Helen Curran
- Senior Lecturer in Education: SENCO
- Email: h.curran@bathspa.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)1225 875669
- School: School of Education
- Campus: Newton Park
Personal statement
I'm the Award Leader for the MA in Inclusive Education and the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination. My work focuses on how inclusive environments are developed, including through policy implementation, and how leaders influence the development of inclusive practices in their settings.
Prior to this role I worked as a specialist advisor for Wiltshire Council, working with schools across the authority to develop and support inclusion at an operational and strategic level. I subsequently worked as independent inclusion consultant, working with schools and parents in the South-West providing assessments for dyslexia, individual and school consultancy in addition to whole school training. I began my career as a teacher in the primary phase and held the posts of class teacher, SENCo and assistant head teacher.
Inclusion, leadership and the enactment of inclusive policy are my primary areas of research. I'm also interested in how change is facilitated in settings. I've completed an International Coaching Federation accredited training programme, and have completed further training in transactional analysis. My PhD focused on the introduction of national inclusive policy and how this was enacted in educational settings, including the role leaders adopted to facilitate change and the impact of this.
Academic qualifications
- PhD Bath Spa University
- MA Oxford Brookes University
- Postgraduate Certificate: Autism Spectrum University of Birmingham
- Postgraduate Diploma: Dyslexia/SpLd Bath Spa University
- Postgraduate Certificate: Higher Education Bath Spa University
- BA (Hons) University College Worcester.
Professional qualifications
- Associate Member of British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA).
- International Coaching Federation Accredited training in Business & Personal Coaching.
Professional memberships
- Fellow Higher Education Academy
- Professional Association of teachers of students with specific learning difficulties (PATOSS)
- NASEN
- International Coaching Federation.
Other external roles
- External Examiner, MA Inclusion and SEND, University of Derby.
- External Examiner, Liverpool Hope University.
Teaching specialism
- Inclusion
- Inclusive Leadership
- Special Educational Needs
- Special Educational Needs Coordination/ Coordinator.
Research and academic outputs
How to be a brilliant SENCO : practical strategies for developing and leading inclusive provision
book
Curran, H (2019) How to be a brilliant SENCO : practical strategies for developing and leading inclusive provision. NASEN Spotlight . Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon. ISBN 9781138489653
Developing SENCO resilience: understanding and meeting the challenge of the role
book_section
Curran, H (2021) 'Developing SENCO resilience: understanding and meeting the challenge of the role.' In: Beaton, M.C, Codina, G.N and Wharton, J.C, eds. Leading on inclusion: the role of the SENCO. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 171-180. ISBN 9780367420505
The experience of SENCOs in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: the amplification and exposure of pre-existing strengths and challenges and the prioritisation of mental health and wellbeing in schools
article
Boddison, A and Curran, H (2022) 'The experience of SENCOs in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: the amplification and exposure of pre-existing strengths and challenges and the prioritisation of mental health and wellbeing in schools.' Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 22 (2). pp. 126-136. ISSN 1471-3802
Discovering ‘what works’
article
Curran, H (2021) 'Discovering ‘what works’.' Early Years Educator, 22 (10). p. 6. ISSN 1465-931X
'It's the best job in the world, but one of the hardest, loneliest, most misunderstood roles in a school'. Understanding the complexity of the SENCO role post-SEND reform
article
Curran, H and Boddison, A (2021) ''It's the best job in the world, but one of the hardest, loneliest, most misunderstood roles in a school'. Understanding the complexity of the SENCO role post-SEND reform.' Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 21 (1). pp. 39-48. ISSN 1471-3802
Are good intentions enough? The role of the policy implementer during educational reform
article
Curran, H (2019) 'Are good intentions enough? The role of the policy implementer during educational reform.' PRACTICE, 1 (1). pp. 88-93. ISSN 2578-3858
"The SEND Code of Practice has given me clout": a phenomenological study illustrating how SENCos managed the introduction of the SEND reforms
article
Curran, H (2019) '"The SEND Code of Practice has given me clout": a phenomenological study illustrating how SENCos managed the introduction of the SEND reforms.' British Journal of Special Education, 46 (1). pp. 76-93. ISSN 1467-8578
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms 2014: SENCos’ perspectives of the first six months
article
Curran, H, Mortimore, T and Riddell, R (2017) 'Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms 2014: SENCos’ perspectives of the first six months.' British Journal of Special Education, 44 (1). pp. 46-64. ISSN 1467-8578
The National SENCO Workload Survey 3 years on: what have we learnt and where do we go from here?
conference_item
Curran, H (2021) The National SENCO Workload Survey 3 years on: what have we learnt and where do we go from here? In: nasen Live!, 24 September 2021, Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham, UK.
