Independent Thinking on Being a SENDCO E-Book

Ginny Bootman

• Herausgeber: Independent Thinking Press
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: Independent Thinking on series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 196

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

What is a SENDCO? A voice. An advocate. A messenger (don't shoot!). A calm in the storm. A connection. A friend. A forgiveness seeker, not a permission requester. A shot in the dark. A shot at life. The one who listens. The one who knows. The one who cares.The educational professional who campaigns tirelessly on behalf of the children who need more support than most to navigate a system that, at times, seems purposely set up to make them fail. Relationships are pivotal when working with children with special educational needs (SEN). Trust, honesty and empathy play a vital role in these relationships and is key to these individuals thriving in school and at home. In this book, Ginny Bootman offers a fresh perspective on how SENDCOs can build strong, lasting and effective relationships between those who work with children with additional needs and explores why forming these relationships is so important to help children achieve the best they can and take away positive experiences. Independent Thinking on Being a SENDCOis designed to help you become a compassionate, honest and determined SENDCO, combining your professionalism with empathy, the ability to listen properly and a desire to understand what the lives of others are like and how you can help. It is a book full of tips that will save you time and energy, useful hacks to help you overcome obstacles and bumps in the road, and proven strategies that will benefit your relationships. Suitable for SENDCOs, primary and secondary school teachers and leaders, as well as parents of children with additional needs.

Leseprobe

You know when someone is really walking the talk when they convey the deep experience of a complex role, when they are coming from a place of deep compassion and concern for every child. Well, you’ll find this in Ginny’s book. It’s beautifully written, very funny and it sounds as though she’s alongside you as you navigate the complex world of education in general and being a SENDCO in particular. A fantastic resource.

MARY MYATT, EDUCATION WRITER, SPEAKER, CURATOR, MYATT & CO

The role of the SENDCO is not an easy one. In this book, Being a SENDCO, Ginny Bootman acknowledges some of the many challenges, reassures the reader that it’s okay not to know everything, and then provides a wealth of tips to help ease the load. Highlighting the empathy-based approach that is core to her work, Ginny outlines a range of practical examples for developing positive relationships to get the best from pupils, parents and colleagues. Being a SENDCO is full of invaluable, easy-win ideas to help the busy SEND leader save time and effort in their demanding yet extremely rewarding role. It is a book of little gems!

NATALIE PACKER, SEND CONSULTANT, NPEC LTD, AUTHOR OF THE PERFECT SENCO AND THE TEACHER’S GUIDE TO SEN

A wonderful book that strikes the delicate balance of being positive yet honest and realistic about the SENDCO role. Reading it feels like going for a coffee, cake and a chat with an experienced colleague. And not just any colleague … one who can help you navigate everything from tricky conversations with families and facilitating staff training on SEND to finding bargain SEND resources from pound shops!

GEORGINA DURRANT, FORMER SENDCO, FOUNDER OF THE SEN RESOURCES BLOG, AUTHOR OF 100 WAYSYOUR CHILD CAN LEARN THROUGH PLAY

There are numerous practitioner-written books that are heavy going, and when you reach the end you really have to think about whether what you’ve learned has been helpful. What I love about Being a SENDCO is that you can pick it up and find well-explained nuggets of advice on every page. The 113 tips are not obscured by the strait jacket of trying to show how academic the book is.

From the foreword, which demonstrates the complexity of the job, through to the last section on working with outside agencies, I’d recommend this book to those aspiring to be a SENDCO and the most experienced practitioners.

Reading the book is like sitting down with an experienced mentor for a series of conversations over a coffee (maybe a glass of wine!). The tips are pragmatic and achievable, and I will definitely be ordering a copy for our (new in post) SENDCO.

If this is the area you want to work in, then I unreservedly recommend Being a SENDCO for an honest insight into the job and plenty of useful advice.

VIC GODDARD, CO-PRINCIPAL, PASSMORES ACADEMY, CEO, PASSMORES CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY

Ginny’s experience, humour and candour are the perfect guiding hand for SENDCOs who are new or looking for new directions in a role that has grown in size and importance in recent years. This book is packed with down-to-earth, doable ideas delivered in bitesize chunks to support and scaffold you in your role of supporting and scaffolding the children and adults within your community. Well worth reading and enacting.

POOKY KNIGHTSMITH, KEYNOTE SPEAKER

What a great book! I am not a SENDCO but I found that reading this enabled me to develop the empathy that Ginny mentions so many times for those in that role. I really loved the layout of the book – 113 tips – as it enables the reader to dip in at any point. The tips are quick, easy reads and cover everything. This is a great book for those considering being a SENDCO and also for those in the role already. It is also a great book to have on the staffroom bookshelf so that others can read it and understand the multifaceted nature of the role and just what being a SENDCO entails.

