18-05-2020
01:03
Our team sorts through all blog submissions to place them in the categories they fit the most - meaning it's never been simpler to gain advice and new knowledge for topics most important for you. This is why we have created this straight-forward guide to help you navigate our system.
And there you have it! Now your collection of blogs are catered to your chosen topics and are ready for you to explore. Plus, if you frequently return to the same categories you can bookmark your current URL and we will save your choices on return. Happy Reading!
After receiving a number of questions relating to workload in her Facebook group, Lynn decided to share some of her key suggestions to prevent burnout.
As we enter October, people are beginning to feel overwhelmed. Week 4 of the Autumn term is classic ‘drowning in work’ territory! It’s also classic illness territory. This is even more so if you are starting a new school due to all the new germs!
Hang in there! SENCOing can be notoriously lonely. This can be exacerbated if you’re not part of a teaching team.
Network where you can with other SENCOs to gain some much-needed solidarity and support.
Already this term, I have heard from SENCOs who:
This is not an exhaustive list.
There are many environmental factors at play in our work, but there are some things we can do for ourselves.
Things to do if you are struggling with workload:
 Overwhelmed by the workload? Prioritise yourself! How much release time are you getting? Check out the Bath Spa SENCO workload research. Do you have the suggested release time? |
| Misunderstood by their leadership team? If your headteacher doesn’t understand (or try to understand) the pressures of your role, let them know that you are concerned about your wellbeing and that you may well burn out. In extreme cases of poor workplace wellbeing or significant lack of release time, it may even be worth suggesting that you are going to have to look for another job because you need more time to undertake your role. You may not want to go anywhere, but leaving is always an option. |
| Can you defer your NASENCO (or even wait for the NPQ instead)? |
| Track your workload. Track your workload for a week and take it to your head for discussion. |
| Consider what is the teacher’s responsibility, and what is yours. Teachers are ultimately responsible for the progress of their pupils. Avoid writing IEPs or referral forms on your own. They can provide the bulk of the information, so support each other! |
| Ask for an assistant if you don’t have one. Even a couple of hours a week will help! You may need to work a bit at home but more than an hour a day is too much. |
| Ultimately it’s just a job… Yes, it consumes most of your life but this all-consuming fast pace can only be temporary, it cannot be sustained long-term. Be a little more disagreeable. You can say no, and don’t say yes too fast! It’s fine to take some time to think before committing (make sure you negotiate extra release time as well!). |
| Reach out! Speak to a trusted colleague, friend or family member. I’m always happy to have a chat on Zoom with anyone who is struggling. |
Remember – If you burn out, you’re not useful to anyone! I appreciate that in practice this is a bit of a nightmare to put sensible boundaries on!
For more support, https://positiveyoungmind.com/5-ways-to-reach-out/.
Securus provide market-leading monitoring solutions to safeguard students on ALL devices both online and offline. We also offer a full monitoring service, where we carry out the monitoring on behalf of the school, freeing up valuable staff resources. From the smallest school to large MAT groups, Securus offers safeguarding protection for all!
As European leaders of Time Management Solutions, Bodet offer Lockdown, Clock, Bell & PA Systems. Harmonys, our five-in-one IP/PoE Bell System, provides a unique customisable lockdown or panic alarm alert. Melodys, a Wireless Bell System, is useful where wiring can be difficult.
Robotical makes Marty the Robot - a walking, dancing coding robot that makes programming fun and engaging for learners as young as 5. Our robots come with a full Learning Platform that has complete teaching resources, to make lesson planning a breeze.
Are you looking for solutions? Let us help fund them! Nexus Education is a community of over 11,000 schools that come together to share best practise, ideas and CPD via online channels and free to attend events. Nexus also offers funding to all school groups in the UK via nexus-education.com
As a group, Fusion Education People Solutions provide innovative HR Services and Software (SAM, SAMpeople and FACE-Ed), developed specifically for the sector by education specialists. We are trusted by over 1000 schools and trusts across the UK.
Our website and ready-to-use resources bring to life the incredible stories of game changers from history – ordinary people who used their character strengths to help them achieve extraordinary things. Our site has been carefully designed to support learning and development on a whole-school basis, across the whole curriculum.
Chatty Learning are an innovative provider of software, training and speech and language therapy services to support the development of communication skills in the most disadvantaged children. We help overcome word poverty to get children talking, reading and thriving in schools and settings.
Community Brands comprises of market-leading education technology tools trusted by over 18,000 schools. Our solutions provide customers with benefits by reducing costs, offering staff more time to focus on their priorities, and working with leadership teams to achieve your goals.