Understanding the SENCo workforce: re‐examination of selected studies through the lens of an accurate national dataset

Dobson, Graeme

doi:10.1111/1467-8578.12285

Cited by 11 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Full-time contracts were held by 453 (73.3%) respondents, while 154 (24.9%) were part time with 11 (1.8%) respondents not reporting. This is not dissimilar to the national picture, where 28.9% of SENCOs work part time (Dobson, 2019). Within the sample, 433 (70.1%) of respondents were employed as a class teacher under teachers' pay and conditions (DfE, 2017).…”

Section: Sample Recruitment and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Here he argues that people pass in a linear fashion through career stages and development tasks linked to nominal age ranges: growth (up to 14 years), exploration (15-24 years), establishment (25-44 years), maintenance (45-64 years) and disengagement (65 years +). Drawing on a recent analysis of the SENCO population in England (Dobson, 2019), most SENCOs fall into the establishment stage (35.3%) or the maintenance stage (59.1%). Following Super's (1980) model, those in the 'establishment stage' can be described as gaining employment and becoming stable in a position, followed by a period of consolidation, with some seeking advancement into different or promoted roles.…”

Section: Career Interest Theory and Application To Sencosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second section requested demographic information using categories and identifiers from the national workforce database (DfE, 2018), which could be compared to a national dataset of SENCOs (Dobson, 2019). These indicators include age, gender, highest qualification held and ethnicity.…”

Section: Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Why this occurs is not clear; however, Super (1980) offers a suggestion that those in the 'exploration stage' may be seeking new information to place themselves in a new job or role, while those in the 'maintenance stage' may be concerned with 'holding one's own' (p. 292). If this is applied to the SENCO population, then 41.3% (see Dobson, 2019) are in the 'holding one's own' stage. If Super's argument of the 'temporal importance' (p. 288) of different stages of life is applied to the SENCO population, those who are 'holding one's own' are of concern and worthy of further research.…”

Section: The Relationships Between Factors and Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are limited studies that look at the SENCOs themselves rather than the role they fulfil. For example, through an analysis of interviews with SENCOs, Mackenzie (2012) suggests that the gendered professional profile of the role can influence the way it is operationalised (90.6% of SENCOs in England are female; see Dobson, 2019). Another example comes from the cross‐sectional thematic analysis of Dobson and Douglas (2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing the career interest of SENCOs in English schools

Dobson

Douglas

2020

British Educational Res J

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A named professional with responsibility for overseeing and coordinating the educational inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities has become an important school role in many countries. In England, the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) became a mandatory role in 1994, and associated mandatory training was introduced in 2009. A questionnaire survey of 618 in-training and actual SENCOs revealed that their motivating interest in becoming a SENCO varied. An exploratory factor analysis of 32 items covering different interests in the role yielded four interest factors in becoming a SENCO: outward-facing factors ('inclusion' and 'highquality provision') and inward-facing factors ('educational and professional development' and 'leadership voice and status'). The outward-facing factors were viewed as more important to respondents than the inward-facing factors. Interest factors did not interact with organisational variables, including age group taught and school quality. Nevertheless, younger SENCOs and those engaged in training were more motivated by educational and professional development. SENCOs holding school leadership contracts were more motivated in developing leadership voice and status compared with their classroom teacher peers. Moreover, there was a significant overall difference with women reporting a higher interest than men across all factors.

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Section: Sample Recruitment and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 77%

Section: Career Interest Theory and Application To Sencosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Relationships Between Factors and Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Factors influencing the career interest of SENCOs in English schools

Dobson

Douglas

2020

British Educational Res J

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“It was tough making sure it happened”: SENCo experience of the reality and risk of education and health care plan implementation

Richards

2022

Educational Review

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In England, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice (2015) was heralded as a significant reformation of provision for children and young people with additional and complex learning needs. Effective implementation of the Code requires the key implementers, Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos), to develop and negotiate provision in their settings, to interface with colleagues, families and expert professionals, and to apply for and implement Education and Health Care (EHC) plans for the children and young people with the most complex needs. However, whilst this added to SENCo workload and responsibilities, systemic, resource and dominant discourse challenges remained the same. EHC plans have been described as a microcosm of the wider arena of policy and practice. Studies exploring SENCo perceptions of the enablers and challenges, which has import for commissioners and practitioners, are limited. This article presents part of a mixedmethods study which examined SENCo perceptions of the salient external and internal influences on EHC plan implementation. Integration of the analysed data sets uncovered themes related to purpose, support, communities of learning, and relationships. Key recommendations, whose enactment would support and develop SENCos, so they in turn can best promote the learning, development, wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people with SEND, and their families, are made. This article closes by proposing that the need for a professional information hub and support mechanisms for SENCos has never been greater

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‘I could have been the caretaker in a suit’: men as primary school SENCos in an era of change

Pulsford

2019

Education 3-13

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Understanding the SENCo workforce: re‐examination of selected studies through the lens of an accurate national dataset

Cited by 11 publications

References 18 publications

Factors influencing the career interest of SENCOs in English schools

Factors influencing the career interest of SENCOs in English schools

“It was tough making sure it happened”: SENCo experience of the reality and risk of education and health care plan implementation

‘I could have been the caretaker in a suit’: men as primary school SENCos in an era of change

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