Special Educational Needs Coordinator
Also advertised as: Additional Needs Coordinator, Inclusion Manager, Learning Support Coordinator, SEN Lead, SENCO, Special Educational Needs Coordinator
Coordinates support for pupils with additional learning needs across a school.
What the job involves
SENCOs identify pupils who need extra support, write and review Education, Health and Care Plans, and coordinate teaching assistants and outside specialists. You liaise closely with parents and local authority services to secure the right provision. Most SENCOs are qualified teachers who complete a mandatory postgraduate award once appointed.
Typical responsibilities
- Identify and assess pupils' additional needs
- Write and review support plans
- Liaise with parents and external specialists
- Manage and train teaching assistants
- Monitor the impact of interventions
Common employers
- Primary and secondary schools
- Academy trusts
- Specialist schools
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£32,000 – £38,000 a year
With experience
£42,000 – £55,000 a year
Typical hours
Term-time plus some inset days
Working environment
School based with visits to other agencies
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Assessment and planning
- Multi-agency liaison
- Empathy
- Record keeping
- Advocacy
Transferable skills you may already have
- Casework coordination
- Stakeholder communication
- Report writing
Requirements employers ask for
- Assessment and planning
- Multi-agency liaison
- Empathy
- Record keeping
- Advocacy
- Qualified Teacher Status
- National Award for SEN Coordination within three years of appointment
- Enhanced DBS check
- Qualified Teacher Status
- Enhanced DBS check
Useful but not essential
- Casework coordination
- Stakeholder communication
- Report writing
- Experience as a teaching assistant or teacher
- Educational psychology knowledge
Helpful qualifications
- Experience as a teaching assistant or teacher
- Educational psychology knowledge
Licences and checks
- Qualified Teacher Status
- Enhanced DBS check
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Education studies
- Related subject: Psychology
Where this career can lead
next
Assistant Headteacher (Inclusion)
next
Local Authority SEN Adviser
next
Educational Psychologist
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Meaningful impact on vulnerable pupils
- Varied, non-repetitive role
- Recognised leadership responsibility
What people find hard
- Heavy administrative workload
- Resourcing constraints limit what can be offered
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a special educational needs coordinator?
- required
- How much does a special educational needs coordinator earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £32,000 to £38,000 a year, rising towards £55,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Casework coordination, Stakeholder communication, Report writing.
Related careers
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Supports pupils' learning in the classroom, often working closely with those who need extra help.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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