SENDCO Planner 2026/27 - Cottage Design

If you're a SENDCo, you'll understand. You're not just planning next week — you're holding EHCP timelines, interventions, agency emails, staff briefings, and compliance. And somehow trying to make inclusion actually work in your school, not just tick along on paper.

I was a school leader for a total of 18 years and an inclusion lead until recently. The HeadteacherChat® SENDCo Planner is my notebook from when I was in that role. It's how I kept everything in one place instead of carrying it all in my head.

Because when SENDCos are supported, they can support everyone else. The pupils. The team. The whole school. Inclusion is my passion, and this is what helped me do the job.

It follows the school calendar. It's built for how SEND leadership actually works — the unpredictable days, the meetings that come out of nowhere, and the timelines that don't care how overstretched you are.

Not a generic diary. The system worked for me. I hope you enjoy it!

Lucy

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Why this planner is different

This isn't a generic diary. It's created by a SENDCo for SENDCos — it follows the school calendar and is designed around real school actions.

It helps you:

• Track EHCP review dates, provision mapping, and graduated response documentation in one place
• Manage your SEND register and keep on top of Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycles
• Stay organised with external agency liaison (Ed Psych, SALT, OT, and more) without rewriting the same notes in three different places
• Make important decisions with a clear head
• Review gaps in provision
• Balance statutory responsibilities with staff wellbeing
• Organise inspection preparation

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What's inside

Your week, sorted

Weekly diary spreads with time-blocking (8am–6pm)

Plan your week with realistic time slots so you can actually protect focus time instead of spending every day firefighting.

Each week includes simple prompts to keep you on track:

• Key priorities — what really matters this week
• Wellbeing reminders — because you can't lead well if you're running on empty
• People to contact — to keep follow-ups visible
• Meeting notes — capture what matters in the moment

Goal-setting pages

Plan your focus areas at the start of the year, anticipate barriers before they trip you up, and track progress term by term — to record progress.

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Leadership essentials in one place

5 tabbed sections for day-to-day planning:

• Calendar — Academic year planner (Aug–July) with monthly views and year-at-a-glance
• Diary — Weekly spreads with time-blocking and prompts
• Meeting Notes — Templates with clear next-steps space, to keep next steps visible
• Important Information — Your leadership control centre (see below)
• Notes & Contacts — All the details you need to find quickly

The Important Information section includes:

Staffing, key documents, duty days, timetables, topic planning, seating plans, display ideas, groups, performance management log, CPD log, assembly planner, newsletter updates, pupil information and notes and contacts.

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The detail that makes a difference

This section includes:

Strategic planning and impact:

• Impact of SEND provision
• Impact of interventions
• Parent consultations
• Curriculum area monitoring

People and performance:

• Pupil notes
• Staffing notes
• Performance Management log
• CPD log

Compliance and operations:

• Key documents checklist
• Items to purchase
• Timetables

Day-to-day leadership:

• Impact of SEND provision and interventions
• Assembly planner
• Newsletter planner
• Duty days and times
• Display ideas
• Seating plans
• Groups
• Topic planning
• Notes and contacts
• "Don't Forget" page (because we all need one)

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How the planner is structured

Time-blocking — allocate time to tasks.

Weekly prompts that keep what matters visible — Record priorities and follow-ups.

Meeting templates that capture what counts — to keep next steps visible.

Goal-setting pages — Record goals and progress.

Leadership planning — record key priorities and compliance tasks.

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Lucy