Admission to School - Information for Parents 2026-2027

SECTION C – Services to Pupils

Meeting Additional Educational Needs

Welsh Government’s new system for meeting the needs of children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) has been implemented since September 2021.

This means a more flexible and responsive system of meeting needs, in an inclusive education system for the learners of Wales.

• Needs are identified early, addressed quickly and all learners are supported to reach their potential.
• Professionals are skilled and confident in identifying needs and deploying strategies to help learners overcome their barriers to learning.
• Learners receive personalized learning and they and their parents and carers are equal partners in their learning (Person Centered Approach).

The mandatory ALN Code for the new system will cover children and young people aged 0-25. This means that early years and further education colleges will have duties under the Act, but this does not include higher education or apprenticeships.

All children and young people with an identified additional learning need (ALN) that requires additional learning provision (ALP) will have an Individual Development Plan (IDP). The IDP will replace all other individual plans. IDPs for children under compulsory school age, who require them, i.e. in the early years will be maintained by local authorities.

All reasonable steps will be taken to ensure ALP will be provided in Welsh, if required.

1 - Identification

Some children have learning difficulties and/or a disability that require provision to be made for them to be able to learn effectively.

Up to 20% of children and young people can experience some form of difficulties with learning. Most of these learners’ needs can be supported by schools and the provision will be agreed adhering to a ‘Decision Making Process’ model. This model ensures that children, young people and parents/carers are involved at every stage in the planning and reviewing of the provision required to support the learners needs.

Approximately 1% of children and young people have complex and ongoing needs that require the Local Authority to provide extra provision that is complementary to the universal and ALP that the school provides.

Many children with complex and ongoing needs are identified early through professionals working together in partnership with parents. This enables plans to be made to provide an early response to meet such needs and to provide support.

2 - Assessment

Professionals closely monitor all children and young people’s progress, and any concerns are discussed with parents in a person-centred meeting. In most cases these concerns will be addressed through the school’s Universal Learning Provision (ULP) offer, which is available to all learners.

The school’s ULP offer will include:

• good teaching and learning;
• teaching strategies to support learners’ emerging or identified needs;

Where children and young people do not make measurable progress, notwithstanding the school’s ULP offer, the learner may require ALP to support their needs. The ALNCo may seek to involve other professionals such as advisory teachers, behaviour support teachers, health services and educational and child psychologists to help identify the ALP.

These professionals provide advice, guidance and support to the pupil, parents, teachers and the ALNCo. Such concerns may lead to the learner being identified as having ALP and an IDP being prepared. If the school is not able to identify the ALN, identify the ALP required or reasonably secure the ALP then it can refer to the Local Authority to consider.

In response to such a request the Local Authority seeks information from:

• The parents
• The child
• The school
• Class teachers
• ALNCo
• Support staff

The Local Authority may request additional information or other help from relevant persons to exercise their functions.

Relevant persons can include:

• The Educational Child Psychologist
• The Physiotherapist
• Health Professionals for example a Paediatrician
• The Speech and Language Therapist
• The Occupational Therapist
• Social Care professionals
• Any other agency known to be involved with the child or young person

The ALN Panel considers the learner’s needs and the ALP required. Depending upon the decision the local authority may either:

• Direct the school to prepare and maintain the IDP, or;
• Prepare the IDP and direct the school to maintain it, or;
• Prepare and maintain the IDP

The IDP is a legal document that specifies and quantifies the ALP provision that is to be made. Where an IDP names a specific school then the pupil must be admitted to the school named on the IDP.

Only the Local Authority can name a specific school on an IDP.

3 Provision

The Equality Act of 2010 replaces the Disability and Discrimination Act 1995. This legislation harmonises discrimination law and provides a simplified, strengthened, updated legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. Schools and local authorities have had a duty to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils since 2002, originally under the DDA and, from October 2010, under the Act. The Local Authority has developed an Inclusion Strategy to ensure that, whenever possible, children and young people with ALN can have their needs met in a mainstream setting. The details of this approach are set out on Carmarthenshire County Council website.

The majority of children with Individual Development Plans (IDPs) will have their needs met in mainstream schools.

Most receive additional support in their mainstream classroom. Some children with complex additional difficulties receive additional support from staff in specialist units and resource centres attached to mainstream schools.

4 Working in Partnership

Education and Children’s Services take a partnership approach to working with parents of pupils with ALN. Parents can engage in this partnership by:

• Speaking with the Headteacher and ALNCo of their local school and taking part in the assessment of needs, planning of interventions and discussions with professionals.
• Contacting the Local Authority and discussing with one of our Family Liaison Officers.
• Contacting the Parent Partnership Service provided by SNAP Cymru on 01554 777566 or by e-mail at carm@snapcymru.org

Carmarthenshire has integrated its services for Inclusion (Education) and Disability (Social Care) to provide better services for children and their families.

There are regular briefings, newsletters and meetings for parents with Inclusion Officers to enable parents to engage in dialogue and partnership with the Department.

Where children and young people have complex needs, they and their family may be supported by a key worker in the Children’s Disability Team to ensure needs are assessed, services identified and regularly reviewed.

This enables a consistent approach to be delivered across settings to meet complex needs.

Additional Educational Needs Establishments

Carmarthenshire has a range of specialist settings for pupils with additional learning needs and placement in these settings is agreed at the county’s Inclusion Panel. For information about each of the settings contact the Additional Learning Needs Manager, Tel: 01267 246451, who will also respond to enquiries about the settings