Attitudes of SENCOs and colleague teachers towards SENCOs

1
Attitudes of SENCOs and colleague teachers
towards SENCOs role in schools in the U.K.

• Associate Prof Tomomi Sanagi Chiba
  University, Japan sanagi_at_faculty.chiba-u.jp

2
Abstract

• SENCOs are expected to fulfill daily work with
  their colleagues in the schools.
• However, it is known that there are some
  different attitudes on SENCOs work.
• There are many researches to clarify SENCOs
  attitudes on their roles and responsibilities.
  And, several facts indicated that most of SENCOs
  have suffered from the burden of their roles. On
  the contrary, there are very few researches on
  attitudes toward SENCOs roles from their
  colleagues.
• The author and Farrell P (The University of
  Manchester) conducted investigation for colleague
  teachers and SENCOs.
• The results indicated that there are some
  different attitudes on SENCOs work between
  SENCOs themselves and their colleague teachers.
  Many teachers have expected SENCOs to fulfill
  their roles of giving teachers advice on how to
  teach children with SEN, advice on implementation
  of IEP, and detailed information on pupils SEN.
  However, in actually colleague teachers see their
  SENCOs especially have fulfilled their roles on
  teaching pupils with SEN directly and keeping
  pupils records, registers and Statements.

3
Purpose and methods

• The purpose of this study was to clarifying
  teachers attitudes towards SENCOs roles in
  their schools.
• We diffused a questionnaire for 50 primary and 50
  secondary SENCOs.
• We have 71 questionnaires from 20 schools.
  (We hesitate to generalize the results
  because of its small size sample.)

