Additional Learning Needs in Wales - What's Happening?
Additional Learning Needs in Wales:
Plasnewydd Primary prides itself on a pupil centred approach and strives to ensure that the correct support and provision is put in place to ensure that each individual fulfils their potential both academically and socially. We believe that communication and collaboration is essential for us to achieve this aim and as such work closely with our parents and carers and to ensure that we have an overall picture of our pupils before they embark on their onward journey through education.
In addition to this, Plasnewydd also liaise closely with professionals from outside agencies such as but not limited to: Educational Psychologists, Communication and Relationships team, Speech and Language and Visual Specialist Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Social Services, Early Help, Police and mental health services such as Shine. Through multi-agency working, we endeavour to access the best support available for all of our pupils.
Within the school environment, all staff are informed of the specific strengths and needs of individual pupils via One Page Profiles (OPPs) which are created through conversations with the pupil, parents or carers and other individuals who work closely with the young person. This document offers an overview of the young person, but also outlines practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom to help each individual achieve their full potential.
As a department, we provide training for colleagues with regards to students with Additional Learning Needs and regularly update all staff on new approaches and ideas.
From September 2024 the Additional Learning Needs Education and Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (ALNET) has been fully implemented. This has replaced previous legislation on a phased implementation timetable. This new Act aims for equity rather than equality and as such requires all classrooms and teachers to adapt to ensure that learning is accessible to all, regardless of needs. ALNET will see a number of changes such as SEN being replaced by the term ALN and consequently SENCos now being referred to as ALNCos. It will also result in School Action, School Action Plus and Statements being replaced by Individual Development Plans (IDPs) which, if your child goes into further education, can stay with them until they are 25.
The definition of ALN has also been altered and only pupils who require an additional Learning provision (ALP) beyond the universal provision offered at school will require an IDP. Universal provision refers to support offered within school such as Wellcomm, Speechlinks and so will address the needs of the vast majority of pupils, formally recognised as school action and school action plus.
A child has ALN if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability (whether the learning difficulty or disability arises from a medical condition or otherwise) which calls for additional learning provision beyond the Universal Provision provided for all learners.
A child of compulsory school age that has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she;
- has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- has a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities for education or training of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream- maintained schools
A child under compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she is, or would be if no additional learning provision were made, likely to be within sub section (2) when of compulsory school age. A person does not have a learning difficulty or disability solely because of the language (or form of language) in which he or she is or will be taught is different from a language (or form of language) which is or has been used at home.
The video below also provides more information on the changes to Additional Learning Needs.
ALN Code
Where disagreements about the contents of an IDP cannot be resolved at the local level, the Act will ensure that children and young people are entitled to an IDP or parents of children who are under the age of 16 have a right to appeal at a tribunal.