Will Quince MP: All Heads Should Have a SENCo Qualification

The former Children’s Minister Will Quince MP has expressed his belief that all headteachers should have a SENCo qualification, because “inclusion starts from the top”.  

Speaking at a Special Needs Jungle webinar about plans for a new SENCo national professional qualification, Quince commented that in his opinion, SENCos need to be better represented in the leadership teams that govern how schools operate.

“It’s my own personal view- this is not yet the government position, but I’m really keen that all headteachers should have SENCo qualifications because I think inclusion starts at the top,” he commented. The minister also mentioned that he felt “too many SENCos are not on the senior leadership team in their schools- and I think they should be, but if the headteacher is also SENCo qualified, it would be a great thing.”

It comes as part of a recent trend in more and more agencies in the UK recognising the role, the importance and the treatment of SENCos in education. The National SENCo Workforce Survey from nasen and Bath Spa University (2020) analysed survey response data from the 2018-2020 period and concluded that 55% of Primary School SENCOs and 70% of Secondary (High) School SENCOs did not feel that they were allocated enough time to complete the duties associated with their role effectively.

The survey also indicates that between the 2018 and 2020 period, although there have been slight increases in this allocated time, they have only been to the tune of around 18 minutes per week for Primary School SENCos and 54 minutes per week for Secondary School SENCos. If we expand out on this trajectory, it’d be likely to take around 150 and 40 years respectively for all SENCos to become full-time – a jarring realisation when we remember that this is a recommendation outlined in more than one of Bath Spa University’s SENCo Workforce reports suggesting how we might move towards adequately supporting the needs of children and young people with SEND on a national level.

It’s an interesting suggestion from Will Quince MP, and a topic that seems likely to garner more attention over the coming months as the former Health Secretary Matt Hancok MP’s Dyslexia Screening Bill has its second reading in the Autumn. We’ll bring you more as it happens -  and you can read more about Will Quince MP’s session on Special Needs Jungle at Schools Week. You can also find out more about the vital role that SENCo professionals play in the modern school system at SEN Magazine.