4
Type of School , Number of SENCO ,School Size ,
Total teaching experience
N
Primary Teacher 29 40.8
Secondary Teacher 42 59.2
N
100-199 3 4.2
200-299 2 2.8
300-499 15 21.1
500-799 18 25.4
800-1199 29 40.8
1200 4 5.6
71 100.0
The Number of SENCO N
1 49 69.0
2 18 25.4
3 4 5.6
Total teaching experience Ave. 13.0 yrs (min
1yrs max 33yrs)
5
Have you had any training to teach pupils with
SEN?
N
YES 35 49.3
NO 34 47.9
No answer 34 2.8
N
YES 5 7.0
NO 58 81.7
No answer 8 11.3
Do you want to become SENCO in the future?
Most teachers do not want to become SENCOs. The
interviews with some teachers suggest that this
is because of the amount of time dealing with
management issues.
6
What do you think about the importance of the
following roles of SENCOs?
Ave SD
Coordinating provision for children with SEN 4.68 0.32
Liaising with and advising fellow teachers 4.56 0.67
Managing the SEN team of teachers and /or LSAs 4.56 0.61
Liaising with external agencies 4.48 0.84
Liaising with parents of pupils with SEN 4.37 0.96
Overseeing the records on all children with SEN 4.30 0.77
Contributing to the In-service training of staff 4.17 0.61
Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the schools SEN policy 4.01 0.61
1 Not Important - 5 Very Important
These roles are prescribed by the revised Code of
Practice. Teachers especially expect their SENCO
to take roles such as coordinating provision,
liaising with and advising, managing the SEN team
and liaising with external agencies.
7
Differences between Primary and Secondary
teachers (t-test What do you think about the
importance of the following roles of SENCOs?
Primary secondary
Coordinating provision for children with SEN 4.48 (0.74) 4.81 (0.40)
Liaising with and advising fellow teachers 4.52 (0.63) 4.60 (0.63)
Managing the SEN team of teachers and /or LSAs 4.28 (0.80) 4.76 (0.48)
Liaising with external agencies 4.45 (0.74) 4.50 (0.74)
Liaising with parents of pupils with SEN 4.03 (0.87) 4.60 (0.63)
Overseeing the records on all children with SEN 4.07 (0.88) 4.46 (0.74)
Contributing to the In-service training of staff 4.07 (0.92) 4.24 (0.85)
Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the schools SEN policy 3.69 (1.31) 4.24 (0.91)
1 Not Important - 5 Very Important
In comparing primary and secondary teachers,
there are some differences. In general, secondary
teachers estimated the importance of the roles of
SENCO higher than primary teachers. There are
statistically significant differences on some
areas, that is, overseeing the day-to-day
operation of the SEN policy, managing the SEN
team, coordinating provision, and liaising
with parents.
8
Please indicate the extent to which SENCO fulfill
these roles.
Ave. SD
Liaising with external agencies 4.57 0.76
Keeping pupils records, registers and Statements 4.57 0.66
Making the bridge between parents and the school 4.28 0.85
Assessing and evaluate pupils SEN in detail 4.07 0.97
Giving you detailed information on pupils SEN 4.07 1.00
Taking the role of consultant for parents 4.00 0.89
Helping to make the school more inclusive 3.88 0.95
Teaching pupils with SEN directly 3.84 1.30
Giving you advice on implementation of IEP in brief 3.72 1.01
Making sure to diffuse the inclusion policy 3.62 0.80
Arranging the curriculum for pupils with SEN 3.57 1.20
Managing good staff meeting 3.56 1.10
Giving you advice on how to teach children with SEN 3.51 1.12
Giving you advice on assessing and recording of pupils needs 3.48 1.06
Arranging and managing staff training opportunities 3.43 1.05
Teachers regard their SENCO as fulfilling roles
of liaising with external agencies, keeping
pupils records, registers and Statement, and
making the bridge between parents and the
school. On the other hand, they think that SENCO
spend less time arranging and managing staff
training, giving advice on assessing and
recording of needs, and giving advice on how to
teach.
9
Differences between primary and secondary
teachers (t-test)(Please indicate the extent to
which SENCO fulfill these roles.)
Primary secondary
Making sure to diffuse the inclusion policy 3.46 (0.76) 3.74 (0.82)
Helping to make the school more inclusive 3.78 (0.80) 3.95 (1.05)
Giving you advice on how to teach children with SEN 3.46 (1.14) 3.54 (1.12)
Giving you advice on implementation of IEP in brief 3.79 (0.96) 3.67 (1.06)
Giving you detailed information on pupils SEN 3.79 (0.92) 4.28 (1.02)
Giving you advice on assessing and recording of pupils needs 3.64 (0.91) 3.36 (1.16)
Arranging the curriculum for pupils with SEN 3.00 (1.19) 4.00 (1.05)
Teaching pupils with SEN directly 2.85 (1.29) 4.57 (0.69)
Managing good staff meeting 3.39 (1.10) 3.68 (1.09)
Keeping pupils records, registers and Statements 4.39 (0.79) 4.69 (0.52)
Making the bridge between parents and the school 3.96 (0.88) 4.51 (0.76)
Taking the role of consultant for parents 3.71 (0.81) 4.21 (0.89)
Arranging and managing staff training opportunities 3.32 (0.90) 3.51 (1.14)
Assessing and evaluate pupils SEN in detail 3.82 (0.82) 4.26 (1.04)
Liaising with external agencies 4.64 (0.68) 4.51 (0.82)

plt.01 plt.05
10
Differences between primary and secondary
teachers (t-test)(Please indicate the extent to
which SENCO fulfill these roles.)

• Three areas were estimated higher by primary
  teachers than secondary teachers. These areas are
  giving advice on implementation of IEP, giving
  advice on assessing and recording pupils needs,
  and liaising with external agencies.
• All other areas were estimated higher by
  secondary teachers than primary teachers.
  Especially, in the areas on arranging the
  curriculum for pupils with SEN and teaching
  pupils with SEN directly, there are large
  differences with statistical significant
  differences between them.
• It is possible that the reasons why these items
  were estimated higher by secondary teachers were
  that primary SENCOs took on the roles of SENCO
  and classroom teacher so that they do everything
  to meet pupils SEN.
• On the other hand, the secondary SENCO is the
  only person with responsibility for SEN. There
  are also some differences between primary and
  secondary teachers.
• On the items giving detailed information on
  pupils SEN, making the bridge between parents
  and the school, and taking the role of
  consultant for parents are estimated higher by
  secondary teachers than primary teachers.

