Part two: Two roles, One mission (Practical strategies)

This is the second blog in a two-part series exploring how SENCos and school leaders can work in deeper, more strategic alignment to lead inclusion across their schools. In part one, we looked at the different models of partnership, what they look like, why they matter, and how they impact pupils with SEND. Now, in part two, we move from vision to action. Here, we share a set of practical, sustainable strategies that can help shift schools toward more inclusive, collaborative ways of working.

 Practical Strategies for SENCo and School Leader Collaboration
So how do we begin to shift towards that truly integrated model of working? The model where inclusion is not something tagged onto the SENCo’s to-do list, but instead embedded into every discussion, every decision, and every layer of school life?
The honest answer is that there is no single formula that works for everyone. There is no polished blueprint, no guaranteed sequence of steps that will deliver inclusion overnight. Every school is different, shaped by its culture, its structure, its size, and its wider context. But what can make a significant difference are the small, strategic shifts that help build stronger collaboration between SENCos and school leaders. These strategies are not intended to add more to an already overwhelming workload, nor do they claim to be quick fixes. Instead, they are offered as gentle invitations to reflect, try something new, and begin laying more intentional foundations for inclusion.
 
Start with a heat map

This may sound deceptively simple, but in practice, it can be transformational. Many schools already use heat maps effectively in phonics assessment and planning, where they help identify patterns of need, highlight gaps, and inform targeted teaching. The same principle can be applied to leadership collaboration. At the start of the year or term, find time to sit down together and create a heat map that charts the pressure points in both of your roles.

Think about key periods such as annual review deadlines, census submissions, internal assessment cycles, performance management meetings, report-writing windows, moderation schedules, and the inevitable flurry of activity just before an Ofsted visit.

By mapping these peak stress points out visually on a calendar, both the SENCo and the school leader can begin to develop a shared understanding of the demands each person is facing. This exercise encourages empathy, reduces frustration, and helps to explain those occasional missed emails or cancelled check-ins. That unanswered message might have landed just as the SENCo was knee-deep in 27 EHCP reviews. That missed conversation may have coincided with a day when the school leader was managing multiple staff absences and a complex safeguarding issue.

While a heat map does not reduce anyone’s workload, it does bring a sense of clarity, and that clarity becomes an act of kindness. It enables forward planning and helps create protected time for meaningful conversations and joint decision-making. It encourages both roles to think proactively and respectfully about when and how to connect.

 

Plan together with intention

Joint planning does not need to be elaborate or time-consuming, but it does need to be deliberate. Establish regular opportunities to sit down together and review what is working, what is not, and what needs attention. Use this time to explore the current provision in school. What is having impact? Where are the gaps? Which interventions are no longer meeting pupils’ needs? Are children with SEND making expected progress? What is the data telling you, and perhaps more importantly, what are your professional instincts telling you beyond the numbers?

Bring others into these conversations too. Phase leaders, curriculum leads, pastoral staff, and other key voices should be part of this collaborative thinking. These are not just meetings about SEND. They are meetings about inclusion, and inclusion should thread through every layer of school life.

When planning is conducted in this way, it moves SEND out of a corner labelled "support" and places it at the heart of whole-school improvement.

Give the SENCo a strategic voice

Inclusion gains real traction when the SENCo is positioned as part of the strategic leadership team. This means not only being consulted once decisions are made, but being included from the outset so they can actively shape the direction of those decisions.

Consider the areas where the SENCo’s expertise could influence whole-school planning. This could include staffing deployment, curriculum sequencing, timetable structure, or the focus of professional development. Imagine the difference it might make if they were involved in shaping behaviour policy before it is rolled out, or if their perspective was central to how phase transitions are planned and supported.

This kind of visibility benefits the whole school. It allows inclusion to be designed in from the beginning, rather than retrofitted after the fact. It enables schools to take a proactive rather than reactive stance, creating systems that work for all children from the outset.

 

Walk in each other’s shoes

There is nothing quite as powerful as stepping into each other’s world. School leaders benefit from taking time to observe a small-group intervention or sitting in on a multi-agency meeting. Likewise, SENCos gain valuable insight by attending curriculum planning sessions, participating in staffing discussions, or joining parent and carer briefings.

