Accreditation: National Professional Qualification for SENCOs

Audience: SENCOs

Start Date: October 2024

Duration: 18 months

Apply by: TBC

Cost: We are currently waiting for confirmation from the Department for Education on what funding will be provided for this programme. Please check back for updates, or register your interest here and we'll get in touch when further funding and application information is published.

Overview

In too many settings, pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) do not progress in line with their peers without SEND. The work of a great SENCO can support these pupils who most require support to flourish socially and academically. SENCOs perform a critical role in every school in the UK, both in the bespoke support for some pupils with SEND and in their promotion of teaching, curriculum and behaviour approaches that work for all pupils, including those with SEND.

The NPQ for SENCOs will ensure you are ready to take on this vital, statutory role in any school setting. You will understand and be able to undertake all statutory aspects of the role, as well as to lead practices across the whole school that benefit all pupils, including those with SEND, such as embedding instructional practices that lead to the greatest pupil progress. Throughout the qualification, you will be led by expert, experienced SENCOs to help you secure the practices and approaches for you to lead this area across a school. By working to improve the practice of all school colleagues, you will have a dramatic impact on the potential outcomes and opportunities open to young people with SEND needs.

What you’ll learn

• How to create a culture of high expectations and achievement for all pupils, allowing those with SEND to flourish
• How to enact the statutory framework and meet all compliance aspects of the role of SENCO
• How to deploy colleagues and resources to support individual pupils to overcome particular barriers
• Reviewing pupil progress and adjusting plans in consultation with stakeholders
• Supporting teachers and leaders to plan and adapt lessons to suit the needs of all pupils
• Fostering the motivation of pupils with SEND and ensuring they are supported by school culture and climate
• How to lead, monitor and review whole-school SEND provision and practices

How you’ll learn

• Local seminars: extend your learning with an expert, school leader facilitator, build your network and apply your learning to your context.
• Virtual school visits: visit some of the country’s leading schools, learning about how they have developed and improved their practice over time to deliver exceptional outcomes and experiences for young people.
• Online masterclasses: hear school-based sector experts sharing best practice from their context and experience.
• Online group coaching: apply your learning to scenarios and to your context, with the feedback and guidance of an expert school-based coach.
• Online self-studies: learn cutting-edge research and how it is being applied successfully in schools.

Time commitment

There are two or three scheduled events every half term, some online and some in-person, and around six to eight hours of self-study.

Apply

NIOT NPQ for SENCOs website

To apply for an NPQ visit EOI – The National Institute of Teaching (niot.org.uk)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email teachingschool@riverscofe.co.uk