Working in the sector

The Children and Families Act 2014 placed new duties on post-16 providers in relation to learners with SEND. At the same time it recognised their key role in improving outcomes for this group of young people who make up almost one in five (17%) of the FE student population.

You can find out more about the SEND Code of practice and the duties and responsibilities further education providers have to their learners with SEND by selecting the two documents below.

So what is the FE Sector?

Are you considering a career working with students with SEND but you've not worked in Further Education before? The Further Education (FE) sector is a wide-ranging and remarkably diverse section of the education system. It is made up of many different types of provider, as explained in this So what is the FE Sector? guide.

Understanding and promoting positive behaviour in the FE sector

How do we make it more likely that we create an environment so that learning is an emotionally positive experience? How does our own behaviour impact on those around us? This guide, Understanding and promoting positive behaviour in the FE sector, created with Pivotal Education and Works 4 U provides some ideas to support those working in the FE sector to ensure that learning is an emotionally nurturing experience increasing the likelihood of learner success.

Screenshot of the Understanding and promoting positive behaviour in the FE sector guide

Be inspired

Watch the video, to hear from Young people with SEND speak out about the impact on their lives of high-quality post-16 provision.

Accessibility and the law: Getting it right

Legislation for accessibility changed in a very positive way with The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations (2018). This short EdTech Accessibility and the law: Getting it right module looks at how to stay on the right side of these regulations it shows you the issues and implications of current legislation around accessibility.

Small, powerful everyday things – conversations of humanity in the SEND system

Through storytelling, people with different perspectives can come together and share their common humanity, hopes and goals. The act of telling stories, listening and being listened to in itself, has a positive impact on those learning and working in the SEND system. This publication, Small, powerful everyday things – conversations of humanity in the SEND system, gives us an opportunity to read stories from the perspective of learners, their families and professionals working in the SEND system and to think about how storytelling might inform your work.

Time to Talk Next Steps

The National Development Team for Inclusion (NTDi) are running a three-year programme, Time to Talk Next Steps, to support young people (16 to 25 year olds) with additional needs to build confidence, provide motivation and make plans for the future. The programme provides free virtual support to young people with additional needs who are experiencing anxiety, feeling isolated and may have no or limited plans for their future. Support is short term either one-to-one or in small groups. Young people can go on to become peer supporters. The programme provides additional information, support and advice to parents and carers of young people, and they run workshops for families on transition and preparing for adulthood throughout the year. More information and contact details can be found on the NTDi Time to Talk Next Steps website page.

Providing effective SEND support

Effective SEN support is a research report on effective approaches and examples of current practice in good and outstanding schools and colleges. This resource is to help leaders, teachers and support staff in mainstream primary schools, secondary schools and colleges reflect on practice to support pupils and students with special educational needs. Amongst the schools and colleges, they studied there was a wide range of strategies and approaches being used to support students on SEN support. The research identified seven key features to providing effective SEN support. The 7 key features are Culture, leadership and management, High quality teaching, Use of expertise, Personalisation, Flexible use of evidence-based strategies, Progress tracking, and Communication and collaboration.

Safe working practices: A guide for learning support staff

Safe working practices: a guide for learning support workers created by City College Norwich, Centre for Excellence in SEND (community), provices strategies that can be employed for different performance criteria within the National Occupational Standards for learning support staff, and an activity to assess their working practices.

Professional development

Are you looking for specific training? As part of a mapping exercise of SEND CPD training and qualifications available from the Education and Training Foundation and a wide range of other organisations we have produced a SEND CPD Framework. The information is provided to raise awareness to the SEND workforce of the variety CPD opportunities available. The inclusion of information from other organisations does not indicate a recommendation by the Education and Training Foundation of this offer.

Visit the News and Events page for the latest course and event updates. Are you a SET member? If so you'll have access to professional development webinars that cover a whole range of topics to help you support learners with SEND.

Visit the Society for Education and Training (SET) website to find out how our professional membership body can support you in your role within training and education.

Join the SEND conversation

Join our online community of practice on Twitter using the hashtag #SENDinFE. It's a great way to learn from and support each other.

Changing roles

Photograph of Thoria King Do you feel it's time to try challenge yourself and try something different? That's exactly what Thoria King did. After 19.5 years of working in prison education, Thoria became the SEND Manager at London Borough of Hillingdon. You can read her guest blog, Reflections of a 'newish' SEND manager to learn how Thoria found her first eight weeks in the new role and her advice to others who are considering a move into SEND management.

If you're considering a career in the Further Education (FE) sector and want to find out more about the different types of providers in post-16 education, take a look out our guide, So what is the FE sector?

If you like Thoria, fancy a new challenge in your career then the ETF run a programme of continual professional development courses specifically for those new to SEND management. You can find out more on our Leadership and management page.

Discover career opportunities

Are you interested in starting a career in the further education and training (FE) sector working with learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or are you already working with people with SEND and want to progress your career? Our guide, Make a big difference: working with learners with special educational needs and disabilities provides information about the qualifications you need and the different career pathways.

Visit the FE Advice website for information about becoming a teacher and incentives for training.

Related Resources

An image of the cover of Small, powerful everyday things

Special Educational Needs and Disability

Meeting the needs of learners with learning difficulties and / or disabilities

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Working in the sector

Related Resources

Small, powerful everyday things – conversations of humanity in the SEND system

Understanding and promoting positive behaviour in the FE Sector

Support staff safe Covd-19 working practices

Make a big difference working with learners with SEND

Effective SEN Support

SEND CPD Framework

Further education: guide to the 0 to 25 SEND code of practice

Accessibility and getting the law right

So what is the FE sector? - A guide to the FE system in England

SEND Code of practice

Ofsted Further Education and Skills Inspection handbook