ABSTRACT
The role of special needs co-ordinator may at first appear rather daunting to many teachers as it contains within its brief some specific legislative and statutory obligations. The 1993 Education Act and the accompanying Code of Practice (DfE 1994) require schools to have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (hereafter referred to as SENCO). SENCOs are responsible for: • maintaining a register of children with special educational needs and overseeing
the records of all these children; • liaising with and advising fellow teachers; • contributing to the in-service training of staff; • the day-to-day operation of the school’s special education needs policy (this will
include the identification and assessment of children with special educational needs, and the planning and reviewing of programmes and monitoring of progress for such children);
• co-ordinating provision for children with special educational needs; • liaison and consultation with parents of children with special educational needs
as well as with agencies who can offer additional support and/or advice about the most effective way of helping such children to reach their potential.
