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Date

Starts on 01/10/2024

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Duration

18 months

Designed for

SENCOs / teachers / school leaders

Curriculum

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Click here to view the BPN Leadership Brochure

The new NPQ for SENCOs programme aims to develop participants’ professional knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts and debates addressed in the academic and professional literature, in order to lead and co-ordinate special educational needs and disability (SEN and D) provision across an educational setting.

Who is this course designed for?

  • Special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs).
  • Teachers interested in developing expertise in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or undertaking a SENCO role in future.
  • School leaders.

All mainstream schools (including academies and free schools) must have a SENCO. The SENCO must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school.

This NPQ will be the mandatory qualification for SENCOs from September 2024, with teaching beginning in autumn 2024. The 3-year window to complete the mandatory qualification on taking up a SENCO post will remain following the introduction of the NPQ for SENCOs.

Please refer to 🔗transition to national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators for further information.

What will this course cover?

Designed in collaboration with leading experts and system leaders and informed by the latest evidence, the NPQ for SENCOs curriculum covers areas including:

  • Establishing an inclusive school culture in which all pupils can flourish.
  • Developing an expert knowledge of the statutory framework and identification of need.
  • The strategic leadership and management of provision.
  • Enhancing curriculum implementation, teaching and inclusive pedagogy.
  • Supporting the professional development of colleagues through clear theories of change.

The programme is delivered by Exchange Teaching Hub, in partnership with UCLs national delivery partners, through a blend of online self-study, face to face events and peer coaching sessions.

Assessment

In order to complete NPQSENCO, you will be required to:

  • Attend all programme sessions.
  • Ensure a minimum of 90% engagement with the programme.
  • Complete a summative case study style assessment.

To support you in the completion of NPQSENCO, our offer includes as standard:

  • An engaging curriculum which blends face-to-face, online and self-study and which exemplifies the DfE standard for teachers’ professional development.
  • A supportive facilitator and peer network.
  • Local cohort groups to reduce travel time.

The Framework:

National professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Dates, times & locations of training sessions

October 2024 – March 2026 (18 months)

February 2025 – July 2026 (18 months)

Face-to-face sessions will be held mainly in Barnsley, Doncaster, Selby or Wakefield.

Facilitators

The programme is delivered by Exchange Teaching Hub, in partnership with UCLs national delivery partners, through a blend of online self-study, face to face events and peer coaching sessions.

Our facilitators are expert teachers and proven leaders working in schools throughout the hub communities.

Next Steps

Apply now

The Department for Education (DfE) are currently accepting registrations for the Autumn 2024 cohort. Use the link below to access the portal and register today!

 

🔗DfE Registration

 

For an exploratory conversation about which NPQ is right for you, contact NPQS@exchangeteachinghub.org.uk

Further Info

Scholarship funding

Funding for autumn 2024 will target those teachers and leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities.

Scholarship funding to cover the full NPQ course cost will be available to teachers and leaders from:

  • the 50% of schools with the highest proportion of students who attract pupil premium funding
  • 16 to 19 educational settings identified as having high disadvantage
  • For the early years leadership NPQ, highly disadvantaged early years settings will also be eligible.

Scholarships will continue to be available to all teachers and leaders from publicly funded schools and 16 to 19 educational organisations for the following NPQs:

  • Leading primary maths
  • SENCO  (NPQSEN)
  • Headship (NPQH)

For the early headship coaching offer, funding to cover the course fees will be available if you are in your first 5 years of headship in England in a state-funded school or state-funded 16 to 19 organisation. You should also be doing or have done the headship NPQ.

For more information, follow the link below.

🔗NPQ Funding – Department for Education

Deferral or Withdrawal from an NPQ Programme

Only in exceptional circumstances may a participant request either a deferral or withdrawal from their programme. Participants should be aware that there is a process to follow which is outlined in the following policies:

UCL’s NPQ Deferral and Withdrawal Policy. 

BPN’S NPQ Deferral Policy.

A participant considering withdrawal from an NPQ Programme should be aware that it is Department for Education Policy to only fund an NPQ course for a participant once. This means that a participant who starts a Department for Education funded NPQ course, and then withdraws from that course, will not be funded again for the same programme.