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• 30 Oct 2024

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1. SEN is now ALN: Prior to the coming into force of ALNET, learning needs that called for educational training or provision additional to or different from those made generally for other learners of the same age were called ‘Special Educational Needs’ (SEN). Instead of SEN, ALNET uses the term ‘Additional Learning Needs’ (ALN). 
2. IDPs replace previous SEN provision such as school action, school action plus and statements of special educational needs: 

• The SEN system in Wales was governed by the Education Act 1996, accompanying regulations and Special Educational needs Code of Practice. Under that system, children would be issued with a statutory document called a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SSEN) if their SEN were of a complexity which required the local authority (rather than their school) to determine what SEP was required and whether the school could reasonably be expected to make such provision within its own resources (SEN code of practice for Wales 8:13). A child would have a legal right to the provision in the SSEN. Those who did not meet the legal threshold to receive an SSEN would still have provision made, but statute did not give them a legal right to this. Enforcing delivery of provision for those without an SSEN was therefore more difficult. That led to disagreement about whether a child required an SSEN.
• The ALN system introduces a general rule in Wales that every CYP with ALN is issued with a statutory document (now called and Individual Development Plan (IDP)), which gives them legally enforceable rights to provision. Their ALN does not have to meet the same minimum threshold of severity as was the case for those children who had a SSEN. As a rule, those with SEN who did not previously qualify for an SSEN will now qualify for an IDP. However, some IDPs will be produced by schools and some by local authorities. Issues therefore arise as to whether it should be a maintained school, FEI or LA that maintains the IDP. Issues also arise as to whether a CYP has ALN. More: 02.03 What is an IDP? 02.04 Do all CYP with ALN have an IDP? 05.01 Is there a prescribed form of IDP?

1. Most IDPs will be made and maintained by the mainstream school or FEI the CYP attends. The LA  make an IDP for those with ALN which cannot be adequately determined by the school or requires ALP the school would not be reasonably able to determine or secure. The LA will maintain an IDP for those with ALN requiring ALP the school would not be reasonably able to secure, looked after children, those subject to detention orders, those who are attending more than one provision (Dual Registered) and those not in a mainstream school/FEI (such as those below school age not in nurseries, electively home educated  or receiving education otherwise than in school (EOTIS)). More: Chapter 03: Who is responsible for CYP’s with ALN?



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30 Oct 2024

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