Awards ceremony celebrates Special Needs Co-ordinators’ achievements

A total of 24 Peterborough staff completed the course between September 2020 and February this year to gain their Level 3 (Cache) SENCo qualification.

The entire course of 12 sessions was completed online because of COVID restrictions, with workshops and tutorials delivered by a range of professional from partnership organisations.

The aim of the programme and qualification is to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills of Early Years SENCos to enable them to perform their role effectively.

The programme included 12 directly taught sessions, with some time built in for the tutor to give individual or small group support as required.

The award is evidence of a setting’s commitment to supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It provides the SENCo with the skills to lead and coordinate SEND within their Early Years setting.

To fulfil the requirements of the role it is important that the Early Years SENCos working with children under five are capable and confident to effectively support the children, families and colleagues with whom they work.

On completion of the award the Early Years SENCo will have developed strategies, practices and policies to ensure children with SEND are able to make progress and meet their potential across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.

Jonathan Lewis, Service Director for Education at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council said: “Congratulations to everyone who has completed this challenging course in the most difficult and unusual of circumstances during a global pandemic. It shows their commitment to refining their expertise in the vital field of SEND and their determination to provide the very best for these children in Early Years settings. I am proud of them all.”