Page 30 - Issue 112 May-June 2021

nasen The role of co-production in effective leadership of SEND Professor Adam Boddison highlights the importance of the triangle of SEND leadership. 30 The Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015 established the principle of every teacher being a teacher of children and young people with SEND. However, for this to be realised in practice, every leader needs to be a leader of SEND. In a school context, such leadership arguably begins with governors and trustees, and there can often be a focus on the role of the SEND Governor. In particular, the interplay between the SENCO, the Headteacher and the SEND Governor can be thought of as a triangle of SEND leadership, which has learners as its core focus. Families and the Triangle of SEND Leadership An important feature of the effective leadership of SEND is co-production with families. The reality is that parents and carers of learners with SEND have often spent years refining strategies that work for their children. Meaningful co-production between families and the triangle of SEND leadership allows this knowledge to be shared at the highest levels, so it can inform strategic decision making. A concern that is sometimes vocalised in relation to every leader being a leader of SEND is that of duplication. The extent to which the SENCO, the Headteacher and the SEND Governor are operating strategically or operationally in their individual “Leadership arguably begins with governors and trustees” roles is a key factor in determining whether such tensions exist in practice. When co-production with families is factored in, the way in which the four roles work in combination deserves important consideration. A co-produced strategic approach involving families and the triangle of SEND leadership can be a powerful driving force in improving the quality of SEND and inclusion across a school. This is not about all four stakeholder groups duplicating each other’s efforts. Instead, a strategically coordinated approach is most likely to be successful through working in a complementary way; in harmony rather than in unison. Think SEND! To exemplify this concept of complementary interactions and behaviours, it is worth considering the principle of ‘Think SEND!’ as a feature of effective SEND leadership. Essentially, SEN112 senmagazine.co.uk