11
Please give your overall view of the important
role of SENCO in the following areas.
Ave. SD
Giving you detailed information on pupils SEN 4.54 0.63
Giving you advice on how to teach children with SEN 4.45 0.71
Liaising with external agencies 4.35 0.81
Giving you advice on implementation of IEP in brief 4.24 0.75
Giving you advice on assessing and recording of pupils' needs 4.10 0.88
Making the bridge between parents and the school 4.07 0.95
Assessing and evaluate pupils' SEN in detail 3.90 1.17
Keeping pupils' records, registers and Statements 3.90 1.10
Arranging the curriculum for pupils with SEN 3.85 1.04
Helping to make the school more inclusive 3.81 0.95
Taking the role of consultant for parents 3.77 0.99
Making sure to diffuse the inclusion policy 3.71 0.87
Arranging and managing staff training opportunities 3.68 0.95
Managing good staff meeting 3.38 1.06
Teaching pupils with SEN directly 3.31 1.31
Teachers especially think the important role of
the SENCO is as "an Advisor on SEN" who gives
some information on SEN, how to teach,
implementation of IEP, assessing and recording,
and so on. However, they think roles such as
teaching pupils directly and managing staff
meeting are not so important. And it seems that
they think "helping to make the school more
inclusive", "assessing and evaluate pupils' SEN",
and "keeping pupils' records, registers and
Statements" are not so important as well.
12
Differences between primary and secondary
teachers (t-test)Please give your overall view
of the important role of SENCO in the following
areas.
Primary Secondary
Giving you detailed information on pupils SEN 4.34 (0.72) 4.67 (0.53)
Giving you advice on how to teach children with SEN 4.34 (0.77) 4.52 (0.67)
Liaising with external agencies 4.24 (0.87) 4.43 (0.77)
Giving you advice on implementation of IEP in brief 4.21 (0.74) 4.26 (0.77)
Giving you advice on assessing and recording of pupils' needs 3.86 (0.83) 4.26 (0.89)
Making the bridge between parents and the school 3.66 (0.90) 4.36 (0.88)
Assessing and evaluate pupils' SEN in detail 3.14 (1.19) 4.43 (0.83)
Keeping pupils' records, registers and Statements 3.45 (1.09) 4.21 (1.00)
Arranging the curriculum for pupils with SEN 3.52 (0.91) 4.07 (1.07)
Helping to make the school more inclusive 3.75 (0.84) 3.86 (1.03)
Taking the role of consultant for parents 3.38 (1.05) 4.05 (0.85)
Making sure to diffuse the inclusion policy 3.59 (0.84) 3.74 (0.89)
Arranging and managing staff training opportunities 3.55 (0.95) 3.76 (0.96)
Managing good staff meeting 3.34 (1.08) 3.40 (1.06)
Teaching pupils with SEN directly 2.75 (1.11) 3.69 (1.32)

Like as the result No.10, secondary teachers
estimated higher than primary teachers in all
areas about important role of the SENCO. There
are statistically significant differences in some
areas. ("giving detailed information on SEN",
arranging the curriculum", "teaching pupils
directly", "keeping records, registers and
Statements", "making the bridge between parents
and the school", "taking the role of consultant
for parents", and "assessing and evaluate pupils'
SEN")
13
Primary teachers view of perceptions of their
ideal and actual roles (t-test between
Importance and fulfill in actually)
Ideal Actual
Making sure to diffuse the inclusion policy 3.54 (0.81) 3.46 (0.76)
Helping to make the school more inclusive 3.70 (0.82) 3.78 (0.80)
Giving you advice on how to teach children with SEN 4.32 (0.77) 3.46 (1.14)
Giving you advice on implementation of IEP in brief 4.19 (0.74) 3.78 (0.97)
Giving you detailed information on pupils SEN 4.32 (0.72) 3.79 (0.92)
Giving you advice on assessing and recording of pupils needs 3.82 (0.82) 3.64 (0.91)
Arranging the curriculum for pupils with SEN 3.50 (0.92) 3.00 (1.19)
Teaching pupils with SEN directly 2.85 (1.08) 2.77 (1.24)
Managing good staff meeting 3.43 (1.00) 3.39 (1.10)
Keeping pupils records, registers and Statements 3.54 (1.00) 4.39 (0.79)
Making the bridge between parents and the school 3.75 (0.75) 3.96 (0.88)
Taking the role of consultant for parents 3.46 (0.96) 3.71 (0.81)
Arranging and managing staff training opportunities 3.64 (0.83) 3.32 (0.90)
Assessing and evaluate pupils SEN in detail 3.11 (1.20) 3.82 (0.82)
Liaising with external agencies 4.25 (0.89) 4.64 (0.68)