TORIA BONO, PRIMARY TEACHER, AUTHOR OF TINYVOICES TALK, HOST OF ‘TINY VOICE TALKS’ PODCAST

Every school’s SENDCO is the beating heart of its inclusive practice. It’s a role which calls for compassion, tenacity, determination, alchemy, resourcefulness, kindness, botheredness, purposefulness, care. Every school should have a Ginny championing their SENDCO when the tensions of the job are taut and they’re running on fumes. And now they can with this wonderful book! Square Peg loves Ginny’s 113 tips which are drawn from a deep well of professional wisdom and experience, sharing how to embody and deliver hope, love and joy in every school and for every child struggling to fit. Ginny shares how grit can be nurtured into shining baroque-sized pearls of achievement through the relationships and improved outcomes for children, young people, their families, colleagues and wider communities. Highly recommended for all professionals in SEND education and leadership alike. This book is not just for SENDCOs – it’s guaranteed to make anyone who reads it 10% braver every day.

ELLIE COSTELLO, THERAPEUTIC PARENT, CAMPAIGNER, AUTHOR, DIRECTOR, SQUARE PEG

Clearly, this book is about the most important people in education: the children and young people. Ginny Bootman has created an immersive space for us all to feel supported and guided in the most important of roles – that of a SENDCO. She helps us to understand the challenges and the frustrations met by young people, parents and teachers in the world of SEND, along with a fantastic set of tips, thought-provoking strategies and a space where we can all feel supported.

Her beautifully crafted book has empathy; empathy which is driven by the need to get the best available support and help for children and young people within a complex education system. The articles, references and thorough research which Ginny Bootman shares with us supports why there are so many issues within our education culture and system, and this is to be highly commended.

This is a book for any teacher, parent or educationalist alike. You will not be able to put it down. It’s a personal journey as well as a professional reflection of what we need to do to ensure that every child in every school has their individual needs met to the best of our ability.

NINA JACKSON, AUTHOR, AWARD-WINNING SPEAKER, MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADOR, EDUCATION CONSULTANT, SEND SPECIALIST, TEACH LEARN CREATE LTD

The role of SENDCO is arguably one of the most important in any school. Taking on the role can seem daunting and the list of responsibilities endless. What Ginny Bootman has done in this wonderful book is distil her wisdom into snack-sized chunks so that anyone who is in the role now has a definitive guide as to what to do in every conceivable situation. This is a must for any SENDCO’s bookshelf!

JOHN TOMSETT, EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT, ERSTWHILE HEAD TEACHER

E

INDEPENDENT THINKING ON …

BEING A SENDCO

Ginny Bootman

113 TIPS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, SAVING TIME AND CHANGING LIVES

In memory of Pat Blacker

Foreword

A shoulder.

An ear.

A voice.

An advocate.

A champion.

A mouthpiece.

A showcase.

A brainstorm.

A calm in the storm.

A break in the clouds.

A light in the dark.

A family counsellor.

A family mediator.

An interpreter.

A chaperone.

A coach.

A fan.

A referee.

A messenger. (Don’t shoot.)

A way through.

A way out.

A way in.

The one who listens.

The one who knows.

The one who cares.

A friend.

A critic.

A challenge.

A hard stare.

A look of love.

The educational professional who campaigns tirelessly on behalf of the children who need more support than most to navigate a system that, at times, seems purposefully set up to make them fail.

A rock.

A lighthouse.

A signpost.

A crossroads.

A bridge.

A map.

A guidebook.

An encyclopaedia.

A facilitator.

A fixer.

A breaker.

A ducker and diver.

A risk taker.

A forgiveness seeker, not a permission requester.

An iterator.

An inventor.

An innovator.

A renovator.

A restorer.

A curator.

A creator.

A pioneer.

A navigator.

A confronter.

A holder to account.

A holder of standards.

A holder of hands.

An ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try again’.

A ‘won’t take no for an answer’.

A ‘things can only get better’.

A smile maker.

A promise maker.

A tea maker. (Coffee also available.)

The one who knows where the biscuits are kept.

The one who always has tissues.

The one who knows where the loos are.

A transcriber.

A photocopier.

A filing cabinet.

A contacts list.

A secretary.

A calendar sorter.

A meeting organiser.

A room arranger.

An ambiance creator.

A switcher-off of the lights and a locker-up at the end.

A shot in the arm.

A shot in the dark.

A shot at life.

A starter.

A finisher.

An everything in-betweener.

A reassuring face in a crowded room.

A smile on a bad day.

A smile on a good day.

A hug when you win.

A bigger hug when you lose.

A keeper of promises.

A keeper of secrets.

A keeper of the flame.

That first hope.

Our last hope.

An expert.

An ally.

A connection.

A relationship.

A traveller on other people’s roads.

A wearer of other people’s shoes.

A SENDCO.

IAN GILBERT

Acknowledgements

This book would not have been possible without the help and support of all of my cheerleaders – those amazing individuals who span my home and educational life and who support me and inspire me in everything I do.

Thank you to the amazing team at Independent Thinking Press. Their support, patience and kindness have been amazing, especially Ian Gilbert and Emma Tuck who have guided me through this fascinating experience.

Huge thanks go to my family: to Aunty P, my son George and husband Glenn who are there cheering in the background when it all gets a bit much.

Thank you to all the teachers, parents and children with whom I have had the pleasure of working. Every day you teach me something new.

