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SENCO: interview questions and tasks

Download and adapt our interview questions to help recruit your next SENCO - it's got pointers on what to look for in candidates' answers. You'll also find example interview tasks that will help you assess a candidate's skills and ability to fulfil the duties of the role.

Last reviewed on 29 March 2023
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 1388
Contents
  1. Create a bespoke interview pack that reflects the job description
  2. Choose from our list of interview questions
  3. Download and adapt our example tasks

Sources

  • Lorraine Petersen is an education consultant. Previously the chief executive officer of Nasen and a primary school headteacher, she is also a chair of governors
  • Jenny Moss was the headteacher of a special school judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. She has worked in school leadership for almost 20 years
  • Trevor Bailey has extensive experience in school leadership and management, and was a secondary headteacher for 14 years

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Downloads
KeyDoc: interview record sheet for a SENCO
doc
Download
Keydoc: SENCO interview tasks
doc
Download
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Create a bespoke interview pack that reflects the job description

SENCO roles can vary widely from school to school, depending on factors like:

  • Your school's size and phase
  • The specific needs of your pupils
  • Whether the SENCO is also responsible for things like inclusion and safeguarding

Use our interactive tool to create a bespoke interview pack tailored to the specific requirements of the SENCO role in your school. 

The tool allows you to choose questions and tasks tailored to the job description, and your pack would include guidance on:

  • What to look for in good answers
  • How to adapt and evaluate interview tasks

Choose from our list of interview questions

Download our pre-made interview sheet suitable for any SENCO post. You'll need to adapt it to suit the specific role and your school's context. 

Use this template during the interview to record the candidates' responses and score evidence.

KeyDoc: interview record sheet for a SENCO DOC, 190.5 KB
Download

Download and adapt our example tasks

Download the document below and choose from 1 or more of the following tasks, depending on the role you're hiring for: 

  • In-tray exercise 
  • Data analysis
  • Deliver a presentation
  • Observe a lesson
  • Pupil scenario

In the download, you'll find:

  • A summary of each task, including the key skills it tests 
  • Key points to look for in the candidate's response 
  • What you need to prepare
  • An overview of each task to give to the candidates
  • A presentation scoring sheet 
Keydoc: SENCO interview tasks DOC, 271.0 KB
Download
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