In May 2021, the Government published its latest data on the prevalence of SEND (special educational needs and/or disabilities) for schools in England.
For primary schools, the number of pupils with SEND has decreased by almost 4,000 between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. However, this reduction has happened in the context of 55,000 fewer pupils in primary schools overall.
The reality is therefore a marginal increase in the proportion of pupils with SEND from 14.55 per cent in 2019/2020 to 14.64 per cent in 2020/2021. Similarly, the proportion of pupils with SEND with the most complex needs has increased both in nursery settings and primary schools.
With a greater proportion of pupils with SEND, and an increasing complexity of need, the role of the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) is arguably more important than ever before. It is therefore of great concern that research conducted by Bath Spa University and special needs charity Nasen has consistently highlighted barriers preventing SENCOs from undertaking their role effectively.
Too much paperwork
The National SENCO Workforce Survey 2020 has demonstrated a consistent lack of investment into the SENCO workforce in primary schools. As a consequence, SENCOs are not provided with enough time, support or resources to be able to undertake their role effectively.
SENCOs are highly-qualified professionals. As well as being qualified teachers, they must complete the Masters-level National Award in SEN Coordination, and many will have additional specialist SEND credentials because they care profoundly about their role. Given this expertise, it is a national tragedy that the limited time SENCOs do have is too often spent on paperwork, rather than improving inclusive teaching and learning in their schools.
Around four in five primary phase SENCOs report that paperwork takes up most of their time and this proportion is increasing. In practice, this means that school leaders are deploying their highly-qualified SENCOs as very expensive administrators. Only 15 per cent of primary phase SENCOs have any dedicated administrative support, and only one in ten have a deputy SENCO or assistant SENCO. This is an area in which primary school leaders could invest to maximise the impact of their SENCO.
In addition to the limited time that they have, three quarters of primary phase SENCOs are routinely pulled away to undertake non-SENCO duties. SENCOs believe this may be because their role is only understood by around half of senior leaders and less than a third of the wider workforce.
A question of investing time
The workforce survey data suggests that primary phase SENCOs have on average around two days of time to undertake the SENCO role. While this may appear to be reasonably close to the two-three days recommended by the report’s authors, there are wide variations in deployment and it is estimated that only 55 per cent of SENCOs exceed the recommended minimum.
The Government’s 2019 Education Committee report on SEND recommended that the cost implication of having a full-time SENCO in every school should be explored. The current rate of increases in the time allocated for primary phase SENCOs between 2018 and 2020 suggest it would take almost 150 years for primary school SENCOs to become full-time.
For pupils with the most complex needs, it is estimated that it will take almost 25 years for SENCOs to have sufficient time to meet their needs unless the pace of change is rapidly accelerated.
The Government does not currently stipulate the minimum time required to undertake the SENCO role. It is now time for an urgent investment of time, support and resources for our SENCOs.
- Professor Adam Boddison is the outgoing chief executive of nasen – a charity that supports and champions those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences.