This book provides new and experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) with a critical approach to understanding the importance of outstanding leadership of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and how to effectively meet the current SEND policy requirements. Closely informed by the statutory guidance for SENCOs, this book covers all aspects of this challenging leadership role within the school. It provides a principled approach to understanding the challenges and complexity of SEND within the current context. Through concise summaries of policy and current research, critical discussions, reflective activities, case studies as well as practical examples, it helps the reader engage more deeply in critical thinking about the effectiveness of current practices in their own school setting and ways to develop them further for the future. Alison Ekins and Lorna Hughes establish that outstanding leadership in special educational needs is not something that can be achieved just by a single individual. The SENCO has a key role in enabling and empowering everyone in their school setting to understand SEND and engage actively in the development of more inclusive systems to meet the needs of diverse pupils. Outstanding Leadership in Special Educational Needs, will, therefore, support everyone involved in education to develop their understanding of SEND. It is key reading for teachers, educational leaders and policymakers.

Recent changes to education policy have brought about a new emphasis on promoting school-to-school support and school-led improvement, in order to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEN, achieve their optimum potential. SENCOs, often in the role of Specialist Leaders of Education (SLE), now undertake coaching, mentoring and the delivery of training to ensure that trainee, newly qualified and experienced teachers and teaching assistants have the practical skills to effectively meet the needs of pupils with SEN. In her trademark down-to-earth style, Rita Cheminais shows SENCOs how to respond to and enhance this exciting and pivotal new role by: Explaining the new school-to-school support and school-led improvement context that many SENCOs will be working in; Clarifying the role of the outstanding SENCO, as a Specialist Leader of Education; Maximising on the best practice arising from the effective use of the pupil premium and the ‘Achievement for All’ initiative; Confirming OFSTED’s expectations for SEND in the revised inspection schedule for schools and academies; Describing how best to monitor, evaluate and validate best practice in school-to-school support. Packed with time-saving, photocopiable resources, examples of best practice and further activities for reflection, this practical book will enable the SENCO to respond to the current agenda, particularly in performing the role of a Specialist Leader of Education, disseminating SEN expertise across schools. Promoting and Delivering School-to-School Support for Special Educational Needs will be essential reading for all outstanding and aspiring outstanding SENCOs working in the early years, primary, secondary and special phases of education, academies and Pupil Referral Units.

This book brings together for the first time research informing leadership practice in special education from preschool through transition into post-secondary settings. It provides comprehensive coverage of 1) disability policy 2) leadership knowledge, 3) school reform, and 4) effective educational leadership practices. Broader in scope than previous books, it provides in-depth analysis by prominent scholars from across the disciplines of both general and special education leadership. Coverage includes historical roots, policy and legal perspectives, and content supporting collaborative and instructional leadership that support the administration of special education. Comprehensive – This is the first book to integrate the knowledge bases of special education and educational leadership as these fields impact school improvement and the performance of students with disabilities. Chapter Structure – Chapters provide a review of the knowledge base as well as recommendations for special education leadership and future research. Multicultural Focus – Addressing special education leadership within the context of a multicultural society, chapters incorporate content related to the diversity of families, teachers, and students. Expertise – Chapter authors have made significant contributions to the knowledge base in their specific areas of study such as educational policy, special education law and finance, school reform,, organizational management, and instructional leadership. This book is a reference volume for scholars, leaders, and policy makers and a textbook for graduate courses in special education, educational administration, and policy studies.

Children in today's world are inundated with information about who to be, what to do and how to live. But what if there was a way to teach children how to manage priorities, focus on goals and be a positive influence on the world around them? The Leader in Meis that programme. It's based on a hugely successful initiative carried out at the A.B. Combs Elementary School in North Carolina. To hear the parents of A. B Combs talk about the school is to be amazed. In 1999, the school debuted a programme that taught The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleto a pilot group of students. The parents reported an incredible change in their children, who blossomed under the programme. By the end of the following year the average end-of-grade scores had leapt from 84 to 94. This book will launch the message onto a much larger platform. Stephen R. Covey takes the 7 Habits, that have already changed the lives of millions of people, and shows how children can use them as they develop. Those habits -- be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw -- are critical skills to learn at a young age and bring incredible results, proving that it's never too early to teach someone how to live well.

