SEND Link Governor Support Pack

This adaptable pack is designed to support the effective governance of special educational needs and disabilities in schools. It contains the following four comprehensive resources:

1. SEND Audit Questions for Governors and Trustees - This document is designed to allow collaboration between the SEND governor and the key inclusion staff members in school, such as the SENDCo, headteacher and others with responsibility for SEND and inclusion. Containing 12 pages of questions, it helps governors and school leaders to evaluate their setting's current position, which allows further opportunities for growth to be identified as well as enabling the inclusion link governor or trustee to gain a deeper understanding about the school's current position. The audit could also be used by a school leader and then shared with the SEND link governor afterwards; a helpful section on triangulating evidence is also included to support this approach. Once the audit is complete, an action plan template is provided, allowing you to document your next steps.
2. Equality and Accessibility Audit Questions for Governors and Trustees - Similar to the SEND Audit Questions document, this equality and accessibility audit allows the SEND link governor and those responsible for accessibility and equality, such as a health and safety lead, premises manager or inclusion lead, to evaluate the school's inclusivity and accessibility for all, including pupils and staff.
3. SEND Report to Governors - This document is designed to support school leaders and the SEND link governor to report to their full governing board. It contains sections for both SEND data and commentary about the school's current position, giving all school governors insight.
4. SEND Link Governor Role and Responsibilities - This document outlines the key parts of a SEND and inclusion governor's role and what areas of school governance they are responsible for. It can be used as-is or amended to reflect what your school needs from its SEND link governor. Either way, it's a helpful document that allows a new special educational needs and disabilities governor to understand what they need to do.

The resources in this pack are designed to support long-term strategic collaboration between schools leaders and the SEND link governor, allowing for a full picture to be built and ensuring that the school meets its obligations by supporting the outcomes for all pupils, including those with SEND.

A SEND link governor - whether new to role or experienced but seeking further support - will find this pack extremely useful, as will any governor with oversight of inclusion.

It will also support headteachers, trust leaders, governance professionals, chairs of governors or anyone else involved in building effective governance in school. School leaders or another governor can use the pack and its templates to provide a new or struggling SEND link governor with the support they need.

This SEND governor resource pack will help schools answer key questions such as:

• What are a SEND governor’s roles and responsibilities?
• How can SEND governors effectively evaluate the school’s procedures and policies for supporting pupils with SEND?
• What questions should SEND and inclusion governors ask during audits?
• What data and insights should be included in a SEND report to the full governing board?
• How can governors collaborate with school leaders to identify areas for improvement and ensure the best outcomes for pupils?

It'll also provide you with the structure and tools that SEND governors need to understand, fulfil and excel in their role.

You may find our other SEND and governance resources helpful too!