Identifying SEN in the Early Years
conference_item
Curran, H (2020) Identifying SEN in the Early Years. In: nasen Live, 23 October 2020, [online].
How are SENCOs able to carry out their role post SEND reform?
conference_item
Curran, H (2019) How are SENCOs able to carry out their role post SEND reform? In: 17th Annual SEND Update, 23 May 2019, London, UK.
Being a SENCO in 2019: challenges and opportunities
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Curran, H (2019) Being a SENCO in 2019: challenges and opportunities. In: 17th Annual SEND Update, 23 May 2019, London, UK.
I’m stuck in the middle: the role of the SENCO advocate
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Curran, H (2019) I’m stuck in the middle: the role of the SENCO advocate. In: A-Fest: A Festival Celebrating Autism, February 2019, Springfields Academy, Calne, UK.
SEND Code of Practice: parental and school advocacy
conference_item
Curran, H (2018) SEND Code of Practice: parental and school advocacy. In: British Dyslexia Association Webinar Series, September 2018, [online].
Starting the conversation: building relationships between home and school, including how to advocate for your child and what do we do about homework?
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Curran, H (2018) Starting the conversation: building relationships between home and school, including how to advocate for your child and what do we do about homework? In: British Dyslexia Association International Conference, 14 April 2018, Telford, UK.
Starting the conversation: building relationships between home and school, including how to advocate for your child and what do we do about homework?
conference_item
Curran, H (2018) Starting the conversation: building relationships between home and school, including how to advocate for your child and what do we do about homework? In: Parents' and Carers' Day: BDA International Conference 2018, 14 April 2018, Telford, UK.
Being a SENCo post SEND reform: what do effective SENCos do?
conference_item
Curran, H (2017) Being a SENCo post SEND reform: what do effective SENCos do? In: Research SEND Conference, 18 November 2017, Sheffield University, UK.
The changing role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator: the unsung hero of policy reform
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Curran, H (2017) The changing role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator: the unsung hero of policy reform. In: #ResearchSEND, 11 February 2017, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall, UK.
Parent partnership: SEND reforms and beyond
conference_item
Curran, H (2016) Parent partnership: SEND reforms and beyond. In: SEN South West Conference, 15 July 2016, Bristol Aerospace Welfare Association, Bristol, UK.
SEND reforms 2014 and the narrative of the SENCO: early impact on children and young people with SEND, the SENCO and the school
conference_item
Curran, H (2015) SEND reforms 2014 and the narrative of the SENCO: early impact on children and young people with SEND, the SENCO and the school. In: BERA Annual Conference, 15-17 September 2015, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms 2014 - from policy to practice: SENCos' perspectives of the first year post implementation
thesis
Curran, H (2017) Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms 2014 - from policy to practice: SENCos' perspectives of the first year post implementation. PhD thesis, Bath Spa University.
Understanding school workforce experiences regarding access to, and the impact of, special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) continuing professional development (CPD) and expertise
commissioned_report
Dobson, G, Curran, H, Perepa, P and Reraki, M (2022) Understanding school workforce experiences regarding access to, and the impact of, special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) continuing professional development (CPD) and expertise. University of Birmingham and Bath Spa University.
National SENCO Workforce Survey 2020: time to review 2018-2020
commissioned_report
Boddison, A, Curran, H and Moloney, H (2021) National SENCO Workforce Survey 2020: time to review 2018-2020. Bath Spa University and nasen, Bath.
National SENCO Workforce Survey 2020. Supporting children and young people with special educational needs and their families during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: a national survey of SENCOs
commissioned_report
Curran, H, Boddison, A and Moloney, H (2021) National SENCO Workforce Survey 2020. Supporting children and young people with special educational needs and their families during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: a national survey of SENCOs. Bath Spa University and nasen, Bath.
The time is now: addressing missed opportunities for Special Educational Needs Support and Coordination in our schools
commissioned_report
Curran, H, Moloney, H, Heavey, A and Boddison, A (2020) The time is now: addressing missed opportunities for Special Educational Needs Support and Coordination in our schools. Bath Spa University, Bath.
It's about time: the impact of SENCO workload on the professional and the school
commissioned_report
Curran, H, Moloney, H, Heavey, A and Boddison, A (2018) It's about time: the impact of SENCO workload on the professional and the school. Bath Spa University, Bath.