Make sure your SENCO has enough authority within your school
Ofsted expects your SENCO to have enough authority within your school’s leadership structure to:
- Positively impact pupils with SEND
- Lead whole-school improvement for pupils with SEND
This is set out under the inclusion evaluation area in the section on supporting pupils with SEND (page 12) and in the 'expected standard' (page 15) of the State-funded Schools Inspection Toolkit.
As such, it's good practice to include the SENCO in your senior leadership team (SLT) structure.
SENCOs don’t have to be a deputy headteacher or assistant headteacher – a qualified teacher with sufficient experience can become a SENCO and join your SLT. Read more about SENCO requirements and qualifications in our other article.
Download our model job description and person specification
Adapt it to reflect your school's role.
Our model is based on the responsibilities set out in the SEND