The Perfect SENCO is the fully up-to-date, essential guide to supporting children with special educational needs; an invaluable resource for all schools that are looking to update their practice in line with the new national guidelines. Revised and updated to cover the changes resulting from the new Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, this book will empower your school to embrace the national changes which came into force in September 2014, by showing how to support every teacher as a teacher of children with special educational needs (SEN).

Over recent years, the job of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) has become more strategic and will now include provision mapping, working in partnership with parents, supporting other colleagues, commissioning services, demonstrating pupil progress and ensuring value for money. In essence, it is a role which contributes significantly to whole-school improvement. The Perfect SENCO provides guidance for SENCOs and other senior leaders on working in a strategic way to support improvement. It will be of use not only for potential or newly appointed SENCOs, but also for those who are more experienced and wish to keep their day-to-day practice up to date.

Including key information and practical tips, The Perfect SENCO is a useful point of reference for busy senior leaders. The book can be used to encourage reflection of current policy and practice, to support cultural or systemic change and to consider ways of coordinating SEN provision to successfully raise the achievement of pupils with special educational needs.

This revised and updated edition is referenced against the Children and Families Act, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice and up-to-date Ofsted guidelines. It will support SENCOs, inclusion managers and coordinators, SEN governors together with senior leaders to start implementing change effectively.

Contents include:

1. The SENCO: centre stage for school improvement
2. Leading the way: providing strategic direction and development
3. High quality SEN provision - all day, every day
4. Tracking and monitoring to raise achievement
5. Every teacher’s responsibility: developing your colleagues
6. Working in harmony: effective partnerships
7. Bringing it all together: self-evaluation and Ofsted
8. The perfect SENCO: quick checklist of key actions