Additional Learning Needs (ALN) at Clwyd

At Clwyd Community Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child feels included, supported and able to succeed. We recognise that children learn and develop in different ways. Some children may need additional or different support at different points during their time at school. Our aim is to identify needs early, work closely with families and put the right support in place to help every child make progress and participate fully in school life.

Meet our Team

ALNCo – Mrs Dardecker

STF Manager – Mrs Norman

Family Liaison Officer and Wellbeing Lead – Mrs Jones-Martin

 

We are also supported with an amazing group of Teaching Assistants who support our learners.

What are Additional Learning Needs?

A child or young person has Additional Learning Needs (ALN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for Additional Learning Provision (ALP). Not every child who needs some additional help will have ALN. Many children's needs can be successfully supported through the high-quality teaching, reasonable adjustments and targeted support available within school.

Working With Parents and Carers

Parents and carers know their children best, and we believe that working together is essential.

If you have concerns about your child's learning, communication, development, wellbeing or ability to access school, we encourage you to speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance.

Where appropriate, the class teacher may then involve the ALNCo so that we can work together to decide the most appropriate next steps.

 

ALN in Wales

The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system provides the legal framework for supporting children and young people with additional learning needs in Wales. It is based on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, the ALN Code for Wales 2021 and supporting regulations.

 

GOV.WALES

The system places children and young people at the centre of decisions about their education and support. It emphasises early identification and intervention, working in partnership with families, inclusive education, collaboration between services and person-centred practice. GOV.WALES

If a child or young person is identified as having ALN, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) is prepared. The IDP describes their additional learning needs and the Additional Learning Provision (ALP) required to support them. GOV.WALES

 

 Information for Parents and Carers

Welsh Government has produced a comprehensive ALN Parent and Carers Toolkit. This is an excellent starting point for families and explains the ALN system, IDPs, parents' and children's rights, how decisions are made and where families can find additional help. It is available in accessible formats, including an Easy Read version. GOV.WALES

ALN Parent and Carers Toolkit – Welsh Government

 

Guidance for Parents and Carers

The Welsh Government's parent and carer guidance brings together information about the ALN system, including the ALN Code, IDPs, rights, person-centred reviews and support available from local authorities. GOV.WALES

Additional Learning Needs – Guidance for Parents and Carers

 

Your Rights under the ALN System

Children, young people and parents have important rights within the ALN system. Welsh Government guidance explains these rights, including involvement in decision-making, requesting that a local authority reconsider certain decisions, access to independent advocacy and routes for challenging decisions where appropriate. GOV.WALES

ALN System – Your Rights

 

The Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales

The ALN Code for Wales 2021 provides statutory guidance explaining how organisations must meet their duties towards children and young people with ALN. This includes schools, further education institutions, local authorities and NHS bodies. GOV.WALES

Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021

 

Additional Learning Needs in Swansea

Swansea Council provides local information for children, young people and families, including information about ALN, professionals who may be involved, support available through schools and colleges, resolving concerns and frequently asked questions. Swansea

Swansea Council – Additional Learning Needs

 

More Information

Parents and carers who would like to understand ALN in more detail can access the Welsh Government's main ALN information hub.

Welsh Government – Additional Learning Needs

 

If you have concerns about your child's learning or development, please speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance. You can also contact our ALNCo, Mrs. Dardecker, for further advice and support.

 

Resources from the Learning Support Team in our Local Authority (April 2020)

Single Point of Request (SPOR) into Early Intervention Services

As of September 2017 Early Intervention services changed the way families access services and interventions.

Referrals are no longer required for each of our individual services. Families and professionals are encouraged to ring the SPOR telephone line to discuss their needs and they are linked to the most appropriate service and/or intervention on offer, these include Family Partnership Team drop-ins; groups; one-to-one support; Team Around the Family (TAF); Jig-so and Early Language Development Team (ELDT) services.

SPOR can be contacted on 01792 635400 with lines staffed Monday to Friday 9.00am until 1.00pm.

Speech, language and communication needs

To support your children's speech, language and communication needs, we have fast tracked the launch of our new Parent Portal to help with this. The site will be live from Friday 20th March and will provide parents with FREE speech and language advice, resources and activities.  

 

Support for children, who have speech, language and communication needs, doesn't have to stop once their school closes.

 

The site can be found at  https://speechandlanguage.info/parents

Useful Links for Wellbeing

youngminds.org.uk

Finding ways to cope with your mood is important when you’re feeling depressed. So don’t panic and remember, feeling sad or unhappy will come to an end.

It could be useful to:

• Make a playlist of your favourite music to listen to

• Try painting or drawing • Write down how you feel in a diary

• Try a sport – it’s been shown that exercise can help to fight depression

• Eat healthily as a healthy diet is essential for good mental health

• Volunteer

 • Go for a walk

• Try meditation or yoga

• Do what makes you feel more relaxed

childline.org.uk

The UK’s free helpline for children and young people – it’s a confidential service and provides telephone counselling for any child with a problem. Helpline: 0800 1111 Text phone: 0800 400 222 Mon-Fri 9:30am-9:30pm | Sat and Sun: 11am-8pm

themix.org.uk

Offers free support and advice for under 25s through a confidential helpline, online chat and discussion boards. Helpline: 0808 808 4994 7 days a week 2pm – 11pm

Extra Resources

Please see the resources below for some specific help the Mrs Dean has collected to share with parents: