Requesting an Individual Development Plan

Additional Learning Needs (ALN)

Children and young people have ALN if they:

find it harder to learn than other children of the same age
have a disability that stops them using facilities for education or training of a kind genreally provided for others of the same age

AND

this learning difficulty or disability calls for Additional Learning Provision (ALP). ALP will be written into a support plan called an Individual Development Plan.

Some children or young people can have a learning difficulty or disability that does not need ALP. Schools can support through an inclusive curriculum to help the learner make progress.

Individual Development Plans (IDP)

All IDPs will have the same basic structure and contain key elements, including:

a one page profile
summary of needs
agreed outcomes and support

An IDP maintained by a school and one maintained by the Local Authority (LA) will have the same legal standing.

Pre-school children

Getting support step-by-step

Step 1

If you think your child has ALN, first speak to your:

health visitor
GP
other professionals

If your child attends playgroup, speak to the playgroup leader.

Step 2

Once you have highlighted your concerns, a referral can be made to the LA. We will then decide if your child has ALN, and, if necessary, develop and maintain an IDP. This is a 12-week process.

Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EYALNLO)

The EYALNLO co-ordinates our role in relation to children aged 0-5 who are not attending maintained schools.

They work with:

parents/carers
early years settings
health professionals
all other agencies who work with children below compulsory school age who have emerging or identified ALN

The role of the EYALNLO is to:

raise awareness of ALN systems
promote early intervention
provide ALN awareness training and advice in pre-school settings
support the development of plans for children with severe and complex needs
help children who have emerging or identified ALN transition to new educational settings and schools

School aged children

Getting support step-by-step

Step 1

If you think your child has ALN, first speak to their class teacher. They will want to talk to you about ways of helping your child.

Every school also has an Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo). They can provide advice and support to:

school staff
parents
children

Step 2

Once you have highlighted your concerns, the school must decide if your child has ALN.

If they agree, the school will work with you and your child to create an IDP.

This is a 35-day process.

The school decision-making process

The LA has produced a Principles and Expectations document, in line with Welsh Government guidelines, to support the school decision-making process.

Downloads

Local Authority (LA) maintained IDP

In some cases, the LA will make decisions on ALN and prepare an IDP. These cases include those learners who:

have the most complex or severe needs
who are Looked After by the LA
are dual registered (enrolled at more than one school)

This is a 12-week process.

Disagreements

You should speak to the school if:

you do not agree that your child has ALN
you are dissatisfied with your child's IDP

You can also ask the LA to reconsider the school’s decision.