Schools 'fail special needs rule'

Schools have changed their staff profiles in recent years

A third of secondary schools do not meet a new requirement for special needs co-ordinators to be qualified teachers, a head teachers' union says.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) wants the rule change postponed pending a government review of special educational needs (SEN).

The change will apply in England from September to new SEN co-ordinators, and from 2011 to existing post-holders.

Co-ordinators oversee provision for pupils with various learning problems.

In changing the rules the government was following recommendations in what was a very critical report from a select committee of MPs.

'Backward step'

But in a survey of 190 secondary schools the ASCL found that in 36% of them the SEN co-ordinator was not a qualified teacher.

Almost three-quarters (73%) said the role involved teaching, more than a third (38%) said it involved managing teaching staff, eight in 10 (81%) said administrative work was involved and nine in 10 (91%) said the role included assessing children's special needs.

The ASCL said the requirement that they should all be qualified teachers was a backward step, at odds with the thrust of other major school workforce reforms in the past five years.

These have been designed to bolster teachers in their core role, while support staff take on other duties.

ASCL general secretary John Dunford said a wide range of support staff were now employed.

He said: "The schools workforce looks very different today than it did five years ago and it is outdated and simplistic to assume that, for a role to be seen as important, it must be done by a teacher."

Most school chose to have co-ordinators who were qualified teachers but the significant minority which did not should not be forced to dismantle arrangements that were working well, he said.

He added: "It should be for schools to decide what staffing structure works best for their context and their students."

'Amazing job'

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "Every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, including those with special educational needs, and to do this teachers need to be equipped with all the skills they need.

"We know that teachers who take on a specific role in helping children with special needs and disabilities are an inspirational group, who do an amazing job.

"It is only right that we meet their commitment by providing them with the professional development they need.

"That is why we are providing funding for all new Sencos to undertake high quality, nationally accredited training as well as providing further training for existing teachers."