering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/supporting-pupils-with-sen-in-the-classroom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interventions in the classroom<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developing learning resources and strategies for SEN pupils.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating and monitoring individual learning plans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing regular updates on SEN pupils\u2019 progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Making referrals with specialists and professionals outside the school if required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Staying up-to-date with current SEN guidance issued by the Government.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutenberg-hst-block-experttip tip__box\"><div class=\"tip__title__container\"><div class=\"tip__title__text\"><div class=\"tip__title__icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/plugins\/hub-custom-blocks-plugin\/expert-tip-icon.png\" alt=\"Expert Icon\"\/><\/div><h3>Want to Learn More?<\/h3><\/div><\/div><p>Our online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/courses\/education\/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the Classroom<\/a> course was created in collaboration with a SEND expert and contains essential knowledge for SENCos, teachers and teaching assistants. Alternatively, take a look at our full range of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/courses\/education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CPD Courses for Teaching and Education<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-become-a-senco\">How to Become a SENCo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To become a SENCo in a school, whether it\u2019s early years, primary, secondary or further education, it\u2019s essential that you have qualified teacher status (QTS) and some previous experience of working or volunteering with SEN pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To achieve QTS in England and Wales<\/strong>, you\u2019ll either need to complete an undergraduate degree (in any subject) followed by a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), or complete an undergraduate degree that includes the PGCE, such as a specific Education degree that leads to a role in primary school teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To achieve QTS in Scotland,<\/strong> you can either complete an undergraduate degree (in any subject) followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), or complete an undergraduate degree in Education that includes the PGDE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To become a SENCo in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you\u2019ll also need to achieve a <strong>national professional qualification (NPQ) <\/strong>within three years of starting in the role. This qualification is mandatory under the SEND Regulations 2014 and replaces the existing National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/senco-2.jpg\" alt=\"SENCo supporting a student\" class=\"wp-image-77902\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Gaining <strong>experience of working with and supporting SEN children <\/strong>is a further expectation for becoming a SENCo, as this will help you develop the knowledge and real-life experience required to succeed in the role. This experience can be paid or voluntary and can be carried out alongside your Qualified Teacher Status studies. Our articles on<a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/supporting-pupils-with-sen-in-the-classroom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Supporting Pupils With SEN in the Classroom<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/teaching-children-with-special-educational-needs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7 Creative Exercises for Teaching SEN Children<\/a> provide some further guidance and ideas for teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you know where you want to work as a SENCo, such as specifically in early years or in a secondary school, then other more <strong>specialist qualifications<\/strong> may also be required by the school. This depends on the particular setting and particular role, so take a look at the job description to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our additional article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/how-to-become-a-sen-teacher\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Become a SEN Teacher<\/a> may also be of interest to you, as career progression in this role often leads to becoming a SENCo for the school. The SENCo is usually appointed to the role by the headteacher of the school, so being an existing teacher in the setting can be highly beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>All mainstream UK schools are required to employ a SENCo to support the specific educational needs of their pupils. The SENCo has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential by putting strategies, provisions and interventions in place in the classroom, and can be a very rewarding career path to follow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-further-resources\">Further Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/courses\/education\/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the Classroom<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/senco-interview-questions\/\">SENCo Interview Questions and Answers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/supporting-pupils-with-sen-in-the-classroom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Supporting Pupils with SEN in the Classroom: Guidance for Teachers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/educational-bias\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Educational Bias: How to Avoid Bias in the Classroom<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential. Understand more about the role here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":77899,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[81,80],"class_list":["post-77881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safeguarding","tag-education","tag-teachers-and-parents"],"acf":{"schema_disabled":false,"schema_properties_FAQPage_question_answer":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_tools":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_supplies":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_steps":null,"schema_properties_WebPage_cssSelector":null,"schema_sameAs_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_override":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.5 (Yoast SEO v19.12) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is a SENCo? | Role, Responsibilities &amp; Qualifications<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential. Understand more about the role here.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is a SENCo?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential. Understand more about the role here.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Hub | High Speed Training\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highspeedtraining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highspeedtraining\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-21T09:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-25T13:29:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/senco-fb.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Louise Petty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/senco-twit.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hst\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hst\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Louise Petty\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is a SENCo? | Role, Responsibilities & Qualifications","description":"The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential. Understand more about the role here.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is a SENCo?","og_description":"The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential. Understand more about the role here.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/","og_site_name":"The Hub | High Speed Training","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highspeedtraining\/","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highspeedtraining","article_published_time":"2025-02-21T09:30:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-25T13:29:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":628,"url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/senco-fb.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Louise Petty","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/senco-twit.jpg","twitter_creator":"@hst","twitter_site":"@hst","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Louise Petty","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/"},"author":{"name":"Louise Petty","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/824a3b20dabac4d256e213fa67ca3ccf"},"headline":"What is a SENCo?","datePublished":"2025-02-21T09:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-25T13:29:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/"},"wordCount":937,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#organization"},"keywords":["Education","Teachers and Parents"],"articleSection":["Safeguarding"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/","url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/","name":"What is a SENCo? | Role, Responsibilities & Qualifications","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-02-21T09:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-25T13:29:29+00:00","description":"The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for helping SEN children to reach their full potential. Understand more about the role here.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/what-is-a-senco\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is a SENCo?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/","name":"The Hub | High Speed Training","description":"Welcome to the Hub, the company blog from High Speed Training.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#organization","name":"The Hub | High Speed Training","url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/HST_Logo_Dark-Blue_CMYK_AW-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/HST_Logo_Dark-Blue_CMYK_AW-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1206,"caption":"The Hub | High Speed Training"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highspeedtraining\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/hst"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/824a3b20dabac4d256e213fa67ca3ccf","name":"Louise Petty","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e68c8e7c29b3714186e1217faac3e280?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e68c8e7c29b3714186e1217faac3e280?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Louise Petty"},"description":"Louise has been writing for the Hub since its creation and has produced articles on a wide range of topics. Louise prefers not to specialise in one particular area, so has written about everything from asbestos and COSHH, through to food safety, safeguarding issues and business skills.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highspeedtraining","https:\/\/twitter.com\/hst"],"url":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/author\/louise\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77881"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80466,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77881\/revisions\/80466"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}