Additional Learning Needs Child Guide

Help for children and young people

*There is a new Additional Learning Needs Code of Practice that will be in place from 2021.

What are Additional Learning Needs?

  • If you need some extra help at school we might say that you have  Additional Learning Needs or ALN for short.
  • Information from you, your family, your teacher and other people who support you will be collected to decide if you have ALN.

What will happen next?

  • If you have ALN you will have a plan. This will be called an Individual Development Plan or IDP for short.
  • This plan will say what you need to learn and develop your strengths and what will be done so that you are properly supported.
  • Your school or college will write the plan or sometimes Caerphilly Local Authority (LA) will need to write the plan.
  • What you think, feel and want must be a part of this plan. The views of your family and anyone else who supports you will also be part of this plan.
  • You will be given a copy of your plan.

And then...

  • Caerphilly LA, your school or college must keep checking that your plan is working for you. This will happen every 12 months or if something changes.
  • If you move, your plan will move with you.
  • Sometimes it may be better for a child who has ALN to go to a different school, but only when everyone thinks that this would be best.
  • Everyone will work together to make sure that they all agree.

What happens if people do not agree?

  • Caerphilly LA will work to avoid disagreement by helping you and your  family to be involved and understand decisions that affect you.
  • If it is not possible to agree on what’s best, then services such as SNAP Cymru are available to help you and your family. They can listen, make sure your views are heard, provide information and problem solve.
  • If you or your family do not agree with decisions about an IDP you can appeal to a tribunal, a special group of people whose job it is to deal with a disagreement.

Caerphilly Local Authority, schools and colleges are working hard to follow the new code* to make sure that:

  • you are kept safe and well;
  • they work together with other services e.g. health, careers, social services  and any other people who may support you;
  •  you get the support you need as early as possible;
  • you are supported to stay in school or college to achieve the best you can;
  • you have options for learning other than school or college, if needed.

It is Caerphilly LA’s mission to make sure that;

  • all schools and colleges become champions  for children and young people’s wellbeing;
  • all schools and colleges are skilled to support children and young people who have ALN learn to achieve their best;
  • all aspects of children and young people’s lives are  seen as  important;
  • our most vulnerable children and young people have help to overcome barriers to learning;
  • there are enough Welsh Language services available for children who have  ALN.