Strategic direction and development of SEND

In the context of the Academy's aims and policies, the SENDCo, with the support of the wider leadership group, will co-ordinate the development and implementation of the SEND policy in order to raise achievement and improve the quality of education provided. They should:

• contribute effectively to the development of a positive ethos in which all learners have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum and which contributes to learners’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development and in preparing learners for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

• support staff in understanding the learning needs of learners with SEND and the importance of raising their achievement.

• ensure that the objectives of the SEND policy are reflected in the academy development plan; that effective systems are in place to identify and meet needs and that they are co-ordinated, monitored, evaluated and reviewed.

• monitor the progress made in setting objectives and targets for learners with SEND, assist in the evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and learning, and use the analysis to guide further improvement.

• advise the Vice and Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Teaching on the level of resources required to maximise the achievements of learners with SEN.

• liaise with and co-ordinate the contribution of external agencies.

• ensure all statutory reviews, assessments and documentation are completed within the statutory timescales.

• work with key staff to analyse and interpret relevant national, local and school data plus research and inspection evidence to inform the SEND policy, practices, expectations, targets and teaching methods.

Teaching and Learning

The SENDCo, with the support of the wider leadership group, should seek to develop effective ways of overcoming barriers to learning and sustaining effective teaching through the analysis and assessment of learners’ needs, by monitoring the quality of teaching and standards of learners’ achievements, and by setting targets for improvement.

They should:

• support the identification of learners with SEND, and disseminate the most effective teaching approaches.

• collect and interpret specialist assessment data gathered on learners and use it to inform practice.

• work with learners, subject leaders, class teachers, learning guides, pastoral support workers and the multi-professional team to ensure that realistic expectations of behaviour and achievements are set for learners with SEN.

• develop sympathetic intervention and provision to meet the learning needs of individuals.

• monitor the effective use of resources, appropriate teaching and learning activities and target-setting to meet the needs of learners with SEN.

• develop systems for monitoring and recording progress made by learners with SEND towards the achievement of targets set.

• support the development of improvements in literacy, numeracy and information technology skills, as well as access to the wider curriculum.

• identify and develop study skills to support learners in their ability to work independently and learn more effectively.

• support other staff in developing learners’ understanding of the duties, opportunities, responsibilities and rights of citizens.

• know how to recognise and deal with stereotyping in relation to disability or race.

• maintain effective partnerships between parents and the school’s staff so as to promote learners’ learning and provide information to parents about targets, achievements and progress.

• develop effective liaison between schools and other education providers to ensure that there is good continuity in terms of support and progression in learning when learners with SEND transfer.

• develop effective liaison with external agencies as well as the Multi-Professional Team in order to provide maximum support for learners with SEND.

Leading and Managing Staff

SENDCos should support staff involved in working with learners with SEND by ensuring all those involved have the training and information necessary to secure improvements in teaching and learning and sustain staff motivation.

They should:

• co-ordinate deployment of deputy SENCOs offering support and creating opportunities for development where necessary.

• help staff to achieve constructive working relationships with learners with SEND;

• encourage all members of staff to recognise and fulfil their statutory responsibilities to learners with SEND.

• ensure the establishment of opportunities for themselves, learning support assistants and other teachers to review the needs, progress and targets of learners with SEND.

• provide regular information to the Curriculum and Teaching team on the evaluation of the effectiveness of provision for learners with SEND, to inform decision-making and policy review.

• advise, contribute to and, where appropriate, co-ordinate the professional development of staff to increase their effectiveness in responding to learners with SEND, and provide support and training to trainee and newly qualified teachers in relation to the standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status, Career Entry Profiles and standards for induction, liaising with the Vice Principal, behaviour and attitudes, on effective provision for SEND training of staff.

Efficient and effective deployment of staff and resources

The SENDCo, should identify with the Vice and Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Teaching, appropriate resources to support the teaching of learners with SEND and monitor their use in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and safety.

They should:

• establish staff and resource requirements to meet the needs of learners with SEND, advise the Principal, senior management team and Governing Body of likely priorities for expenditure, and allocate resources made available with maximum efficiency to meet the objectives of the school and SEND policies, and to achieve value for money.

• deploy, or advise leadership on the deployment of staff involved in working with learners with SEND to ensure the most efficient use of teaching and other expertise through effective provision mapping.

• organise and co-ordinate the deployment of learning resources, including information and communications technology, and monitor their effectiveness.

• maintain existing resources and explore opportunities to develop or incorporate new resources from the wide range of sources inside and outside the Academy.

• commit to the Academy Code of Ethical Practice to ensure that safeguarding policies are fully implemented.

Accountability

• Account for the effectiveness of the SEN area to Senior Leaders, Governors and others

• Support the leadership team to provide information, advice and support to the Principal and Governors to enable them to meet their responsibilities for securing effective learning and teaching and improved standards of achievement, and for achieving efficiency and value for money in relation to SEND provision.

• create and develop the SEND areas such that all staff recognise that they are accountable for the success of the academy

• provide coherent and accurate accounts of the SEND area’s performance (including reporting to any external source who have a statutory right to such information ensure that parents and learners are well informed about curriculum, attainment and progress and about the contribution that they can make to achieving targets for improvement.

• Ensure school is compliant with the law for pupils with SEND.

Conditions of employment

• The above responsibilities are subject to the general duties and responsibilities contained in the written statement of conditions of employment (the Contract of Employment).

• Work across the academy to support and encourage the school’s ethos and its objectives, policies and procedures as agreed by the Governing Body.

• To uphold the school's policy in respect of safeguarding including committing to the Code of Ethical Practice.

• Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.

• Perform any other reasonable tasks after consultation with the postholder.

• This job description allocates duties and responsibilities but does not direct the particular amount of time to be spent on carrying them out and no part of it may be so constructed.

• This job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post. It will be reviewed at least once a year and it may be subject to modification at any time after consultation with the postholder.

• All staff participate in the academy’s performance appraisal scheme.