This is not about scrutiny or judgement. It is about developing perspective. By seeing the emotional labour, the decision-making, and the expertise required in each other’s work, both professionals become more generous in their assumptions. Trust deepens. Empathy grows. And collaboration becomes more authentic and grounded in mutual respect.

These moments of shared observation, though brief, create a lasting impact. They help break down the idea that there are separate and distinct roles with separate and distinct responsibilities. Instead, they build a shared mindset that we are all in this together.

Learn side by side

Professional development is not just about acquiring new strategies. It can also be a powerful tool for connection, alignment, and building a shared culture. When SENCos and school leaders engage in training together, they begin to develop a common language and a unified understanding of what effective, inclusive practice looks like in their school. This shared experience helps to uncover assumptions, explore new approaches, and establish a joint vision for inclusion.

This kind of learning can take many forms. It might involve participating in a trust-wide training day focused on adaptive teaching, attending a national SEND conference, or joining a collaborative session with local or trust schools. The specific format matters less than the quality of the learning experience and the depth of reflection that follows. High-quality professional development offers content that is relevant, thought-provoking, and closely aligned to the day-to-day challenges and opportunities within schools. 

Just as important as the quality of input is what happens next. The real impact comes from how the learning is interpreted, shared, and embedded over time. After a training session, it is helpful to ask questions such as: What resonated most strongly? What challenged our current thinking? What can we take back to school and apply? What might need to be adapted to suit our setting? Who else in the school community needs to be involved in this work? And what support might be needed to ensure the learning translates into sustained change?

Some of the most powerful professional learning moments come from discomfort. Those moments when thinking is stretched, when familiar ideas are questioned, and when new insights begin to take shape. That is where deep learning begins. When these moments are experienced side by side by the SENCo and the school leader, they become a foundation for honest discussion, thoughtful planning, and long-term collaboration.

Professional development should not be seen as a one-off event. It is a catalyst for change. When approached with purpose and followed through with action, it becomes the bridge between strategic leadership and everyday inclusive practice.

Ask the question that matters most: 

There is one deceptively simple question that can act as a compass for any team seeking to build a more inclusive culture...

‘What do we hope our pupils would say about how we work together?’

Would they describe a joined-up team? Would they say that adults communicate well, that systems are clear, and that support is consistent? Or would they describe a gap between what they need and what they receive? Would they notice when systems feel fragmented, or decisions seem disconnected?

Let that question guide the work. Because when pupils can see the strength of collaboration between adults, they begin to trust the structures around them. That trust forms the foundation for every other element of support.

It’s not more work. It’s the right work

None of these strategies are flashy. They are not expensive to implement, and once embedded, they are not time-consuming either. But what they all have in common is intentionality. They are rooted in the belief that inclusive practice does not emerge from policy documents alone. It takes shape in the conversations we prioritise, in the empathy we show, and in the consistency we model across the school.

No one will get everything perfect every time, and perfection is not the goal. Progress is.

If you can take one intentional step this term, one shared conversation, one moment of joint reflection, one decision made together, then you are already moving in the right direction.

Because in the end, this is not about adding to an already heavy workload. It is about setting a new direction. It is about building a school culture where inclusion is not the responsibility of one person, but the shared responsibility of a whole team.

These strategies will not solve every challenge. They are not magic solutions. But they can serve as anchors. And in a system that can often feel uncertain and ever-shifting, anchoring to what matters most, to shared purpose and meaningful collaboration, may be the most powerful move we can make.

There is no need to wait for the system to change. There is no need to wait for permission. The children in our classrooms are not waiting.

Let us lead inclusion, together.

(This blog was originally written as a keynote for Challenge Partners, a fantastic organisation doing incredible work to support collaboration and improvement across the education system. I had the privilege of speaking to leaders who were either exploring what it means to join Challenge Partners or preparing to embark on their peer-to-peer SEND review work. It was a space filled with curiosity, purpose, and a genuine commitment to doing better for all children, particularly those with SEND)

Part one: Two roles, One mission

This blog is the first in a two-part series exploring how SENCos and school leaders can work together to lead truly inclusive schools. In this first instalment, we take a deep dive into the models of partnership that exist across the system. These range from isolated and disconnected ways of working to fully integrated approaches that drive sustainable change. The most impactful change begins with aligned leadership. In the second blog, we will explore practical and achievable strategies that bring this vision to life. But first, let us understand why this partnership matters so deeply.

