By September 2009, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) will require all SENCOs to be qualified teachers.
SENCOs who are already in post but are not qualified teachers will have to become qualified by 2011.
But a survey of Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) members published today shows that schools are unprepared for the duty.
More than a third of survey respondents said that their SENCO is not a qualified teacher.
The union is now calling on government to postpone the requirement pending the DCSF review of SEN provision, scheduled to report in 2009.
John Dunford, general secretary of the ASCL, said special educational needs provision would not be improved by making SENCOs become teachers.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
