A Little Guide for Teachers: Being a SENCO, by Lynn How and published by SAGE, is a compact, practical handbook for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators (SENCOs). It offers supportive, day-to-day advice on navigating the challenges of the role while maintaining wellbeing, blitzing the paperwork, and keeping up to date with statutory responsibilities.

Part of the Little Guide for Teachers series, the book is written by subject matter experts and designed for flexible reading, whether worked through in a single afternoon or returned to gradually over time. It includes interactive activities that let a SENCO annotate and personalise their own copy, rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all script for the role.

For schools

• Gives a SENCO practical, day-to-day guidance on managing the paperwork and statutory responsibilities that come with the role.
• Its compact format makes it realistic to read alongside a busy SENCO workload, rather than requiring a significant time commitment.
• Useful for school leaders supporting a new SENCO, or for a SENCO wanting a concise reference to return to throughout the year.
• Interactive activities allow a SENCO to personalise the guidance to their own school context rather than following generic advice.

For the workplace

• Addresses the SENCO's own wellbeing directly, recognising the role's demands as a genuine workplace pressure rather than something to simply manage silently.
• Supports professional development and role clarity for SENCOs, useful for line managers as well as the SENCO themselves.
• Compact enough to fit into a SENCO's own limited time for professional reading, supporting sustainable practice rather than added workload.
• Suitable for both experienced SENCOs and those newer to the role who want a practical, realistic guide.

The SENCO role carries a wide and often demanding range of responsibilities, from statutory compliance to pastoral support, and this can take a toll on the person doing it if their own wellbeing is not part of the conversation. Being a SENCO addresses this directly, treating the SENCO's wellbeing as being just as important as the paperwork and processes they are responsible for.

Compact, practical guides written specifically around a single school role are a realistic way to support busy staff, offering focused guidance without requiring the time commitment of a full academic text.

Whether you are a SENCO looking for practical, day-to-day support, or a school leader wanting to support a SENCO's wellbeing and professional development, Being a SENCO is a concise, realistic guide worth considering.

• Written by Lynn How and published by SAGE, part of the Little Guide for Teachers series.
• Format: paperback, approximately 96 to 104 pages depending on retailer.
• Covers: day-to-day advice on the SENCO role, managing paperwork, statutory responsibilities, and maintaining wellbeing.
• Includes: interactive activities for personalising the guidance to your own context.
• Format style: designed for flexible reading, whether in one sitting or gradually over time.
• Dimensions: approximately 176mm to 177mm x 125mm, spine width around 9mm.
• Weight: approximately 100g to 104g depending on retailer.
• Publication date: 20 May 2026.

• Written specifically for the SENCO role. Practical, day-to-day advice on paperwork and statutory responsibilities, not general SEND theory.
• Takes SENCO wellbeing seriously. Addresses the demands of the role as a genuine workplace pressure, not just a list of duties.
• Realistic for busy staff. Compact and designed for flexible reading, whether in a single afternoon or over time.
• Interactive, not generic. Includes activities that let a SENCO personalise the guidance to their own school context.

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• What is Being a SENCO about?
  It is a compact, practical handbook by Lynn How offering day-to-day advice for SENCOs on navigating the role, managing paperwork, keeping up with statutory responsibilities, and maintaining their own wellbeing.
• Who is Being a SENCO written for?
  It is written specifically for teachers serving as SENCOs, whether newly appointed or experienced in the role, as well as school leaders supporting them.
• Does this book cover general SEND practice or one specific condition?
  It focuses on the SENCO role itself, including its statutory and paperwork responsibilities, rather than one specific diagnosis or learning difference.
• Does this book address SENCO wellbeing, not just duties and paperwork?
  Yes, it addresses maintaining wellbeing directly alongside the practical demands of the role, treating it as a genuine part of doing the job well rather than a separate concern.
• Is this book realistic to read alongside a busy SENCO workload?
  Yes, it is designed for flexible reading, whether worked through in a single afternoon or returned to gradually, and its compact format reflects the limited time many SENCOs have for professional reading.
• How long is Being a SENCO?
  It is a compact paperback of approximately 96 to 104 pages, depending on the retailer listing.
• Who wrote Being a SENCO?
  It was written by Lynn How and published by SAGE, as part of the Little Guide for Teachers series.