Abstract This review examines the perceptions of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in England regarding the impact of their leadership status on their role enactment using a Rapid Systematized Review methodology. The most recent Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice outlines specific strategic leadership duties for SENCOs but does not mandate their membership in the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This lack of clarity regarding SENCOs' necessity in the SLT has elicited reactions from researchers and SENCOs, leading to inconsistencies in how the role is carried out in schools across England. The aim of the review is to generate insights into how SENCOs perceive the impact of leadership status on their role by synthesizing relevant qualitative findings. By employing a Thematic Synthesis technique, the review combines and integrates findings from eight qualitative studies, resulting in the identification of five key analytical themes—‘legislative clout’, securing collaborative effort, making a difference, resource management and extended workload and time pressure—that address the central question of the review. The findings of this review contribute to current understanding of SENCOs' leadership status. Furthermore, the research has the potential to guide SENCOs, school leaders, and policymakers in reassessing the importance of SENCOs' leadership status and the alignment of this with the responsibilities outlined in national SEND policy.
Amaechi John Osuki (2026) studied this question.