ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the variety of new demands placed on the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) in light of the 2014 UK reforms, and outlines the need for additional specialist training for SENCos in order to successfully identify children with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and dyslexia. In terms of progress and attainment, Professor Strand's data shows that while EAL students begin their primary schooling with lower achievement than their First Language English (FLE) schoolmates, by age 16 the gap is very small indeed with '58.3" of EAL students achieving 5 or more A* to C grades compared to 60.9" of FLE students'. The replacement of the Individual Education Plan with a Pupil Passport affords an opportunity for working with parents, as it provides SENCos with a framework for a planning process that directly involves parents and pupils, looking at the nature and effectiveness of the support offer and inviting a discussion around it.