Need help coping with the demands of working as a subject leader? Use this book to: unravel the requirements of the subject leader/coordinator's role; improve your leadership skills; access expertise through examples of current practice; feel more confident working with senior staff; and meet the challenges posed by inclusion and managing TAs. Based on up to date TTA standards, this is a useful companion for both NQTs and more experienced teachers. It can also be used to support INSET training.

This report unveils proposals for the biggest programme of reform in the education and health support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities in 30 years. The Government wants to fundamentally reform the SEN system to address problems including: parents having to battle to get the support their child needs; SEN statements not joining up education, health and care support; children falling between the gaps in services or having to undergo multiple assessments; multiple layers of paperwork and bureaucracy adding delays to getting support, therapy and vital equipment; confusing and adversarial assessment process, with the perceived conflict of interest where the local authority must provide SEN support as well as assess children's needs; too many children are being over-identified as SEN, preventing them from achieving their potential because teachers have lower expectations of them. The Government proposes to: include parents in the assessment process and introduce a legal right, by 2014, to give them control of funding for the support their child needs; replace statements with a single assessment process and a combined education, health and care plan so that health and social services is included in the package of support; ensure assessment and plans run from birth to 25 years old; replace the existing complicated School Action and School Action Plus system with a simpler new school-based category to help teachers focus on raising attainment; overhaul teacher training and professional development; inject greater independence from local authorities in assessments; give parents a greater choice of school and the power to set up special free schools

Special Women, Special Leaders explores the challenge associated with leadership roles as perceived and practiced by women leaders who have spent their careers and lives involved in special education issues. Each contributor offers a unique perspective on balancing a successful professional life with the demands often made on women in their personal lives. These chapters offer an opportunity to begin critical conversations on the journey women take to become leaders. The uniqueness of this book is its link to the traits and behaviors closely associated with special education and its relationship to successful leadership written by higher education administrators, organizational leaders, and advocates for students with special needs.

"This book provides new and experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinators with a critical approach to understanding the importance of Outstanding SEN Leadership and how to effectively meet the current SEN policy requirements. Closely informed by the statutory National Award for SEN Coordination learning outcomes for SENCOs, this book covers all statutory aspects of this challenging leadership role within the school. It provides a principled approach to understanding the challenges and complexity of special educational needs and disability (SEND) within the current context. Through concise summaries of policy and current research, critical discussions, reflective activities, case studies as well as practical examples, it helps the reader to engage more deeply in critical thinking about the effectiveness of current practices in their own school setting, and ways to develop them further for the future. Alison Ekins and Lorna Hughes establish that outstanding leadership of special educational needs is not something that can be achieved just by a single individual - SENCO has a key role in enabling and empowering everyone in their school setting to understand SEND and engage actively in the development of more inclusive systems to meet the needs of diverse pupils. Outstanding Leadership in Special Educational Needs, will, therefore, support everyone involved in education to develop their understandings of SEND. It is key reading for teachers, educational leaders and policymakers"--

Special Education: What It Is and Why We Need It provides a thorough examination of the basic concept of special education, a discussion of specific exceptionalities, and constructive responses to common criticisms of special education. Whether you’re a teacher, school administrator, teacher-educator, or simply interested in the topic, you will learn just what special education is, who gets it or who should get it, and why it is necessary. The second edition of this brief yet powerful primer will help you build the foundation of a realistic, rational view of the basic assumptions and knowledge on which special education rests.

The time has come to change the context of school leadership! The role of the principal is pivotal to systemic school change. That is the fundamental message in The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, which extends the discussion begun in Fullan's earlier publication, What’s Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? The author examines the moral purpose of school leadership and its critical role in "changing the context" in which the role is embedded. In this bold step forward, Fullan calls for principals to become agents as well as beneficiaries of the processes of school change. Concepts explored in-depth include: Why "changing the context" should be the main agenda for the principalship Why barriers to the principalship exist Why the principal should be seen as the COO (chief operating officer) of a school Why the role of the principal should figure more prominently within the system