What to Ask the SENCO in Schools
The SENCO is the link between you and the school if you have a child with special educational needs. Whether your child has been through an assessment or if you feel there is something holding them back from reaching their potential, you can request a meeting with the SENCO. Alternatively, the school might suggest meeting with them if they have any concerns about your child’s progress, for example. Whatever the reasons for the meeting, it is good to know what to ask the SENCO in schools, so you can be prepared and make the most of the opportunity.
What is a SENCO?
SENCO stands for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and it is usually a teacher who also has responsibility for assessing and monitoring the progress of a child with special educational needs. This involves liaising with the parents and making sure that the school does all it can to help the progress of young people who need additional help in their educational work.
It is a good idea to meet with the SENCO, even if you feel there is just a minor issue. You do not need to have a record of need. The SENCO can then monitor your child, consult with other teachers and decide whether they simply need a little support in class or if there is something more involved, which might require an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
The SENCO in schools connects parents with local authorities and other bodies, including those providing funding, in order to ensure your child receives help.
Questions For the SENCO in Schools
SENCOs are busy, as they often have teaching duties to attend to as well. This is why you should work out what you want to gain from the meeting before you go into it. You might have to wait for any follow-up questions to be answered if you don’t ask them when you are face-to-face.
Here are some suggestions for questions to ask SENCO in schools.
What strategies do you have in place to help my child achieve their potential?
Do you have a policy for ensuring these strategies are working and are updated if necessary?
Can I have a copy of the school’s SENCO policy? This allows you to have a better idea of what will happen with your child at school and how they will be supported. It will help bring some continuity to your home life too.
Can I see some examples of any individual education plans that you have created? Although this will not relate specifically to your child, you can get an idea of the process.
How do you monitor individual education plan targets and ensure they are met?
What are the staff’s experiences with SEN and what training do they receive?
Is there a group for parents at the school with children with SEN?
Depending on your situation, you might have some additional questions, but the above will help you gain an insight into how the school manages its provision for special educational needs.
Tuition Support for Children With Special Educational Needs
We provide tuition support for children with special educational needs. We meet with you over video call to discuss your young person’s needs and then try to contact teachers and SENCO in schools to make sure that we provide a cohesive strategy that will; be familiar to your child.
If you want to discuss tuition for your SEN child, contact us today.
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