Statutory guidance and the SENCO role
The law, what the Code requires, the national role description, and influencing colleagues without positional authority.
Education & Childcare
Early Years SEN Coordinator Level 3 Award
The SENCO role done properly: legal literacy, confident identification, and the ability to lead other people's practice. NCFE CACHE Early Years Award, QN 610/4001/0.
- Level
- Level 3 Award
- Duration
- 6 taught sessions
- Units
- 2 mandatory, 26 criteria
- Hours
- 24 GLH, 44 total
- Study mode
- Delivered in your setting
- Assessment
- Portfolio, no exam
- Overview
Six taught sessions delivered to the individual learner and contextualised to your setting, your policies and your children. Two mandatory units sit behind the sessions: the roles and responsibilities of the SENCO in the early years, and strategies and techniques for supporting children and families.
- How it is delivered
Delivered to the individual learner in your setting, with the Level 3 command words explained in every assessment workbook, guided reading between sessions and written feedback within ten working days.
- How it is assessed
One component only, an internally assessed portfolio, quality assured by Alphabet Training and NCFE. Graded achieved or not yet achieved, no examination. There are no observation visits: all 26 criteria are evidenced in writing, through discussion and work products.
- What we ask of you
Release for six sessions, protected time for directed study, and access to your SEND policy and local offer.
- What Next?
Read the full course guide, then talk to our team about dates.
Course content
Six taught sessions
Identification and action
The four areas of need with real examples, high and low incidence SEND, and adjustment strategies that work.
Partnership and transition
The local offer, the professionals around the child, transition planning and lawful information sharing.
The graduated approach
Assess, plan, do and review in depth, with observation methods and what a review must actually produce.
EAL, SEND and EHC plans
Telling EAL from SEND, the principles behind EHC plans, goal setting and record keeping.
Reflection and funding
A skills gap analysis against the role description, a development plan, and what SEND funding asks of the SENCO.
The two mandatory units
Roles and responsibilities of the SENCO in the early years, and strategies for supporting children and families. 26 criteria.
Written support
A learner handbook for every session and an assessment workbook for each unit, with live links to the statutory guidance.
Who it is for
Practitioners who hold the SENCO role, share it, or are about to move into it. Learners must be 16 or over with experience of working with babies and young children. The Award builds on the Early Years Educator standard, ST0135.
What your SENCO will be able to do
Inclusive practice. Diversity and equality valued, covering SEND, EAL and high ability children.
Development applied. Child development knowledge applied, with parents closely involved.
Their own growth. Continually develops their own professional practice.
A team that gets SEND. The whole team understands SEND, developed through mentoring.
Confident liaison. Liaises confidently with professionals and agencies beyond the setting.
Rich environments. Child centred, self directed environments rich in play opportunities.
Where it leads
Employment as an early years SENCO, further education in special educational needs, early years education, or teaching and learning, and higher education.
Want to talk it through, or book places for your team?
Enquire now 01254 679998