The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014

Appropriate authority functions and duties relating to the SENCO E+W

50.—(1) The appropriate authority of a relevant school must determine the role of the SENCO in relation to the leadership and management of the school.

(2) The appropriate authority of a relevant school must determine the functions of the SENCO in addition to those under section 67(2) of the Act and monitor the effectiveness of the SENCO in undertaking those responsibilities.

(3) The functions referred to in paragraph (1) may include the carrying out, or arranging for the carrying out, of the following tasks—

(a) in relation to each of the registered pupils who the SENCO considers may have special educational needs, informing a parent of the pupil that this may be the case as soon as is reasonably practicable;

(b) in relation to each of the registered pupils who have special educational needs—

(i) identifying the pupil's special educational needs, and co-ordinating the making of special educational provision which meets those needs,

(ii) monitoring the effectiveness of any special educational provision made,

(iii) securing relevant services for the pupil where necessary,

(iv) ensuring that records of the pupil's special educational needs and the special educational provision made are maintained and kept up to date,

(v) liaising with and providing information to a parent of the pupil on a regular basis about that pupil's special educational needs and the special educational provision being made,

(vi) ensuring that, where the pupil transfers to another school or educational institution, all relevant information about the pupil's special educational needs and the special educational provision made is conveyed to the appropriate authority or (as the case may be) the proprietor of that school or institution, and

(vii) promoting the pupil's inclusion in the school community and access to the school's curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities;

(c) selecting, supervising and training learning support assistants who work with pupils with special educational needs;

(d) advising teachers at the school about differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual pupils with special educational needs;

(e) contributing to in-service training for teachers at the school to assist them to carry out the tasks referred to in paragraph (b); and

(f) preparing and reviewing the information required to be published by the appropriate authority pursuant to regulation 51, the objectives of the appropriate authority in making provision for special educational needs, and the special educational needs policy referred to in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b)(iii) “relevant services” means—

(a) special educational provision, or advice or assistance in relation to such provision or its management; and

(b) the assessment of special educational needs, or advice or assistance in relation to such needs or in relation to the management of pupils with such needs.