Special educational needs co‐ordinators: elements of the job in the light of the Code of Practice

Abstract

In England and Wales, the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs now places emphasis on the role of the special educational needs co‐ordinator, or SENCO. Analyses the results of a study of 63 SENCOs, in primary and secondary schools in one urban local education authority in England. Examines status in school, levels of salary and time devoted to the role as well as the extent to which SENCOs managed other personnel, together with their reports on ways in which the use of resources was monitored within their schools. It appears that SENCOs’ status is being recognized in many schools, not just by their salary levels but by the time which they have available to devote to their jobs. Administrative burdens brought by the Code of Practice are a continuing concern. Concludes that most SENCOs continue to view resource monitoring as an accounting exercise rather than one in which pupil involvement can be linked to expenditure on inputs.

Citation

Bowers, T. (1996), "Special educational needs co‐ordinators: elements of the job in the light of the Code of Practice", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 10 No. 5, pp. 11-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513549610146097