Being a special educational needs coordinator (Senco) and meeting the needs of young people can be truly rewarding. But learning to juggle shifting daily demands while keeping an eye on the bigger picture and maintaining a work-life balance can be tricky. So how can you set yourself up to have the best possible year? Here’s my advice.
Create a timeline
You will want to avoid surprise demands wherever possible. If you haven’t already, consider creating a visual timeline of the year so you will know in advance what needs to be done and when.
Start with statutory obligations, such as annual reviews for education, health and care plans, and check timescales. Remember that some documentation will need to be prepared and circulated in advance. Proactively contact colleagues such as your exams officer to ensure you understand what is expected from you.
Ask colleagues for input
It’s worth gauging how others in the school view what your department provides and how you can prioritise what needs to be done for the year. Ask your colleagues for their thoughts on communication from the special educational needs (SEN) department.
For example, do they think the SEN register is in a user-friendly format? Do they feel that the SEN information they need is easily accessible? While sit-down meetings can be helpful, keeping your ears open in less formal settings such as lunchtimes or when carrying out a duty can be very informative.
Simplify your systems
Over time, you will probably want to look at how to refine SEN systems generally, but reviewing your referral system so that it’s fit for purpose may be a good starting point.
Once you’ve dealt with all the referrals that are in progress, you’ll want to avoid referrals building up. Allocating a weekly slot where referrals are actioned can be very helpful. Remember to always feed back to colleagues so that they understand the outcome of their referral.
Lead with care
Take the lead, but also see yourself as one of the team. Remember that no one person has all the answers and working together with colleagues within and beyond your department is essential.
It sounds obvious, but it’s important to check in regularly with members of your team to see what they are enjoying and what they are finding difficult. This will enable you to work together to alleviate pressure points. Try to factor in social time occasionally – you want people to enjoy coming to work.
Pace yourself
Accept that you won’t be able to achieve everything you would like to overnight and keep a notebook with items that you won’t be able to tackle immediately. Encourage others in your department to also contribute to this ongoing list. As the term settles down, aim to tackle one of these items each week and diarise this into your department’s workload.
Seek support
Build support systems. Explore what Senco forums are available in your local area and sign up online to networks to help you keep abreast of national developments. Having a mentor who is an experienced Senco to help you navigate your way through the early months can also be invaluable.
Remember your own needs
Consciously care for yourself and be mindful of your own needs. I can’t stress this enough. Being a Senco, whether in a small primary setting or large senior school, is extremely demanding. When looking after the needs of others, it can be all too easy to place your own wellbeing at the bottom of the priority list.
Small actions like ensuring you take some daily exercise, are not endlessly glued to your computer and that you eat lunch (not at your desk) are so important. Don’t be afraid to delegate too if you are lucky enough to have colleagues with whom you can share the workload.
Dr Susanna Pinkus is an advanced skills teacher in special education, consultant and writer. She is currently in her fifth Senco role.
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