Autumn 2024 NPQ cohort launch

Colleagues from across the Saffron Teaching School Hub region recently came together at Harlow Study Centre to launch our latest cohort of NPQ programmes, including the new NPQ SENCO. Starting in October 2024, over 90 teachers and leaders will be taking the next step on their professional journey by undertaking a National Professional Qualification.

During the launch events, we asked members to reflect on what they hoped to gain from their NPQ experience, and we were inspired by the responses:

NPQ SENCO

We are proud to be supporting 40 current and aspiring SENCOs to complete the NPQ SENCO qualification. This 18-month programme will enable participants to develop essential knowledge, skills and concepts that underpin successful SEND leadership within a school.

Throughout the programme, they will work alongside other leaders to build a school culture in which pupils with SEND can:

Participate meaningfully in the full life of the school
Achieve ambitious outcomes
Make successful transitions to their next steps

Like all of our programmes, we have teamed up with expert facilitators from across the region to deliver this programme.

Emma Carvalho, Deputy Headteacher and SENCO at Beckers Green Primary School, is a lead facilitator for the NPQ SENCO programme. She reflected on the importance of the programme, and why she chose to work with Saffron Teaching School Hub.

"I am thrilled to be facilitating the mandatory NPQ SENCO.

This qualification will ensure that current and aspiring SENCOs will understand what drives and underpins successful leadership for SEND provision in their settings.

With increasing demands on mainstream settings to meet a variety of additional needs, this role is more important than it has ever been."