The most important thank you goes to my amazing mum Pat Blacker, my chief cheerleader, who always encouraged me to be myself.

First Thoughts

It is hard being a SENDCO. I should know (and I have been a head too!).

It isn’t just the job, which is as challenging as it is rewarding, on a good day. It is also about the little things.

Have you ever had a time when you felt overwhelmed and you retreated, snail-like, into your shell, hoping things would sort themselves out? And what about that spiky email you received this morning? How is that going down? And when that parent raised their voice at you? How did you feel?

Then there are those times when you started to question your knowledge and expertise right in the middle of an important meeting and ended up losing your confidence and saying nothing (and then kicking yourself afterwards).

I know you have been there because I have been there too. That is why I wanted to write this book – to share with you many practical ideas to help you be the best SENDCO you can be, the SENDCO your children need you to be, the one you know you can be.

Perhaps the biggest lesson of all – and I am going to put this out there, right from the start – is this one: you don’t know everything, and that is okay.

There are too many issues, too many children, too many families, too many situations and too many variables. No one knows it all, so beware those who think they do. It isn’t only okay to say you don’t know, it is you at your professional best. It isn’t a weakness but a strength. I know that now, but it took me a while to learn.

My teaching career began with my training in Liverpool. It was such a great place to get a real feel for what lay ahead. Tough schools with tough teachers. No time for empathy. It was all about survival. I remember beginning teaching practice and being faced with a teacher who was very much on the edge. She would teach with perspiration dripping down her forehead, clearly in a constant and draining state of high alert. A teaching assistant approached me and said, ‘Our number one job is to stop her from having a breakdown.’ We just about managed it.

Fast forward four happy and challenging years to my first proper teaching job in Gateshead. Another tough school with some amazing children and now my own class. At the end of my first year, a parent sent me the loveliest card thanking me for everything I had done for her son. He was a fabulously challenging Year 6 child. His mother said I had given him the time and understanding that no one else had ever given him. A seed was planted in my brain.

Fast forward five more years. I had moved to Northamptonshire and was working in a school in Kettering. A Year 2 mother came to see me one day to say that her son found it difficult to write on A4 paper due to his fine motor difficulties. I said, ‘No problem. Let’s make his worksheets A3 size to help him.’ You would have thought I had given her the world. Another seed.

In 2005, I not only became a teaching head in a small village school in Northamptonshire but also the school’s SENDCO. Those were the days! To be honest, the SENDCO role was very different back then. I had so much else to do with teaching and leadership that the SENDCO role was a small part of my job. Four years later, after having my son, I returned to being a class teacher and now, without the headship duties, I could really take a look at those SEND seeds that had been planted previously.

Even as a class teacher, I began to understand the power we have to make a difference for the children who need us most, often through little things. And those little things start with listening carefully and then responding with creativity, determination and, of course, empathy. And with those three magic words: I don’t know.

Over my career, I had come to learn that by making myself a bit more vulnerable, by having the confidence to admit I didn’t have all the answers, I was able to build bridges with everyone with whom I worked. The families you come across meet enough experts; they need a human being. They need you at your professional, honest and compassionate best.

This book is designed to help you be that best, combining your professionalism with empathy, the ability to listen properly and a desire to understand what the lives of others are like and how you can help. It is a book full of tips to save you time and energy, little hacks to help you overcome obstacles and bumps in the road, and proven strategies that will help you build more effective relationships.

These relationships will benefit everyone who comes into contact with the amazing children in our care. It also extends to parents (a word I am using to refer to all individuals who have guardianship and a duty of care of a child or children) and to the professional teams outside the school environment who play a part in helping children.

Together, we can help children, often against the odds and even when the system seems to be working against us.

And we can love our role too; I should know.

113 Tips

1. The importance of having a network around you

You aren’t alone. I know it feels like it at times, but you aren’t. What are you doing to make sure you are building a great support network around you?

In recent years, I have been lucky enough to work alongside fabulous SENDCOs in a multi-academy trust (MAT). We became a great team. We all brought our own lived experiences to each meeting, which meant that between us we had a wonderful breadth of knowledge. We all acted as each other’s sounding board too, something all SENDCOs need. A critical friend to bounce ideas off in a non-judgemental but honest way.

Despite our breadth of knowledge, we also knew we had gaps. Everyone does. Once we had identified them, we were then able to organise the appropriate training to fill those gaps. This coordinated group effort gave us a great sense of security.

You may be the only SENDCO in your school, but you still need a network, even if you have to cast your net a little further afield to find it. Post-COVID-19, I am now being asked to speak at SEND events and conferences across the country. Make sure you come along! The SEND community is such a welcoming group, and I know you will be able to ask for all the guidance and support you need, both on the day and then through the new connections you have made.

2. The power of social media

A face-to-face network is great, but it is also important to tap into online networks. They are such an invaluable source of ideas and support.

I joined Twitter in 2019, and I have never looked back. It has provided me with so many amazing contacts and is the best continuing professional development (CPD) you could wish for with regard to SEND. There are many useful SEND networks on Facebook and Instagram. I would strongly suggest that you give the world of social media a go, even if it is something that terrifies (or bores) you.