An umbrella that covers far too much! - the ground realities of being a SENCO

The role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in England was established in the 1994 Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice (DfE, 1994) which stated that all mainstream schools must have a SENCO responsible for coordinating services around children with SEN and helping teachers develop and implement appropriate provision for these children. A similar role exists in other European countries such as Sweden and Ireland. Since 1994, the SENCO role in the UK has changed as various policies continually redefined SEN provisions (DfES, 2001a; DfES, 2001b; DCSF, 2004). This paper focuses on the data gathered through questionnaires and interviews relating to the impact that SENCOs have on teachers’ capacity to address SEN in their classrooms. The issue is timely now that the intended legislation, ‘Support and Aspiration: a New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability’ (DfE, 2011) plans to end “the bias towards the inclusion” of children with special needs in mainstream schools. This particular statement has caused much furore within the Special Needs community, particularly amongst SENCOs, whose principal guidance, the Revised SEN Code of Practice (2001) promotes the inclusion for children with SEN in mainstream schools. Since SENCOs are central to supporting children’s inclusion and achievement, the research centres around three specific The aims of my research thus can be detailed as follows: • To investigate the degree to which SENCOs are able to successfully motivate the teachers who have children with SEN in their classrooms to confidently manage the needs of these students. • To consider the various factors through which SENCOs contribute to the teachers’ skills of dealing with the students who have SEN and the perceived success of such skills. • To identify which elements (interventions, resources, training, etc) most positively impact the success of the SENCO–teacher interactions This study investigates how SENCOs enable teachers to take ownership of SEN teaching in their classroom, and to what degree teachers feel that SENCO’s support enables them to ‘successfully’ and independently meet the needs of children with SEN. Moreover, the study also explores whether the teachers’ views are shared with the views of the SENCO in question in each setting. The Study: The overall design of the study revolves around an interpretative mixed-methods approach (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007; Robson, 2011). Creswell (1998, pp. 51-52) illustrates this particular kind of study, as a one in which individuals will be asked to “describe their everyday lived experiences” as related to the phenomenon under investigation. In the specific case of this project, the phenomenon pertains to the SENCO-teacher interaction and its impact on the teachers’ abilities to address and manage the needs of children with SEN, including those with behavioural issues, in English Primary Schools. Research Population: This research project engages with a purposive sample of SENCOs from the UK ‘National Award for SEN Coordination’ Course. This course is mandatory professional development for all new to role SENCOs and those who had been working in their respective schools in the SENCO role for less than 12 months prior to September 2009 (DCSF, 2009a). The selection criteria for this sample, was accessed through the researcher’s academic contacts involved in course delivery, was based primarily on the fact that all participants are currently actively in post as SENCOs. Furthermore, a secondary basis for selection involved the convenience of access to such a sample based upon limitations and time constraints. Research Instruments: The main instruments used for data collection were a self-completion questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions (Robson, 2011), which was then used as the basis for semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data was sought via the survey instrument that was divided into the following sections: demographic information; employment status and responsibilities, SENCO-teacher interactions; and classroom interventions. The questionnaire was developed and based on the researcher’s previous work around the challenges faced by SENCOs in English Primary schools, as well as previous studies (Cole, 2003; Garner and Davies, 2001; Pearson and Ralph, 2007; Szwed, 2007b) in this area. The questionnaire essentially sought data about SENCOs perceptions of their own role, in terms of the support they provide to teachers. These then informed the semi-structured interviews which were carried out for a research sample of 18 SENCOs and 18 Teachers. Triangulation of data (Creswell, 1994; Bell, 2005), so as to try to ensure the verification and validity of data (Silverman, 2010) was ensured through a three-pronged methodological approach including questionnaire and interview data, document scrutiny and a critical review and evaluation of past and current research in the area. Data Collection: A pre-questionnaire preparatory phase was undertaken. This involved preparation of a draft questionnaire built upon an initial analysis of previously published research which was then reviewed in a peer support group, gaining feedback from other researchers, and further, piloting the survey with three SENCOs. This pilot phase ensured increased reliability, validity and practicability of the questionnaire (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007). Additionally, the pilot informed the researcher’s ability to ensure manageability of data collected at the point of final dissemination, through a process of refining and rephrasing questions as per the peer group and pilot participant SENCOs’ feedback. The questionnaire (see Appendix 1) was then distributed to the Primary School SENCOs on the UK ‘National Award for SEN Coordination’ Course with the consent and support of the course leaders. The researcher spoke in person, briefly about the project, and the intended informational benefits of the research outcomes to those SENCOs who participate. Questionnaires were then distributed by the researcher to participants at the end of a course session, for them to post back in prepaid envelopes at their convenience. Altogether 221 copies of the questionnaire survey for primary school SENCOs were distributed across six UK ‘National Award for SEN Coordination’ Course cohorts, involving five Local Authorities. Local Authorities are units of local government in England that are responsible for specific geographic areas. The return rate n=42 comprised 19.00% of the distribution sample, a return that is approximately in line with national; expectations for a survey of this type. The researcher is mindful of the associated limitations of the data, as the sample was purposeful and selective with a lack of representation across all Local Authorities in England, and the fact that research participants include those new to role SENCOs and those who had been working in their respective schools in the SENCO role for less than 12 months prior to September 2009 (DCSF, 2009a). In the current phase of the project, data gathered from interviews with 18 SENCOs and 18 Teachers is currently being analysed.