SENCO Role and Senior Leadership Team Membership in UK Schools

Introduction

The emergence of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) role in the United Kingdom represented an important development for addressing the need for additional support for special education teachers in ordinary schools (Winter & Kilpatrick, 2009). Although SENCOs are generally expected to collaborate closely with teachers in addressing the special needs of their students, there remains a lack of definitional clarity with respect to the precise role that SENCOs should play in mainstream secondary schools in the UK today (Winter & Kilpatrick, 2009). The purpose of this proposed study is to determine to what extent being on the senior leadership team influences the role of SENCOs, and in what ways, as described further below.

Background

The need for a viable framework to address the learning requirements of special educational needs (SEN) students has been recognised for over half a century, culminating in the passage of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) (Powell, 2003). The SENDA mandates that disabled students must not be treated in any fashion less favourable than non-disabled students, and that reasonable accommodations must be made to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in learning activities (Powell, 2003). Because the SENDA authorises the use of mainstreaming or special needs class alternatives for SEN students based on assessments developed by educators and the preferences of parents, it is vitally important to better understand the precise role that SENCOs should play in this process, as well as in the day-to-day provision of educational services to this student population.

Rationale

One of the purposes of the most recent SEN Code of Practice, which became effective in September 2014, was to solicit feedback from SENCOs concerning their views about membership on their school's senior leadership team (Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice, 2015). Although the data-gathering process remains a work in progress, the UK Department of Education has made its views on the issue clear.

For instance, in its section on the role of the SENCO in schools, the SEN Code of Practice emphasises the need for including SENCOs as members of the school's senior leadership team: "The SENCO has an important role to play with the headteacher and governing body, in determining the strategic development of SEN policy and provision in the school. They will be most effective in that role if they are part of the school leadership team" (2015, p. 108). Moreover, pursuant to Professional Standards for Qualified Teacher Status Standard 2.6, "In order to seek advice, the teacher will need to be aware of the role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator" (as cited in Farrell, 2003, p. 57). Taken together, it is clear that additional research is needed concerning the evolving role of SENCOs and how their membership on the school's senior leadership team influences their responsibilities.