Skip to main content

SENCO Support Service

Our SENCO Support Service is here for you when you have a question or an issue you would like to work through around special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) in education. The support we offer is based on our extensive experience, knowledge and skills across SEND and education.

Delivered by our team of in-house education specialists, our SENCO Support Service is an essential tool, enabling you to access our experience and understanding of SEND as and when you need it.

Cost: £200

SENCO Support Service main image [a stock image of hands in a circle meeting in the middle alongside a purple wave]

Interested in multiple Senco Support Service Subscriptions?

If you are interested in several members of staff at your organisation having access to the Senco Support Service Subscriptions, please contact us with details details of the number of staff you would like to have access.

Discounts on the standard price are available for organisations purchasing multiple passes, and we would be delighted to discuss the options with you.

Contact: membership@nasen.org.uk 
 

A block colour of pink

SENCO Support Service Features

  • The only support service dedicated for SENCO’s
  • Access to a comprehensive information hub organised into useful SEND topics
  • Exclusive access to our education specialists via a dedicated query submission form
  • 1 to 1 telephone time (up to 30 minutes per call) with our education specialists

SENCO Support Service Benefits

  • We will work with you in a solution-focused way, and signpost useful guidance, organisations or services
  • Improve your knowledge and understanding of SEND
  • Access to specialist support when dealing with complex educational issues
  • Gain knowledge on the strategic and operational aspects of leading and managing SEND

A few of the topics discussed in the SENCO Support Service include:

Secondary age pupil with parent and teacher

Parental Engagement

We have a range of articles around parental engagement and how parents should be involved in the planning of provision for their child and in any decisions that are made. All topics will provide you with an introduction, summary of key information, implications for policy & practice as well as other areas to consider. 

Male teacher supporting two primary school children in a lesson

Person-centred practice

Person-centred practice is the golden thread that runs through the SEND Code of Practice (2015). This is an essential way of working that puts the child or young person and their family, at the heart of all that you do. By working in this way you will ensure that all voices are heard and considered to inform planning and provision for meeting individual needs. All topics will provide you with an introduction, summary of key information, implications for policy & practice as well as other areas to consider.

parent playing with child

Broad areas of need

Information is provided about each of the 4 broad areas of need as described in the SEND Code of Practice (2015). You will develop your understanding of each of these areas as well as being provided for consideration for policy and practice. There are also signposts to organisations that specialise in each of the areas.

Meet our specialists

The SENCO Support Service is built upon the success and expertise of our SEND Specialists. Nasen is proud to shine the spotlight on the staff behind the service.

Large version of the headshot for education officer Michael Surr

Michael Surr

With over 25 years of experience in the education sector Michael has a wealth of experience to bring to nasen to support other SENCOs and education professionals within the sector.  During his career he has worked in primary schools, both in England and abroad. During that time, he had various roles including SENCO, equal opportunities lead, ICT lead and deputy head teacher. Michael then broadened his experience by working for a Local Authority as an advisory teacher for SEND.

Large version of the headshot for education officer Zoe Mather

Zoe Mather

Zoe began her career on the Graduate Teaching Programme in 2000 as a secondary maths teacher. She then furthered her practice across several secondary schools holding roles including outreach and SENCO. Her most recent post before joining nasen, was as Assessment and Achievement Lead as part of the SLT of an autism-specific all-through special school. 

A photograph of Anna Speke

Anna Speke

Anna changed career to retrain as a teacher in 2012, quickly developing a particular passion for supporting children with SEND and their families. 

She went on to work as a SENCO and SEND Lead in several primary schools across the West Midlands, gaining experience across local-authority-maintained schools and within multi-academy trusts. Before joining nasen, Anna led a Communication and Interaction hub provision, working between specialist and mainstream settings to support children with a range of additional needs. Anna also has a particular interest in animal assisted therapies, outdoor learning and Forest School, and how these are of benefit to learners with SEND.   

A professional headshot of Ffion Robinson

Ffion Robinson

Ffion began working in education in 2005, where she quickly developed a keen interest in neurodiversity and inclusion.

She has found her teaching, leadership and SENCO roles incredibly fulfilling and has enjoyed working across a broad range of education settings, including primary, secondary, FE and HE institutions. Her most recent roles before joining nasen were as secondary SENCO for a large M.A.T. and as SENCO, Inclusion Manager and Mental Health Lead in a primary school. Her particular interests include supporting sensory differences, and female presentation of Autism, ADHD and ADD.

a profile photo of Sam McFarlane

Sam McFarlane

Sam has had varied career in education, holding several SENDCO posts across mainstream schools and a pupil referral unit; going on to work as a local authority SEND advisory teacher, where she supported schools and early years settings with the development and implementation of SEND provision for children and young people. Later Sam went on to lead the Learning Support Team with Nottingham City Council; whilst also lecturing at Grosseteste University on the subject of SEND, and training teachers in specialist assessment. Sam is a dyslexia specialist teacher/ assessor, and has a special interest in Specific Learning Difficulties. More recently, Sam has worked with adults supporting identification and accessibility in the workplace.

SENCO Support Service FAQs

nasen’s SENCO Support Service is here to support anyone working as a SENCO or its equivalent e.g. Inclusion Leader or ALNCO, whether that’s in a primary, secondary or all-through school, an Early Years setting or in FE.

The nasen education team have a range of lived experiences in SEND; we have been teachers, SENCOs, leaders, worked in specialist outreach and local authority SEND support services, delivered training for professionals working across education, delivered training for NASENCO courses and Initial Teacher Education. We can make our experience and understanding of SEND available to you when you need it.

Here at nasen we understand both the opportunities and challenges presented by the SENCO role. The SENCO Support Service offers a place to think about some of the strategic and operational aspects of leading and managing SEND. We will work with you in a solution-focused way, and signpost useful guidance, organisations or services.

The SENCO Support Service has a comprehensive information hub organised into useful topics, which is the first place to search.

If you can’t find what you need in the information hub, send us details of your query using the online form provided. We will respond by email as soon as possible, within 3 working days.

If, following the email response, further support or information is needed, a telephone conversation with you will be arranged. To ensure that the service remains as useful as possible for you, we will request feedback after any call.

The SENCO Support Service does not provide legal advice.

The SENCO Support Service retails for £200 per annum.

As a charity, nasen is committed to being able to help as many people as possible; to do this, a reasonable use policy is applied. This means that, although you pay for access to the Service, nasen reserves the right to limit the amount of time per user. As a guide, the Service can typically provide up to approximately 6 hours of support over the twelve month subscription period. This could include a range of email interactions and calls of up to 30 minutes.