The 15-Minute SEND Staff Induction: What Schools Should Cover Before a New Worker Enters the Classroom
When a new member of temporary staff arrives at a SEND school, the first 15 minutes can make a considerable difference to the rest of the day.
An experienced Learning Support Assistant may understand autism, SEMH, complex needs or challenging behaviour extremely well, but every school — and every pupil — is different.
A short, structured induction can help temporary staff understand what matters before they enter the classroom.
What Should Be Included?
A useful SEND induction should cover:
Who the member of staff reports to
The pupils or class they will support
Known risks relevant to their work
Communication methods used by pupils
Behaviour and de-escalation strategies
Personal-care responsibilities, where applicable
Break and lunch arrangements
Safeguarding contacts
Fire and emergency procedures
Areas of the school they may or may not access
Schools do not need to provide a one-hour presentation every time an agency worker arrives.
They do need to provide enough information for that person to work safely and effectively.
Pupil-Specific Information Matters
In specialist education, saying a pupil “has autism” or “has SEMH” rarely tells a member of staff enough.
Useful information might include:
How the pupil communicates
Known triggers
What helps when they become dysregulated
Whether they need processing time
Sensory considerations
Preferred routines
Any important mobility or medical procedures
Information should always be shared appropriately and in accordance with the school's safeguarding and data-protection procedures.
A Better First Day
Good agency staff want to perform well.
Schools can make that far easier by giving them a clear point of contact and a concise briefing before the working day begins.
At Uniform Education, we encourage schools to give us as much relevant information as possible when requesting SEND staff. The better the brief we receive, the better prepared our candidates can be.
