Building Confident SEND Leaders
For Marie Stephenson, leading the NPQ SENCo at the University of Worcester is about far more than delivering content.
“This is a national qualification,” she said. “But how people experience, and what they take away from it, depends very much on the way it is delivered.”
At Worcester, the focus is firmly on professional confidence, applied learning, and the quality of the expertise of the staff delivering the course.
“The NPQ SENCo runs over 18 months and follows a very clear cycle,” Marie said. “Once participants understand the rhythm of the programme, they can plan their time and engage with it confidently alongside their role. Participants on the course don’t just consume information, they think about what it means for their own school, their own role and their own pupils.”
One of the defining features of how the course is delivered at Worcester is the emphasis Marie and her team put on peer coaching.
“The coaching is where the learning really happens,” she said. “Participants bring real challenges from their own settings and work through them together, supported by facilitators.”
The sessions are designed to support reflection and problem-solving, and Marie said this approach is particularly valuable in SEND leadership. “In many schools, SENCos are working on their own, and bringing people together who understand that context makes a huge difference.”
Across the 18 months, the cohort develop strong professional relationships. “The real expertise isn’t just with me at the front of the room,” said Marie. “It’s in the collective experience of the whole group.”
The participants form a professional learning community, made up of a diversity of backgrounds. Marie said: “They talk about their experiences; they talk about what works for them and what doesn’t; that shared learning is incredibly powerful.”
It’s something that often continues beyond the end of the programme, with participants staying in touch to continue that professional practice sharing and support.
Assessment on the course is designed to reflect real professional practice.
“There’s a single end-point assessment, and it’s rooted in what people are actually doing in their schools,” she said. For participants returning to study after time in practice, this can be reassuring.
“People worry about academic writing,” Marie said. “But they quickly realise they’re already doing the work. The assessment allows them to draw it together in a meaningful way.”
Successful completion of the NPQ SENCo caries Master’s-level academic credit, and Marie is keen that participants understand their options.
She said: “We’re very clear about the progression pathways. People are shown how these credits can be used towards further study if that’s something they want to do.”
“The course changes how people see themselves,” Marie added. “They start to think differently about leadership, professional development and what’s possible next.”
Although the NPQ SENCo is a national programme, Marie believes how it is delivered is just as important as what is being taught.
“At Worcester, we add such value through our people, our coaching model, and our commitment to professional learning,” she said.
“Our aim is that participants leave not just qualified, but confident, connected, and ready to lead inclusive practice well.”