Supporting SENCOs. Protecting time. Strengthening inclusion.
SEND Assistant is a platform designed to help schools streamline the process of access arrangements which is becoming increasingly more complex. For many SENCOs workload demands are leading to a decision to quit, leaving schools struggling to recruit staff with the required training and expertise.
In many secondary schools, completing a single candidate’s access arrangements application can take hours. For schools with large numbers of candidates, the workload quickly becomes overwhelming.
Created by a SENCO who experienced the administrative burden first-hand, SEND assistant aims to support SENCOs, enabling them to shave off more than 80% of the time it would normally take to complete access arrangements documentation.
SEND Assistant provides teachers with carefully structured questions based on the most commonly required evidence for access arrangements. These prompts are written to be clear, concise and quick to answer, reducing the burden on teaching staff while ensuring SENCOs receive the information they need. SENCOs can monitor progress at a glance, send automated reminders where necessary, and keep all evidence organised within a single system.
Crucially, the platform then helps transform this feedback into professional, student-specific narratives, capturing the authentic voice of the SENCO while saving significant time in drafting and editing documentation.
The result is a process that can reduce administrative tasks from hours per candidate to just minutes.
For school leaders, this means more than improved efficiency. It means protecting the capacity of one of the most critical roles in a school. For headteachers and principals, the challenge is not a lack of commitment from staff, but a lack of time and capacity. When SENCOs spend less time chasing paperwork and compiling reports, they can focus on what truly matters: supporting students, collaborating with teachers and strengthening inclusive practice across the school.
Our schools report an increased response rate from teachers, and a feeling of confidence in a system that is less fragmented, and easy to navigate.
SEND Assistant is not about replacing professional judgement. It is about empowering it — giving SENCOs the tools they need to work more efficiently while maintaining the high standards of evidence required for exam access arrangements.
At a time when schools are being asked to do more with limited resources, practical solutions that reduce workload and protect staff wellbeing are essential.
SEND Assistant helps schools do exactly that — by giving SENCOs their most valuable resources back: time and peace of mind.