ABSTRACT
The Special Educational Needs Coordinator's (SENCO) role, and their experience of working within evolving frameworks driven by the Code, cannot be divorced from Local Education Authority (LEA) policy or leadership. This chapter explores issues relating to funding in so far as they influence perceptions of the available resource. It provides a contemporary research-based view of how SEN Coordinators in primary and secondary schools view their role, what issues may be identified as impeding progress towards policy realization. Researchers and academics provide an analysis of the impact and legal implications of the Code of Practice on primary schools. SENCOs offer insights into the development of whole-school and classroom practice, commenting on the practicalities of implementing the philosophy behind the Code of Practice. The publication of National Standards for Special Educational Needs Coordinators provides a necessary reminder that the provision of effective support to all children who exhibit learning difficulties and have identified special educational needs is essentially a whole-school matter.
