Understand ALN and additional provision
ALN is a legal term for a learning difficulty or disability that calls for additional learning provision. The decision considers both the difficulty and the provision required. A child who is learning in a language different from the one used at home does not have ALN for that reason alone.
Start with specific observations rather than trying to decide the legal category yourself. Describe tasks or situations that are difficult and the help that has already been tried. Include what your child can do well and what they say about their experience. This gives the school a practical starting point for considering needs.
Speak to the school’s ALN coordinator
The additional learning needs coordinator, or ALNCo, helps coordinate the school’s approach. Ask how to raise a concern, how a decision about ALN is made and when you will receive information. Keep a short record of the request and the school’s response.
Bring relevant reports and examples, but do not assume that a medical label alone explains the educational provision needed. Ask what can be done while information is being gathered. The conversation should distinguish ordinary classroom support from provision that meets the ALN test, with the reasoning explained in language you can understand.
What an individual development plan records
An individual development plan, or IDP, identifies the learner’s ALN and the additional learning provision required. Depending on the circumstances, a school, further education institution or local authority may be responsible for maintaining it. Ask who holds that responsibility for your child’s plan.
Read the description of provision carefully. It should be clear enough to understand what support will be delivered and how it meets the identified need. Ask about responsibility, frequency and the situations in which the support applies. If a phrase could mean several different things, request clarification before assuming everyone has the same understanding.
Keep the learner’s voice central
A child can contribute through conversation, pictures, examples of work or a trusted adult, depending on their age and communication preferences. Ask what helps them feel comfortable and what they would change. Their priorities may include lunchtime, friendship or moving between rooms as well as formal learning.
Prepare for a meeting together without rehearsing a preferred answer. Explain who will attend and what decisions are being discussed. Parents bring valuable knowledge from home, while teachers and other professionals bring different observations. A person-centred discussion uses those views to build a useful plan around the learner.
Review progress and prepare for change
A plan needs to be reviewed as learning and circumstances develop. Ask how progress will be recorded and when you will meet again. Consider whether the provision is being delivered, whether it is effective and whether a different barrier has emerged. Those are separate questions and may need different actions.
Start transition planning early when moving class, school or into further education. Confirm who will share information and how the receiving setting will prepare. Ask about visits, routines, access and communication. A plan travelling between organisations is helpful only if the adults who will support the child understand what they need to do.
When you disagree with a decision
Ask for the decision, reasons and available next steps in writing. The Welsh ALN system includes reconsideration and disagreement-resolution arrangements, with appeal rights for certain decisions. The appropriate route depends on who made the decision and what it concerns.
Use current local authority information and impartial advice to understand the process and any deadlines. Keep the focus on the learner’s needs and the provision sought. A clear chronology of requests, meetings and decisions is more useful than a large collection of unsorted correspondence. The aim is support that is understood, delivered and reviewed so the child can participate fully.
Your quick checklist
- Describe difficulties and strengths with examples.
- Contact the school’s ALNCo.
- Ask who maintains the IDP and delivers each provision.
- Include the child’s views in a suitable format.
- Record reviews, transitions and decision deadlines.
Common questions
Is an IDP the Welsh name for an EHCP?
They belong to different legal systems. Wales uses IDPs under its ALN framework; England uses EHC plans. A move between nations needs discussion with the receiving authority.
Does speaking another language at home mean a child has ALN?
No. A different home language alone does not establish ALN. The school should consider language development and any other learning needs carefully.
Who should I contact first?
Start with the teacher and ALNCo. Ask how the school will consider the concern and when you will receive a response.
Sources & checking
This guide was checked against the publications below. They are listed by name so you can identify the underlying guidance. Arrangements can change, and the school or relevant education authority can confirm what applies to your child.
- Welsh Government — Toolkit for parents and carers of children with additional learning needs
- Welsh Government — Rights under the additional learning needs system
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