 The January 2026 edition of the SENCO newsletter includes:
- Area SENCO update
- Area SEND inspection
- Training updates
- Information about the Wellbeing Hub, Centre for Autism, University of Reading
- The Holt SEN Information Evening
- Examples of accessible SEN Information Reports
- NASEN Teacher Handbook – a reminder
Update from Helen Jackson-Brench, Area SENCO
Welcome to the January 2026 edition of the SENCO Newsletter and a very Happy New Year to you all. I hope you had a restful break and are feeling ready for the busy term ahead.
Last Thursday we had our first SENCO Network Meeting of 2026. Sally Furness joined us to gather feedback on the current paperwork used for EHC needs assessment requests and annual reviews. Thank you for the feedback you shared; this will be carefully considered when the forms are revised.
We also discussed the relationship between the Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) guidance and decision-making around placing a child on the SEN Register. It's important to emphasise that the introduction of OAP has not changed how we determine whether a child should be recorded as having SEND.
We continue to use the definitions set out in the SEND Code of Practice: A child has Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) “if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.”
A child is considered to have a learning difficulty or disability if they:
- have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.
Special educational provision is defined as provision that is “different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.”
The OAP guidance outlines the provision schools are expected to put in place before requesting an EHC needs assessment. As a result, some pupils receiving support through OAP alone will still appropriately be recorded on the SEN Register. While there are no simple answers, we hope that the 'key considerations' listed in the PowerPoint from the session, will support and prompt professional discussion within schools. The key takeaway remains that the OAP has not altered our decision-making framework, which continues to be guided by the Code of Practice. Further guidance will follow in due course once the White Paper has been released.
Jo Billington also joined us from the University of Reading to share information about the neurodiversity-affirming activities available through the Wellbeing Hub (see the article below for more details).
Finally, with the SENCO Conference fast approaching, we are very much looking forward to welcoming you. Please ensure you have completed the pre-registration form sent out, which allows you to select your workshop choices for the day.
I hope the next few weeks go well and I look forward to seeing most of you at the conference.
Area SEND inspection: survey information for practitioners
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are visiting our area as part of an inspection.
They will be looking at the arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
They would like to hear your views about the support that you provide to children and young people with SEND.
You can share your views by filling in an online survey.
The surveys close at 9am on Tuesday 20 January.
Training updates
Our EP Service and Outreach Services are offering a huge range of training this term. More information is available on the Wokingham Hub: Events | Wokingham Schools Hub
Berkshire Sensory Consortium are offering a free basic introduction on deafness/hearing loss on Wednesday 28 January 2026 at 3.45pm to 4.20pm. The training is open to SENCOs, teachers and support staff in mainstream, Berkshire Schools.
DfE webinars – Leading specialist places in mainstream
Please see below registration details for an upcoming series of three free national Whole School SEND webinars taking place in January and February 2026. These are aimed at teachers, SENDCos and school leaders at all levels.
The series will cover different components of leadership, curriculum, specialist pedagogy, assessment, and the experience of children with complex SEND profiles who are learning in separate, internal spaces in mainstream schools.
The registration link for each of the sessions are below:
Parent Training Courses
SENDIASS are offering a range of free parent training courses, delivered online via Zoom. These sessions are designed to support parents in understanding SEND processes and provision in schools.
- Tuesday 20 January, 10am to 11.30am EHCP Annual Review – A Parent’s Guide
- Wednesday 11 February, 7pm to 8.30pm SEND Support in School – A Parent’s Guide
- Tuesday 17 March, 7pm to 8.30pm EHCPs – A Parent’s Guide
They will also be hosting SEND Coffee Mornings and a Zoom update with WBC and Health on SEND Improvements.
To book a place email info@sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk
More information at www.sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk/events
Please share this information with your families.
 Centre for autism wellbeing hub at the University of Reading
Launched in November 2023, the wellbeing hub brings together autistic children and young people, their families, practitioners and researchers to co-produce and deliver neurodiversity-affirming activities that support autistic young people and their families to lead their best lives.
Our current programme of activities include
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Free monthly online talks - delivered by autistic adults about thriving
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New family wellbeing course - open to parents and carers of children who are autistic, or awaiting an autism diagnostic assessment. Using evidence-based approaches to thriving and a library of videos created by autistic children and young people. The course aims to deepen parent’s understanding of their autistic child while also focusing on their own wellbeing as a parent/carer. Cost: £60 per person for a 6 week course.
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Parent/career meet ups - Monthly themed gatherings, providing a warm and welcoming space to meet others with similar experiences and share insights, challenges and solutions. Cost: £10 per person.
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NeuroBears and NeuroBears Cubs for young people aged 5 to 14 - Free, fun and informative courses designed to help autistic children to learn more about their autism, celebrate their strengths, and share their experiences with parents or carers in a relaxed, supportive way. Courses are facilitated online or face to face at the university by trained and supervised MSc placement students.
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Practitioner special interest Group - Termly in person free event for local autism practitioners with a speaker and chance to network over a cup of tea. Next event is on 5 March, 4pm to 6pm with Sue Allen, Occupational Therapist. The theme is The Impact of Sensory Differences on Every Day Life.
For more information or to book a place, please follow the booking links on our website or contact us on autism@reading.ac.uk
I wanted to highlight the excellent work taking place across a number of schools that have organised, or are in the process of organising, parent meetings focused on SEND.
Before Christmas, I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic event at The Holt School. Elizabeth, the SENCO, spoke to parents about the school’s SEND offer, alongside a series of presentations, including an overview of OAP, contributions from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) and SEND Voices.
The most powerful part of the evening came from the young people themselves, both current and former pupils, who spoke movingly about the support they had received and the achievements they have gone on to make.
Sara, pictured above, spoke eloquently about the support she received particularly in the lead up to her GCSEs. She went on to achieve some fantastic GCSE results and is considering a career in teaching and becoming a SENCO in the future!
Thank you to everyone at The Holt for holding this event.
As discussed at the SENCO Network meeting on 8 January, please see the SEN Information Reports page on SENCO Hub for information and examples of accessible reports.
Please make sure that your school has published an up-to-date SEN Information report (which is dated for this academic year) on their website.
If you need any support or more information about writing a SEN Information Report, please contact the Area SENCO Team.
A quick reminder about the NASEN Teacher Handbook: SEND, a highly practical and useful resource to support inclusive practice across schools.
The most recent version was updated in August 2024 and is in the format of an interactive PDF. It's worth checking you have access to the most recent version.
The handbook brings together clear guidance on high-quality inclusive teaching, the graduated approach and practical strategies for supporting learners with SEND in everyday classroom practice. It's designed for teachers, support staff and leaders and is intended to be dipped into as needed.
Many schools have found it helpful to share selected sections with staff at different points in the year, or to focus on particular pages or chapters in line with current school priorities – for example, supporting transition, developing inclusive classroom practice, or strengthening subject-specific approaches for learners with SEND. Used in this way, the handbook can be a valuable tool for ongoing professional discussion and development.
If you haven’t revisited it recently, it’s well worth another look as a shared reference point for strengthening inclusive pedagogy and removing barriers to learning for all pupils.
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