Best Practice Network will deliver the training programme for up to 5,000 early years SENCos, with a range of partners including nursery groups– Kids Planet Day Nurseries, Snapdragons and LEYF, as well as a number of local authorities, training provider Elklan and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA).
The aim of the qualification is to increase the number of Level 3 qualified SENCos in nurseries and childminder settings.
Delivery of the four-month training programme will start in the Autumn. It will include online facilitated training, mentoring and online study. Learners will have access to a group discussion forum and ‘communities of good practice’, as well as build up an e-portfolio of learning for final assessment.
Sian Marsh, director of early years and ITT at Best Practice Network, said, ‘We are pleased to be playing a key role in efforts to ensure that the best possible educational outcomes are achieved for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
‘This qualification comes at a critical time when the pandemic significantly reduced opportunities to identify and address SEND amongst children not yet of compulsory school age.’
Minister for school standards, Will Quince, added, ‘It’s great to be working with Best Practice Network on the delivery of Level 3 SENCo training for early years staff.
‘This is a crucial programme within our early years education recovery package, addressing the impact of the pandemic on the youngest and most disadvantaged children. It’s also a key part of our SEND Green Paper commitment to improve outcomes for all children, regardless of need.
‘The early years sector has worked incredibly hard to support families over the past few years and we want to continue working with them to support all early years children. This upscale in the number of qualified SENCos will directly help children who have special educational needs.’
The names of all of the delivery partners of the qualification are as follows:
- Elklan
- National Day Nurseries Association
- Kids Planet Day Nurseries
- Snapdragons
- LEYF
- Bristol City Council
- Derbyshire local authority
- Durham County Council
- Telford & Wrekin local authority
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), said, 'NDNA is delighted to be partnering with Best Practice Network to deliver such an important programme.
'We know from our engagement with member nurseries around the recent SEND Green Paper consultation that this is an area of huge importance for both providers and practitioners.
But this work must sit alongside other measures set out in the Green Paper that we have recommended in the consultation such as increased funding and ability to access services in a more timely manner.'
- More information about the training is available here