A Little Guide for Teachers: Being a SENCO

Lynn How is a SENCo, educational consultant, SEND mum, trainer and author with over 24 years of experience working across primary education in a wide range of roles, including class teacher, assistant headteacher and ITT lead mentor. She currently works with schools, trusts and individuals across the UK, supporting inclusive practice, SEND leadership and staff wellbeing.Lynn is known for her honest, practical and down-to-earth approach to SENCoing. She specialises in helping schools embed high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND, develop confident SENCo leadership, and create systems that are both effective and sustainable. Alongside her consultancy and public speaking work, she delivers training, webinars and coaching for SENCos and school leaders, drawing on her real-world (and current) SENCo experiences. She runs Positive Young Mind, a platform dedicated to SEND, inclusion and educator wellbeing, and leads one of the UK’s largest online SENCo communities ‘The Sweary SENCo’, which puts SENCo wellbeing at the heart of practice. Through her writing, training and online presence, Lynn is a strong advocate for putting the practitioner first, recognising that inclusive schools depend on supported, confident and well SENCos.Lynn has written for a range of educational organisations and publications and has appeared on SEND-focused podcasts and webinars. She supports Teacher Toolkit and works with Kindness Matters to promote compassionate, inclusive school cultures.She holds an MA in Education, is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, and holds the NASENCO qualification and NPQH.

• Chapter 1: The Power of Relationships: Building Trust and InfluenceChapter 2: Just Good Teaching: A Whole-School Foundation for InclusionChapter 3: Connection and Confidence: Leading as a SENCoChapter 4: Navigating Statutory Duties with ConfidenceChapter 5: Sustaining Yourself in the Role: Self-Care and Organisational StrategiesChapter 6: Final Words – Why SENCoing is the Best Job in the School