The resources from Governor training courses are available below:
The Role of the SEND Governor
The Department for Education states that, “there should also be a member of the board or a committee with specific oversight of the school’s arrangements for SEND.”
Intent
Ensuring the ongoing achievement and success of learners with SEND is a collective responsibility of the Governing Body, but this may be predominantly reflected by the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Governor. The SEND link governor is the School/Academy Council’s champion for successful inclusion for young people with SEND. He or she will support and challenge the school/academy to ensure that no child is treated less favourably, denied opportunity, or left behind because they have additional needs.
The school/academy’s SEND governors help to ensure their academy fulfils their aim of providing for children with SEND and comply with all statutory requirements. They will raise awareness of SEND and inclusion matters at School/Academy Council meetings and give information on practices within the academy. The SEND governor will also report to the School/Academy Council annually.
Implementation
School/Academy’s Responsibilities
To appoint a SEND Governor
- To check that the school/academy is complying with legal responsibilities e.g. Trust/LA policies
- To ask the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo) to report on the steps being taken to ensure compliance
- To challenge leaders to ensure that SEND remains high on the academy/school’s agenda.
SEND Governor’s Responsibilities (see Appendix 1)
- To act as the champion for children with SEND and ensure that the school/academy is fulfilling its duties to children with SEND, by reviewing SEND provision including staff, funding and other resourcing
- o undertake required training, including school-specific induction with the SENCo
- To meet the SENDCo Autumn, Spring and Summer terms as a minimum
- To ask questions relating to SEND provision at School/Academy/Council meetings
- Work with the SENDCo to produce a SEND Annual Report to Governors
- To confirm that the school’s duties have been fulfilled (Appendix 1).
Training and Resources
The SEND governor is expected to attend any specific training appropriate to their needs. Individual school/academies may choose to offer the relevant.
Impact
Learners with SEND achieve success through an inclusive and ambitious educational environment, whereby they are fully supported to make the highest level of progress possible and are equipped with the knowledge and cultural capital to succeed in life.
- SEND governor role Appendix 1 and 2 [DOC, 48Kb]
