ALN (Additional Learning Needs)
Additional Learning Needs (ALN) at Coychurch (Llangrallo) Primary School
At Coychurch (Llangrallo) Primary School, we believe that every child should be valued for their individual talents. It is our aim to provide every child with happy memories within a fully inclusive educational environment to meet their individual needs.
As a school we ensure the needs of all children are met through high quality teaching and learning provision. Our Universal School Provision will meet the needs of most of our children. All of our children can access the following interventions as part of our universal provision which is designed to support our children when they need some extra help, catch up or maintain the progress they have been making with their learning. The universal provision includes:
- whole class teaching
- effective differentiation
- collaborative group work
- individual and small group intervention
- appropriate and reasonable adjustments to enable access to the school environment, curriculum and facilities
Some of the specific small group interventions for catch up can include:
Emotional Wellbeing Development
Thrive
Speech and Language Development
Speech Links
Language Links
Infant WELLCOMM
Primary WELLCOMM
DEST- Hands on Literacy for Foundation Phase
Mathematical Development
First Class @ Number
Motor Development
Smart Moves
During their time at Coychurch (Llangrallo) Primary School most children will make expected progress with their learning from their individual starting points. To identify if a child has additional learning needs we will gather evidence over time. This is called a graduated response and can include the following evidence:
- standardised screening and assessments
- observational data
- formative assessments of day to day learning
- monitoring progress over time
- assessments and observations taken from other agencies
A child not moving forward in their learning is characterised by progress which:
- is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
- fail to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
- fails to close, or widens the attainment gap between the child and their peers despite the provision of support aimed at closing that gap
When children do not make the expected progress with Universal Provision and following thorough investigation and evidence gathering a child may be identified as having ALN.
Definition of Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
1 A child 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, beyond the Universal Provision provided for all learners.
2 A child of compulsory school age that has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she -
(a) has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
(b) 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.
3 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 subsection (2) when of compulsory school age.
4 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 same considerations apply with regard to children with healthcare needs. It will be necessary to establish whether a child has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for Additional Learning Needs Provision (ALP). There will be many circumstances where an individual with healthcare needs does not have a learning difficulty or learning disability so where this is the case, the learning difficulty or disability does not require ALP.
The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is the document that contains a description of the ALN that acts as a barrier to the child in achieving their educational potential and the ALP that is necessary to overcome or mitigate this barrier. It is created through collaboration with the child and their parents/carers in conjunction with any other professionals that might be involved through a Person Centred Practice meeting (PCP).
The very few children who do not make good progress through universal school provision may be identified as having ALN and require ALP. Where this is the case, the school will need to prepare and maintain an IDP that details the barrier to learning and the ALP it will secure to address the barrier. The IDP will detail the strategies and interventions that are additional to or different from what is normally provided for other children of the same age.
Most support for children who have additional learning needs at Coychurch (Llangrallo) Primary School occurs within the classroom. That is, the class teacher will plan a differentiated set of activities which cater for the child’s individual needs. These activities are then delivered by our experienced Learning Support Officers. In addition to this, children may also be withdrawn for one to one sessions. We also work closely with external agencies such as the cognition and learning team and the wellbeing and behaviour team to ensure that all of our children receive the specific support that they require.
Additional Information
Additional information regarding ALN reform can be found by following the links below. We will update this section whenever further information becomes available.
We have just been made aware that a 24 hour listening line has been made available for families living with autism and other neurodivergent conditions for support and advice. Please click the link below.
C.A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline - Community Advice and Listening Line (callhelpline.org.uk)
Bridgend County Borough Council
https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/residents/schools-and-education/additional-learning-needs/
Additional Learning Needs in Wales – What is happening in Wales?
A Parent / Carers guide to Additional Learning Needs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISba05AGqJk&feature=youtu.be
Should you have any concerns about your child's ALN or you would like an informal chat regarding aspects of ALN please contact Mrs Rhys-Williams our Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCo) via the school office
ALN Advice for Parents
ALN information, Advice and Guidance - Central South region December 2021
How will the Act effect children, young people and parents/carers?
Additional Learning Needs (ALN) System Implementation Timeline
