SENCo Practice Guidance

All settings are expected to have a SENCo. In a maintained nursery, the SENCo must have QTS and best practice is for the SENCo to hold the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO) if new to post.

The role of the SENCo involves: ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEN and setting's approach to identifying and meeting SEN; collect information about the child from parents and colleagues and ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting; advising and supporting colleagues and building on existing knowledge of child to decide on action needed to help child progress; make parents aware of local parent partnership services; liaising with professionals from beyond the setting; networking with other Early Years settings; transition planning.

The Practical Guidance for SENCos has been produced to provide Early Years SENCos with a comprehensive resource to support and develop inclusive practice in line with the statutory guidance.