Inclusion is not a bolt-on, nor is it a standalone policy or the responsibility of just one person. It is a culture, something woven into the very fabric of our schools and trusts. And that culture only truly thrives when two key roles are working in deep and deliberate alignment: the SENCo and the school leader.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of wearing many hats in education. I’ve been a class teacher, a curriculum lead, a school leader, and a SENCo, often all at once in the wonderful chaos that comes with leading in a small school. Today, my focus has widened. I work across systems, supporting inclusion at scale to ensure that every pupil, and especially those with SEND, receives what they need to thrive.

The majority of schools and trusts follow the SEND Code of Practice, which clearly positions the SENCo as most effective when on the leadership team. 

Section 6.87 of the SEND Code of Practice (2015):

“The SENCO has an important role to play with the headteacher and governing body in determining the strategic development of SEN policy and provision in the school. They will be most effective in that role if they are part of the school leadership team.”

 This ensures that inclusion is considered in all strategic planning and decision-making processes. In this blog, I have chosen to use the term ‘school leaders’ to refer specifically to those in headteacher, head of school, or executive leadership roles. This is to reflect the varied leadership structures now found across trusts and larger organisations. Of course, it goes without saying that all leaders have a responsibility for SEND. However, this blog focuses on how SENCos and senior leaders can work together in a more cohesive and deliberate way to drive inclusive practice at every level.

The educational landscape we’re operating in is far from stable. Political shifts, curriculum changes, and evolving accountability frameworks all seem to move without a clear or consistent direction. For those of us leading inclusion, that kind of ambiguity isn’t just challenging...it’s exhausting. The frameworks we rely on remain inconsistent across the country. Local Authorities interpret the SEND Code of Practice in different ways, leaving schools to navigate a landscape of uncertainty while also trying to balance budgets, meet attainment targets, and respond to an ever-increasing complexity of need.

Both SENCos and school leaders are stretched. SENCos are often overwhelmed by paperwork, education health and care plans, multi-agency meetings, and the constant need to respond to urgent issues. At the same time, school leaders are juggling a wide spectrum of responsibilities including pupil outcomes, safeguarding, staffing, and finances. And somewhere within this complex web sits the child – the one in front of us today – not the one who might benefit from a reform that arrives later down the road. 

This is why how we lead matters more than ever. While none of us can fix the entire system single-handedly, we can absolutely change how we lead within it. That is within our control. And that is where the real work begins.

 

The Four Ways SENCos and School Leaders Work Together

Over the years, I’ve seen the full spectrum of SENCo and school leader partnerships. From reactive systems running on caffeine and crisis, to deeply collaborative teams where inclusion is woven into the school’s DNA. Most of us don’t live in one model permanently, we shift between them depending on the term, the pressure, or the people in post. But understanding these working models helps us name where we are now and imagine what’s possible next. 

The first model is often referred to as ‘working in silos’. In this scenario, both the SENCo and the school leader are operating at full capacity. They are highly competent, deeply committed, and moving at speed, but entirely disconnected from one another. The SENCo is immersed in the daily demands of provision mapping, completing EHCP paperwork, responding to staff queries, and coordinating external agencies. At the same time, the school leader is managing a broad range of responsibilities, from safeguarding and staffing restructures to performance targets, premises issues, and budget concerns.

Each role is essential. Each individual is working hard. Both may genuinely believe that the other is simply getting on with it. On the surface, this can resemble mutual trust, and in many cases, that trust is real. However, beneath that, there lies a fundamental problem. The work is not joined up. The inclusion agenda does not always feed into wider curriculum discussions. Resourcing decisions and timetabling often overlook what is needed for inclusion to be truly effective. Teachers may assume that inclusion is the SENCo’s responsibility alone, rather than recognising it as a shared, whole-school commitment. The result is that pupils with SEND risk being treated as peripheral in key conversations, when in fact they should be central to every aspect of planning and practice.

