Name: Anne Hallissey
Role: Area special educational needs co-ordinator/specialist early years teacher in Warwickshire
Qualifications: BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, QTS
No two days are the same in my role as an area special educational needs co-ordinator (area SENCO). I support SENCOs and practitioners in 20 early years settings including nurseries, daycare settings, pre-schools and childminders. This may involve visiting a new SENCO and talking them through their role, helping with a report for a Statutory Assessment or looking over the setting's special needs policy.
I also hold a caseload of 18 children who have special educational needs. During their pre-school year I provide advice and support for children with a range of needs, including those with autism, behavioural difficulties, speech and language difficulties and medical conditions. This work often requires me to work with multi-agency teams.
The final part of my role is to provide special needs training for practitioners throughout the county.
8.45am - Call into the office to collect post and check e-mails or catch up with a member of one of the other agency teams I work with, regarding a child on my caseload.
9.15am - Travel to the pre-school/nursery setting.
9.30am - Carry out an assessment and observation of a child who has been referred to our team. I usually meet with parents first and discuss the concerns they have regarding their child.
Compared to early years practitioners in a setting, I have the luxury of observing the child for a long period of time - usually a whole morning or afternoon session. During my visit I will talk to staff, look at their observational notes and the child's individual education plan (IEPs) and also any reports that have been provided by other professionals involved in working with the child.
11.45am - Lunch is often in the car on the way to visit my next pre-school setting!
12.45pm - IEP review meeting. I support the nursery staff in reviewing a child's IEP targets. This involves meeting with parents and staff to review progress. If possible, I will spend some time observing the child.
3pm - Travelling to final call of the day.
3.30pm - Working alongside colleagues to provide a twilight training session for early years practitioners on 'Communicating in print'. Training sessions are a great way for SENCOs to network with each other, as well as learning something new.
5pm - Driving home gives me an opportunity to think about the children and staff I have worked with today. It's a great feeling to see the children's achievements - particularly as the year progresses towards their entry into school. The role of the SENCO in early years settings is crucial in ensuring that the inclusion of children with special educational needs takes place.
The SENCOs I work with are enthusiastic and hard-working, often completing necessary paperwork at home or even studying for the early years Foundation Degree. I am very proud of the SENCOs I have the opportunity of knowing.
What it takes
An area SENCO is responsible for providing support, advice and sometimes training for colleagues by visiting a number of settings within a geographical area.
An in-depth knowledge of the legislative requirements relating to assessment and inclusive practice for children with specific educational needs and disabilities is an essential requirement.
A good understanding of the wide range of learning difficulties and disabilities that can impact upon a child's ability to fully engage with learning is also essential.
The role requires knowledge of how to access the right support for a child's developing educational needs, basing the support on informal and/or formal assessments of the child within the context of a multi-agency team. The ability to relate well to a range of cross-sector professionals is necessary, as well as skill in building good relationships between staff, local authority, parents and carers.
To identify needs appropriately, and record progression against planned educational objectives, such as IEPs, requires excellent observation, assessment and evaluation skills.
Area SENCOs are usually specialist teachers who have Qualified Teacher Status and an early years specialism. A good knowledge of child development, as well as learning, is very important.
Communication, both verbally and in writing, at all levels is an essential part of the job, as is the delivery of in-service training to SENCO staff when necessary. Excellent teaching, writing and listening skills in a range of contexts is vital.
A progression route from this type of role could be into educational psychology. This would require post-graduate training to become a chartered educational psychologist, with degrees or conversion courses accredited by the British Psychological Society.
- Tina Jefferies, workforce development specialist for Red Space, www.redspace company.com.
