Education (National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination) PgCert

About the course

The National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination (NASENCO) is a legally required qualification for all new Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) that must be completed within three years of appointment.

This course will support you to improve your knowledge of current legislation, theory and practice in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision in schools/colleges and your skills in meeting those needs.

This course will assist you to fulfil your leadership role as outlined in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for 0 to 25 years (DfE, 2015):

• Overseeing the operation of the institution’s SEN policy
• Coordinating provision for SEND
• Liaising with the relevant designated teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN
• Advising on a graduated approach to providing SEN Support and effective deployment of the institution’s delegated budget and other resources
• Liaising with families of children with SEN, other schools and relevant external professionals/ agencies
• Liaising with potential next providers of education and consulting young people and families to ensure a smooth transition is planned
• Working with the head teacher and school governors to ensure that the school conforms to the Equality Act (2010)
• Ensuring that the institution keeps records of young people with SEN up to date.

You will be able to tailor the assignments to fit your, and your institution’s, needs.

How will I be assessed?

There are six assessments, three for each of the two units that comprise the award.

The first assessment in Unit 1 requires application of personal understanding of current legislation to individual contexts and critical reflection on the extent to which current school/institutional practice is inclusive and compliant with the law.

Assessments then focus on critical application of assessment theory to individual learning and behaviour needs, the design, development, and implementation of an individual plan linked to needs, and critical analysis of the effectiveness of this, with implications for future plans.

Assessments in Unit 2 relate to institutional level: analysis and reflection on current school/college policy in SEND and inclusive practices; analysis of areas for improvement in institutional SEND provision; the design, development, implementation, critical evaluation, and reporting on a small-scale practitioner research project focused on achieving the desired improvement.

Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree at Honours level, or equivalent. In addition course participants will need to be practising teachers working in the area of special educational needs provision in schools, early years settings or FE colleges. Please note that, to be a SENCo in a ‘relevant school’ (i.e. a UK mainstream school), the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations (2014) require you also to: have qualified teacher status (QTS); have passed your probationary period.