plt.01 plt.05
14
Primary teachers view of perceptions of their
ideal and actual roles (t-test between
Importance and fulfill in actually)

• This comparison is for let us know how teachers
  think ideal roles of SENCO and actual roles.
• In some areas, primary teachers were estimated
  higher on "actual" (item 4) than "ideal" (item
  3). This means that primary teachers regard their
  SENCO as working too much in actually. Such areas
  are "keeping pupils' records, registers and
  Statements", "assessing and evaluate pupils' SEN
  in detail", and "liaising with external
  agencies". (These items were underlined in ideal
  roles.)
• On the contrary, there are higher estimated areas
  in "ideal" (item 3) than in "actual" (item 4).
  ("giving advice on how to teach children with
  SEN", "giving advice on assessing and recording
  of pupils' needs", and "arranging the curriculum
  for pupils with SEN") This imply that primary
  teachers have more expectation to their SENCO
  than these are in actually.

15
Secondary teachers view of perceptions of their
ideal and actual roles (t-test between
Importance and fulfill in actually)
Ideal Actual
Making sure to diffuse the inclusion policy 3.86 (0.91) 3.74 (0.82)
Helping to make the school more inclusive 3.85 (1.04) 3.95 (1.05)
Giving you advice on how to teach children with SEN 4.49 (0.68) 3.54 (1.12)
Giving you advice on implementation of IEP in brief 4.23 (0.78) 3.67 (1.06)
Giving you detailed information on pupils SEN 4.67 (0.53) 4.28 (1.02)
Giving you advice on assessing and recording of pupils needs 4.26 (0.91) 3.36 (1.16)
Arranging the curriculum for pupils with SEN 4.08 (1.04) 4.00 (1.05)
Teaching pupils with SEN directly 3.76 (1.26) 4.57 (0.69)
Managing good staff meeting 3.42 (1.08) 3.68 (1.09)
Keeping pupils records, registers and Statements 4.23 (0.96) 4.69 (0.52)
Making the bridge between parents and the school 4.36 (0.87) 4.51 (0.76)
Taking the role of consultant for parents 4.05 (0.86) 4.21 (0.89)
Arranging and managing staff training opportunities 3.82 (0.94) 3.51 (1.14)
Assessing and evaluate pupils SEN in detail 4.46 (0.76) 4.26 (1.04)
Liaising with external agencies 4.49 (0.72) 4.51 (0.82)

plt.01 plt.05
16
Secondary teachers view of perceptions of their
ideal and actual roles (t-test between
Importance and fulfill in actually)

• This table shows the same comparison between
  "ideal" (item 3) and "actual" (item 4) by
  secondary teachers. Like as primary teachers,
  secondary teachers estimated that SENCO fulfilled
  their roles in some areas such as "keeping
  pupils' records, registers and Statements". And
  similar as primary school, relatively not so high
  estimated areas were in two areas on "giving
  advice on how to teach children with SEN" and
  "giving detailed information on pupils' SEN".
  Also the same tendency was in the area "giving
  advice on implementation of IEP" and "giving
  advice on assessing and recording of pupils'
  needs". Secondary teachers seem to want to have
  more advice from SENCO than they actually
  receive.
• On the area of "teaching pupils with SEN
  directly" the finding is different from primary
  teachers. That is, it seems that secondary SENCOs
  are perceived as spending too much time on
  "teaching pupils with SEN directly."