Is it ususal that Senco of setting don't have to work with child?

[Guest]

Hello everybody,

I have started working in the preschool recently, where I hardly saw Senco working with A SEN boy. he comes in the afternoon session and two member of staff look after him, taking turn( as he could be hard work.) Senco works only in the mornings so she hardly sees him, so I don't understand how she could able write IEP or even obs. on him. I am struggling to understand. please help me to understand this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

The role of a SENCo is a coordinator. They don't necessarily need to be the person who writes the IEP. They are often there to advise other staff on the SEN Code of Practice, what support may be available for the child, how to approach parents about any concerns and how to evaluate obs.

 

If the staff working with the child are well informed and doing a good job I wouldn't have a problem with it at all.

[Inge]

It really does depend on the set up of the setting..

 

Our preschool senco didn't always work with the children with additional needs, if she had she would be only working with them, and no respite for her...we usually had one per session/ and it could be more .

 

what we did was have her trained to support the other staff working with the children.. we had several staff who did some training for working with the children, and who reported back to the Senco.. or in some cases were the ones who did all the liaising as well if they were better placed and knew the child better.. Senco was the person they went to with questions and asking for support from her.. The observations were done by the staff working with the child and IEPs could be done together with Senco, or if 2 staff working together they were usually trained enough to do this also.. They were usually the key person and worked with the parents as well...

 

Our Senco was there to oversee, check and work with the staff rather than be completely hands on with the child.

[Inge]

and Upsy says it so much better in fewer words...

[Guest]

Thank you so much for all the information. :1b

that's really helpful.