Roles and responsibilities

Early years settings and school-based role-related responsibilities

Although there are some specific role-related responsibilities, meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND is everyone’s responsibility. 

Role Responsibilities include

Governors/

Early Years Committees

 
  • Strategic oversight of SEND provision 
  • Ensuring adherence to the SEND Code of Practice and promotion of best practice in SEND
  • Publication of SEND information (including the SEND Information Report for schools) on the setting/school website about the implementation of their policy for children and young people with SEND
  • Strategic monitoring and evaluating of budgetary decisions, the quality of provision and the broad educational outcomes for those with SEND 
  • It is expected that governors/Early Years committees regularly receive a range of information specific to the SEND cohort in their setting/school. As well as progress and attainment, this should highlight indicators such as attendance rates, including persistent absenteeism. Use of reduced hours provision (part-time timetables), exclusions and violent incidents should also be reported to governors/Early Years committees for various groups of children and young people, including those with SEND, so that a rounded picture of inclusivity, effectiveness of provision and impact can be gained. 

Headteachers/

EY Managers/Supervisors
  • Lead on the culture within a setting/school; set the standard, modelling the expectation of inclusivity and meeting the needs of all children and young people. In good setting/schools headteachers/Early Years Managers/Supervisors are the champions of all children and young people; good settings/schools are good for all children and young people
  • The headteacher/Early Years manager/Supervisor has overall strategic oversight of the effective and consistent implementation of the SEND policy across the setting/school. This will include ensuring frontline practitioners are appropriately trained and skilled to meet the range of need within the setting/school

  • Alongside governors/Early Years committees, ensure that SEND provision at a strategic level is monitored and evaluated routinely, within the school/setting’s overall quality assurance framework. This should focus on the impact of SEND provision on outcomes and be used to inform subsequent policy, procedure and practice, including the identification of any areas for improvement

     
SENDCos
  • Settings must have arrangements in place to support children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  • In schools (including maintained nursery schools) the SENDCo must be a qualified teacher working at the school and should be part of the senior leadership team

  • The SEND code of practice states that group settings such as pre-schools and day nurseries are ‘expected’ to identify a SENDCo, and childminders are ‘encouraged’ to identify a person to act as SENDCo

    SENDCos should: 

  • Provide leadership and professional guidance to colleagues
  • Model inclusivity and best practice in teaching, curricular provision, the environment and resources to support strong outcomes
  • Ensure all staff are aware of children and young people’s individual needs and provision, that there is good, frequent liaison with parents/carers, and that the package of support is cohesive and understood by all
  • Keep up to date with SEND-related research and policy, updating parents and colleagues and informing policy and practice
Lead Early Years practitioners /Teachers
  • Deliver universal, high-quality teaching for all
  • Meet the needs of all children in their setting/class
  • Leader of provision for SEND at the point of delivery in the classroom
  • Know which children and young people in their setting/class has SEND, the nature and level of that SEND and the current plan to support the children and young people’s needs
  • Have high aspirations for and expectations of children and young people with SEND
  • Tailor provision to meet need, with expertise and guidance from the SENDCo as and when appropriate
  • Identify and effectively use resources to provide the adjustments and adaptations a child or young person may require
  • Have oversight of any additional adults working with the class

Early Years support worker/

practitioner /

 

Teaching Assistants
  • Under the direction of the Early Years lead practitioner/ Class Teacher, deliver short, intensive spells of one to one or small group interventions
  • Do not replace the teacher for a child or young person with SEND but enhance the teaching, with the child or young person continuing to retain direct access to the high-quality teaching of the most qualified and lead professional in the classroom
  • In Early Years settings, the early years practitioner, usually the child’s key person, remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. With support from the SENDCo, they should oversee the implementation of the interventions or programmes agreed as part of SEN support. The SENDCo should support the practitioner in assessing the child’s response to the action taken, problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support. (SEND Code of Practice 2015).
  • Support the child or young person to be as independent in their learning as possible 
Peers
  • Are a key part of an inclusive culture providing support to each other in learning and development