SENDCO vs SENCO – what’s the difference?

SENCO stands for Special Educational Needs Coordinator but is often also referred to as SENDCO (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator). This is because under the most recent revision of the SEND Code of Practice (2015), the word disabilities was added.

The SEND Code of Practice outlines the role of SENDCOs in schools, explaining that governing bodies of maintained schools and trusts of academy schools must ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as SENDCO for the school.

The SENDCO plays a crucial role alongside the headteacher and governing body in shaping and implementing the school's SEND policy and provision. They are most effective in this role when they are part of the school leadership team.

The SENDCO is responsible for the day-to-day management of the SEND policy and the coordination of specific support for individual pupils with SEND, including those with an Education, Health and Care Plan  (EHCP).

The SENDCO offers professional guidance to colleagues and collaborates closely with staff, parents, and external agencies. They should be knowledgeable about the Local Offer and work with other professionals to support families, ensuring that pupils with SEND receive the appropriate support and high-quality teaching.

Essentially, both roles – SENCO and SENDCO - are the same, but people use a mixture of the terminology. In practice, the terms SENCO and SENDCO are sometimes used interchangeably, but the trend is towards using SENDCO to emphasise the inclusion of disabilities alongside special educational needs.

At Judicium, we tend to use the term SENDCO as it aligns with a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to student support, in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015, which outlines the statutory guidance for supporting children and young people with SEN and disabilities in the UK.

Additional Info

If you require any SEND support or would like to talk to someone surrounding our SEND Support Service for your school, please do not hesitate to call us on 0345 548 7000 or email georgina.decosta@judicium.com

You can follow us on Twitter (X): @JudiciumSG       @JudiciumEDU

If you’d like to view Judicium’s forthcoming sofa sessions please click here

If you are interested in some live SEND training why don't you check out what we have coming up here.

© This content is the exclusive property of Judicium Education. The works are intended to provide information and/or to be a learning aid to assist you and your school. However, any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or exploit the content. Failure to follow this guidance may result in Judicium either preventing you with access to our training sessions and/or follow up content.