Supporting pupils awith SEN
The Key for School Leaders
How SENCOs can lead with less
Natalie Jackson, an education consultant and local authority
lead for SEN, gives advice on budget efficiency for SEN.
“Mainstream schools have resources within their delegated
budget that they can use to support pupils with additional needs.
However, the SEN budget is not ring-fenced, and ultimately, the
amount of money made available for SEN is at the discretion of the
headteacher and governors. In the current climate of reduced school
funding, many SENCOs are facing budget cuts as, SEN is often one
of the first areas to be targeted when austerity bites. It is therefore
more essential than ever for schools to reflect on how they can
effectively co-ordinate SEN provision with less money. Here are my
5 top tips for SENCOs on how to lead with less:
1. Have a clear plan that enables you to prioritise
Starting with your overall vision and strategy for SEN, develop a
plan that takes into consideration any priority actions for the next 12
months or so. This will help you and other senior leaders to determine
what resources are required to implement key aspects of SEN
provision and make appropriate budgetary decisions. Get your SEN
governor on side by also involving them in the strategic planning.
2. Use provision mapping to plan and cost provision
This process will help you to co-ordinate provision efficiently through
identifying, targeting and evaluating support for individuals or groups
of pupils. Many SENCOs are now using provision mapping tools
that include some element of costing. Including costings on your
provision map will enable you to monitor the impact of expenditure
on pupil progress – and can also provide evidence for any high
needs funding requests.
3. Focus on the development of high quality
teaching (HQT)
The SEND Code of Practice notes that HQT is the first step in
meeting the needs of pupils with (or without!) SEND. Supporting
colleagues to implement HQT strategies in class will help to embed
inclusive practice across the school without necessarily requiring
extra resources. Consider using The Key’s CPD Toolkit training
module on SEND as a starting point for developing staff knowledge
and understanding around what constitutes inclusive HQT for pupils
with SEN.
4. Use evidence-based interventions
Before implementing any new small group or one-to-one provision,
take the time to research what works well. There are only a handful of
intervention programmes available in the UK for which there is secure
evidence of effectiveness so look for examples of proven programmes
on the EEF website (https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.
uk/) or nasen’s SEND Gateway (www.sendgateway.org.uk). Where
teaching assistants are being used to deliver targeted interventions,
ensure they are well-trained, supported and monitored. Evaluate
the impact of any additional interventions on pupil progress; and if
something isn’t working, stop using it!
5. Collaborate and share good practice
Your school is likely to be part of a collaborative network such as
a multi-academy trust, teaching school alliance or local cluster
group. Get to know SENCOs and senior leaders from other
schools, including special settings, and discuss how resources
and expertise could be pooled for economies of scale. Could joint
SEN professional development be offered for a number of schools?
Is there someone trained to carry out access arrangements who
could test across all secondaries? Could schools jointly commission
external support, for example from a speech and language therapist
or educational psychologist?
With the current budget constraints, managing resources and
ensuring value for money is an increasingly challenging part of
the SENCO’s role. However, with some careful strategic planning,
creative thinking and collaboration you can achieve this effectively -
without having to compromise your values – and continue to put the
needs of your pupils first.
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