Additional Learning Needs Parent Guide

Additional Learning Needs (ALN)

  • A child or young person is said to have additional learning needs if they need more, or different, support to what is normally provided in schools or pre-schools to children of the same age.
  • Children or young people who need extra help to be able to take part in school or get the most from their education. 

ALN Code

  • The new ALN Code will be in place from 2021.
  • Local authorities, early years setting, schools and further education providers will have a duty to determine whether children and young people aged 0-25 have additional learning needs (ALN), which calls for additional learning provision (ALP).
  • If a school or setting determines that a child has additional learning needs (ALN), it must prepare an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for that child or young person. 
  • Where emerging needs are identified particularly in very young children this does not necessarily require an identification of an additional learning need but may require early intervention.

Person Centred Practice

Person centred practice puts the children, young people and their parents at the centre of decisions.  The Local Authority, schools and settings will use a range of resources to gather relevant information and to inform actions to support learners with an additional learning need.

Principles and Aims

The principles underpinning the additional learning needs system are to support the creation of a fully inclusive education system where all learners are given the opportunity to succeed and have access to an education that meets their needs and enable them to participate in, benefit from, and enjoy learning.

Additional Learning Needs Assessment Matrix

Caerphilly LA are developing a fair and consistent approach in the form of an additional learning needs Assessment Matrix which would support the

  • Effective identification of additional learning needs need.
  • Effective identification of interventions / provision appropriate to meet the identified need.
  • The identification of who has the duty to maintain the IDP.

The system will be flexible and support learners’ needs at all significant transition points. 

The purpose of the matrix is not to categorise or diagnose, but to identify the barriers to learning a child may be experiencing.

Appeals

  • If a child, young person or parent is not happy with a decision that has been made about their ALN or IDP, by a school, they may request that a local authority reviews or reconsiders it.
  • All children, their parents/carers and young people up to the age of 25 will have the right to appeal to the Education Tribunal against decisions made by a local authority or further education institute in relations to their ALN or their IDP.

Partnership

The LA is committed to working in partnership with parents /carers and values the contribution they can make to enable children and young people with additional learning needs achieve their potential. A parent independent partnership service is currently provided by SNAP Cymru.