Executive summary
This report considers how well the funded non-maintained settings, maintained primary, secondary and all-age schools that participated in the review are implementing and embedding aspects of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (ALNET) and the accompanying Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Code. It also considers how well local authorities have supported schools. This report builds on our findings from the first thematic review The new additional learning needs system (Estyn, 2023) and identifies effective practice to support inclusive education which includes developing strategies to support pupils with ALN, enhancing Welsh-medium support and strengthening professional learning, quality assurance and the roles of the Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCo) and Early Years Additional Learning Needs Officer (EYALNLO) .
Our findings are based on engagement with a sample of eight funded non-maintained settings,11 primary schools, seven secondary schools and two all-age schools. Of these, nine were conducted through the medium of Welsh. Eight of the schools, including one Welsh-medium school, host local authority specialist class provision for pupils with ALN. We also drew on evidence from our ongoing inspection activity and from discussions between our local authority link inspectors and local authority officers. Further, the report draws on evidence from discussion with a focus group of Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officers (EY ALNLOs). We also canvassed the views of parents and carers in relation to their experiences.
Implementing and embedding ALN reform has been a significant undertaking for local authorities, schools and settings. During our visits and in our meetings with stakeholders, the inspection team consistently noted the strong commitment and resilience demonstrated by staff in local authorities, schools and settings. Staff were working diligently to support children and young people with ALN within the context of ongoing challenges. These included the lasting impact of the pandemic on well-being, challenges with attendance, the reported but unverified increase in children and young people with complex needs as well as budgetary and workforce pressures. Overall, the requirements of ALN reform were starting to ensure improvements in provision for pupils with ALN across the country. As a result, where ALN reform had been implemented successfully, many pupils made suitable progress from their initial starting points. However, the implementation of ALN reform was not consistent and, as a result, pupils’ additional learning needs were not always supported well enough. Further, the majority of schools and local authorities in the sample had begun to strengthen the quality assurance of ALN processes and provision. Many leaders expressed concerns about their ability to continue to deliver the necessary ALN services, once additional funding comes to an end.
Our findings show that leaders and staff at many schools and settings had started to develop inclusive culture and practice. These schools and settings focused well on the learning and well-being of all pupils. However, in a minority of cases, inclusive vision and purposeful teaching and learning aimed at meeting the needs of all pupils were not effective enough. Based on our discussions with school leaders, as part of this review, local authority guidance for improving the quality of inclusive teaching and learning was variable across Wales. Even in the most effective cases, schools acknowledged that this support and guidance was at an early stage of development.
Overall, the number of pupils identified with ALN or special educational needs (SEN) on schools’ registers had continued to reduce. However, the number of pupils whose additional learning provision (ALP) / special educational provision (SEP) was identified in a statutory plan, either through an individual development plan (IDP) or a statement of SEN, had continued to increase. In addition, there was a significant increase in the number of individual development plans (IDPs) that were maintained by schools. Across local authorities, inconsistencies remained in the interpretation of the ALN Code and in the subsequent approaches to school maintained and local authority maintained IDPs.
Overall, participating schools and settings had a secure understanding of the provision that they make for pupils with ALN. However, it remained the case that the extent to which the provision is classed as ALP was unclear. Most schools and local authorities agreed that it would be beneficial for ALP to be clarified at a national level.
Most schools that participated in this review recognised the enhanced and specialist role of the ALNCo under the Act and welcomed the increased accountability and strategic responsibility of the role. Where the role of the ALNCo was most effective, they were part of the senior leadership team, and they made a significant contribution to the provision for and outcomes of pupils with ALN. However, in a minority of schools, ALNCos were not fully involved in influencing the strategic direction and decision-making of the school.
This is the first time that we have reviewed the progress of funded non-maintained settings and the role of the Early Years Additional Learning Needs Officer (EYALNLO) in relation to ALN reform. Many of the funded non-maintained settings that we visited as part of this review provided effective learning experiences for children with ALN. Overall, they planned carefully to tailor learning experiences to meet the individual requirements of each child including those with ALN. Further, the role of the EY ALNLO was well established across Wales. Overall, these officers worked effectively to support parents and early years settings to ensure beneficial and timely support for younger children with emerging or identified ALN.
The extent to which local authorities, schools and settings planned and provided equitable support for Welsh-medium ALN provision remained underdeveloped. This has been recognised by the Welsh Government and local authorities, but significant challenges remained in relation to Welsh-medium recruitment and retention as well as the provision of Welsh-medium standardised assessments and resources.
Our report identifies a range of effective practice, including in areas that remained challenging such as Welsh-medium delivery. We also make some recommendations.