ALN - How is Additional Learning Needs changing?

The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal Wales (ALNET) Act 2018 is part of how Additional Learning Needs is changing.

The Act was introduced in 2021 and the focus of the Act is inclusion; putting the child at the centre, and ensuring they are supported to reach their full potential.

The new system:

• Individual Development Plans (IDPs) will replace statements of special needs and Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and these will now support your child from 0 to 25 years old, if required. These outline how the school can help your child with their learning and progress.
• Your child  will be at the centre of all discussions and decisions which will help them achieve their goals.
• Other adults who support your child  will also be involved and share what they think your child needs.
• In the majority of circumstances the school will write the plan and everyone's view will be included.
• IDPs will be reviewed every year, if not more frequently and it will move with your child to their next school.
• The school will have an Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo) who will make sure everything your child needs is in place.
• If the parent / carer or the child is not happy with the plan they have the right to discuss this with staff at school.

The legal definition is below, but if you are concerned that your child has an additional learning need, please speak to the school, the class teacher or the ALNCo

It is important to note, that a child / young person can have learning difficulties without having an additional learning need. When this is the case, the school or college will support the learner but using strategies that are available to all learners in the school. This is called Universal Provision.

What is the legal definition of ALN?

The Act says that a child / young person has additional needs if:

1. A person has additional learning needs 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.
2. A child of compulsory school age or person over that age 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 or mainstream institutions in the further education sector.
3. A child under compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she is, or would be if not additional learning provision were made, likely to be within subsection (2) when of compulsory school age.
4. A person does not have a learning difficulty or disability solely because 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.

Ref: Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021.

What is the legal definition of Additional Learning Provision (ALP)?

If your child is identified as having an additional learning need then they may need an additional learning provision.

1. 'Additional learning provision' for a person aged three or over means educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age in:
   • 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 or mainstream institutions in the further education sector.
2. 'Additional learning provision' for a child aged under three means educational provision of any kind.

Ref: Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021.