NPQ Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)

Course overview

Leeds Trinity University are proud to be a partner for the delivery of the NPQ for SENCO with the Church of England Education Office and All Saints Catholic School York - a well-established and growing partnership between the three organisations. 

How can outstanding provision be developed in schools for children and young people with SEN using evidenced-based best practice?  

The field of SEND is complex and constantly changing. 

This NPQ is a statutory course for anyone who is a practicing or aspiring SENCO in an educational setting, and will give an in-depth understanding of effective policy, provision and practice to meet the diverse needs of children with SEND. 

It is also suitable for: non-teaching staff who support the SENCO either formally as a deputy SENCO or leading a particular area of SEND provision; line managers of SENCOs or other senior leaders with responsibility for curriculum, behaviour, pastoral needs or managing provision; or for local authority employees who work closely with SENCOs.  

About this course 

The course will address all the needs of a professional who is or wishes to develop a career in supporting and developing SEND provision. You will meet colleagues and develop professional networks with both practitioners and leaders in the field of SEN. 

Gaining an NPQ for SENCO will help to strengthen the existing expertise of individuals working in appropriate settings whilst enhancing their skills and confidence in this area.  

Leeds Trinity University provides training to professionalise the SENCO role, improve pupil outcomes and to invest in and retain current SENCOs or those working within SEND provision. 

You will be asked to explore the reasons why a child cannot access learning and will develop innovative ways to remove barriers to progression for children and young people with SEND.  You will develop skills to critically evaluate policy and provision to develop outstanding inclusive practice with children and care givers.

You will also develop skills to understand each child’s needs and start the journey to becoming an expert in identification and assessment to allow personalised planning and support to be developed so no child is left behind in their educational journey. There will be a significant focus on developing whole school SEND provision. You will cover all the learning outcomes of the nationally recognised SENCO NPQ.

What will you develop?

Professional knowledge and understanding that you as a SENCO will need. 

Expertise and capabilities that a SENCO needs to lead and coordinate effective provision. 

Personal and professional qualities that are specific to your role and will be key in you making a positive impact on the ethos and culture in your setting will also be explored and developed. 

You will evaluate evidence-based practice on learning, teaching and assessing students with SEND, such as the impact of research evidence on different literacy schemes or the impact of CPD on support staff effectiveness in schools. 
 
Celebrating strengths in children and planning for teaching methods that incorporate these will be explored in detail. 

Gaining this NPQ will open up new opportunities within SEN, as well as promotions to senior leadership roles. SENCos could also provide consultancy to other schools in a Multi Academy Trust, or undertake further postgraduate study and research. The course is ideally suited for those wanting to progress into a career in inclusive practice or wanting to deepen their SEND expertise.  

Why study with us?

The course is aligned with the government's national strategy which focuses on the development of skilled professionals who work in a range of provision in both mainstream and specialist settings. 

Benefit from a blend of campus-based and online learning, with personal tutors and support services such as our Learning Hub, which provides personalised academic support, and our library. 

Leeds Trinity University has a highly regarded and long-standing reputation for delivering the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination (NASENCo) programme. We have delivered to students across the North of England previous for various local authorities and held the service level agreement for Leeds for many years due to our excellent delivery, support and student-centred approach. Our students then join a SEND alumni network and have access to further networking and CPD opportunities.  

Delivery will be hybrid over 18 months, comprising 5 on-campus sessions at Leeds Trinity University's Horsforth and City Centre campuses, as well as online and coaching sessions with intakes in November 2024 and April 2025. The University will also be delivering a cohort in the Teesside area in the Northeast of England.

Course tutors leading on this delivery at Leeds Trinity are highly experienced academics and practice professionals in this field with many years' experience in successfully delivering NASENCo training and have been part of the team who supported the Church of England’s application to the DfE to run the SEND NPQ. Our team also work at a national and regional level in SEND improvement activity and are thus experts in the field of SENCO education. All work in practice in schools and education authorities on SEND improvement research or knowledge exchange.

Leeds Trinity also offers a range of other Specialist and Leadership NPQs in partnership with the Church of England Education Office and the Teacher Development Trust.

You can download the Church of England Education Office NPQ guide for Yorkshire and the North East via the link below, or for a print version please contact cpd@leedstrinity.ac.uk