Closely linked to this is another model that presents particular challenges. This is often referred to as ‘working in isolation’. Here, the SENCo is given full responsibility for inclusion, but without the partnership, influence, or structural support needed to lead that work in a meaningful and sustainable way. At first glance, this may appear to be a position of independence or even empowerment. However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not true autonomy. Instead, it is isolation disguised as autonomy. The SENCo becomes a lone figure, carrying the burden of provision, paperwork, and problem-solving without the backing of a wider leadership team. They are often left out of strategic discussions, even when their input would be critical in shaping the school’s response to its most vulnerable learners. They are the person everyone turns to when something goes wrong, but they are rarely included when systems are being designed to prevent those issues in the first place. This model cannot be sustained over time. More importantly, it is not fair. It places one individual between a child and the support they need. If that individual is overworked, unwell, or simply stretched too thin, the entire system around that child becomes fragile.

A third model, which often proves the most difficult to challenge, is known as ‘collaboration without vision’. At first glance, this model can appear promising. The SENCo and the school leader meet regularly. They may co-write policies and deliver CPD sessions together. There is clear evidence of joint activity and some shared responsibility.

However, beneath that surface-level collaboration, there is no unifying sense of direction or shared philosophy driving the work forward. There is motion, sometimes a lot of it, but very little meaning. Without a clear definition of what inclusion looks like in their context, and without shared values that underpin their decisions, the work becomes transactional. A policy is updated. An intervention is delivered. A CPD session is logged. But the deeper questions remain unanswered. Are these actions contributing to a broader vision for inclusive practice? Are they shifting the school culture in a lasting way? Are they sustainable?

In schools operating within this model, inclusion is often perceived as a project or a temporary initiative rather than a core principle that informs every aspect of teaching and leadership. As a result, staff may engage only at a surface level, doing what is asked of them without fully understanding the purpose or importance of the work. Pupils may still receive support, but that support comes from a system that lacks coherence, clarity, and long-term resilience.

Finally, there is the model that represents the gold standard. This is referred to as ‘integration as a team’. This is the point where the SENCo is no longer viewed as someone who is simply consulted about SEND matters. Instead, they are recognised as a strategic leader whose voice shapes all aspects of school development. In these schools, the SENCo has a seat at the leadership table. This is not a token gesture, or something done out of courtesy, but rather a recognition that their insights are essential to driving school improvement. This partnership is visible in everyday practice. The school improvement plan reflects a genuine commitment to inclusion. Budget planning takes account of the cost of interventions, the deployment of teaching assistants, and the provision of things like assistive technology. Curriculum leads collaborate with the SENCo to design and adapt resources in a meaningful way, rather than viewing adaptation as an afterthought or an optional extra.

In these schools, CPD is co-designed and co-delivered. Every member of staff understands that inclusion is not the responsibility of one person. It is everyone’s business. Teachers feel supported to meet diverse needs in the classroom. Families experience consistent, joined-up communication. Most importantly, pupils with SEND feel seen, valued, and understood.

What truly makes this model powerful is not just the structures that support it, but the mindset that drives it. The SENCo and the school leader work in tandem. They plan together, reflect together, and problem-solve together. They celebrate progress as a shared achievement and respond to challenges as a united team. This culture of shared responsibility gradually takes root, spreading throughout the school and transforming the way people think, feel, and act when it comes to inclusion.

Of course, not every school can operate in that fourth model all of the time. It takes patience, mutual respect, and intentional effort to get there. However, when schools can be honest about where they are now, and clear about where they want to go, they can begin to take deliberate steps in that direction.

 Perhaps the more helpful question is not “Which model are we in?” but rather “What is one meaningful action we can take this term to move closer to full integration?”

It might be something as simple as co-planning an INSET session, delivering a piece of CPD together, or attending a joint meeting with a parent. These small shifts matter, and over time, they build momentum.

In the end, real inclusion does not begin with policy. It begins with people. It begins with two professionals, aligned in purpose, committed to one mission, and choosing, day by day, to lead together.

 This is where inclusive leadership begins, not with policy, but with people. When SENCos and school leaders intentionally choose to lead together, they create schools where pupils with SEND are not an afterthought, but a central part of every decision. If this blog helped you name where your school might be now, the next step is to take action. Head to part two of this series, where we’ll explore tangible, real-world strategies that can help deepen collaboration and embed inclusion across your school.

(This blog was originally written as a keynote for Challenge Partners, a fantastic organisation doing incredible work to support collaboration and improvement across the education system. I had the privilege of speaking to leaders who were either exploring what it means to join Challenge Partners or preparing to embark on their peer-to-peer SEND review work. It was a space filled with curiosity, purpose, and a genuine commitment to doing better for all children, particularly those with SEND)