Leadership and Management: Roles and Responsibilities

The legal duties for Governors are set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEN Code of Practice 2015 and the Equality Act 2010. They include:

• Ensuring that the setting’s policies and practices promote inclusion, ensuring reasonable adjustments are made regarding the duties under the Equalities Act and the SEN Code of Practice.
• Ensuring the setting has a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND.
• Ensuring the admissions policy identifies arrangements for the admission of children with SEND, and steps are taken to prevent disabled children being treated less favourably than others.
• Identifying a Special Educational Needs Coordinator to coordinate for children with SEND.

• Ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as special educational needs coordinator.
• Use best endeavours to ensure children with special education needs (SEN) get the support they need, and engage in activities alongside their peers.
• Inform parents when they are making special educational provision for a child.

Publish information on their website about:

• Implementation of their SEN policy.
• Admission arrangements for disabled children.
• Steps taken to prevent less favourable treatment for disabled children.
• The accessibility of the setting for disabled children and plan for improvement.

The manager’s role includes implementing all elements of roles for governors and committees ensuring legal duties are undertaken. In addition to this, leaders and managers should:

• Ensure practice of the setting is inclusive, has high aspirations for all children and underpins support for children with SEND, which is reflected by all staff.
• Ensure staff have a robust understanding of child development, which is evident through observation, assessment, and planning, which effectively supports identifying and responding to emerging needs and SEND.
• Ensure the setting address any trends identified through cohort analysis to ensure children’s needs are met promptly and actions are in place to narrow the gap.
• Ensure any additional funding e.g., EYPP, Deprivation Funding, DAF, SENIF is effectively directed to support children in receipt, with robust monitoring in place.
• Ensure the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and practitioners are effectively supported through the supervision process to identify emerging needs and respond appropriately.
• Ensure that the SENCo can influence policy and practice relating to SEND.
• Ensure all staff understand their roles and responsibilities of effective provision for children with SEND (including admin staff).
• Ensure transition arrangements and procedures for children attending other settings are effective for all children.
• In collaboration with the SENCo ensure the setting has effective practices for implementing the graduated approach (Assess, Plan, Do and Review cycle), that is understood by all staff.
• Ensure the setting fosters strong partnership with all parents and carers concerning their children’s needs, sensitively supporting when their emerging needs and SEND.
• Take responsibility for the two-year-old progress check and link with the health.
• Ensure processes are in place for parents and carers to feedback about policies, procedures, and practice.

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As identified in the SEN Code of Practice the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) should:

• Ensure all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEN and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND.
• Advise and support colleagues in identifying and responding to emerging needs and SEND.
• Ensure parents are actively involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting.
• Liaise with professionals or agencies beyond the setting.

This includes:

• Continually develop practice concerning SEND, which includes Cambridgeshire’s SENCo DP course and yearly SENCo refresher network and briefing.
• Advising on and supporting the implementation of the graduated approach to SEND (Assess, Plan, Do, Review).
• Co-ordinating and overseeing the day-to-day operation of the setting’s SEND policy (including reviewing the policy).
• Signposting support and co-ordinating referrals, and seeking support from outside agencies where appropriate.
• Making links with other education settings and outside agencies.
• Ensuring records relating to SEND are kept up to date.
• Supporting the key person and room leaders in effectively engaging with parents and carers of children with emerging needs and SEND.

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Practitioners refers to all staff working with children including room leaders, and key persons. Early year Practitioners should:

• Support children with SEND, this is the responsibility of every practitioner.
• Have high aspirations for every child.
• Ensure they understand the policies of the setting relating to identification and supporting children with emerging needs and SEND.
• Have a good knowledge of child development which is reflected in observations and assessment, identifying those children who have emerging needs.
• Ensure that the prime areas underpin practice, this is particularly important where children are in the preliminary stages of development.
• Identify appropriate next steps for children with emerging needs and SEND that effectively support children to progress through small steps.
• In collaboration with Setting Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) to implement the graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review when there are emerging needs and SEND.
• Work with the SENCo to support the development and use of strategies and skills relevant to support children with SEND.

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