Special educational needs co-ordinator's (SENCO) national professional qualification
The mandatory course for special educational needs co-ordinators to learn how to effectively perform the SENCO role.
Applies to England
Who this course is for
This course is for:
- special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs)
- teachers interested in developing expertise in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or undertaking a SENCO role in future
- school leaders
Overview
This 18-month course will enable you to:
- co-ordinate special educational needs (SEN) provision throughout your school
- work alongside other leaders to build a school culture in which pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can:
- participate meaningfully in the full life of the school
- achieve ambitious outcomes
- make successful transitions to their next steps
This course will:
- take between 18 and 22 months to complete (18 months taught and 3 to 4 months assessment window)
- involve an average of 1 to 2 hours of study each week
- be a mix of self-study and group sessions
- have a written assessment
Funding
Teachers and school leaders in many state funded settings in England will be eligible for funding to cover their NPQ course fees, subject to eligibility criteria.
Eligibility for funding does not guarantee a place on a funded NPQ course.
Mandatory qualification for SENCOs
All mainstream schools (including academies and free schools) must have a SENCO. The SENCO must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school.
The SEND Regulations 2014 have been amended and the NPQ is now the mandatory SENCO qualification. The 3-year window to complete the mandatory qualification after taking up a SENCO post will remain.
Refer to the mandatory qualification for SENCOs page for further information.
SENCOs meet their statutory requirement on receiving the outcome of their NPQ. Participants should allow up to 4 months on top of the 18 months of study to receive their outcome.
Course content and structure
The course includes 8 topics:
- school culture
- statutory framework
- identification of need
- teaching
- behaviour
- leading and managing provision
- professional development
- implementation
Details of these topics are outlined in the SENCO NPQ framework. Providers use this framework to design their course.
The course includes:
- independent study
- group coaching
- face-to-face sessions with other participants
Providers
You can train for this NPQ with one of the following providers:
- Ambition Institute
- Best Practice Network
- Church of England
- National Institute of Teaching
- Teach First
- University College London (UCL) Institute of Education
Providers work with delivery partners, such as teaching school hubs, to provide training.
Assessment
To get your NPQ accreditation, you’ll need to complete the course and pass a written assessment (between 1,500 and 2,500 words).
Apply
Learn how to apply for an NPQ.
Updates to this page
Published 2 February 2024Last updated 16 December 2024 + show all updates
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Updated information about funding.
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Updated to reflect that the NPQ is the mandatory qualification for SENCOs as of 1 September 2024.
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Added a link to how to apply for an NPQ.
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Updated with details of the course due to start in autumn 2024.
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First published.