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ALN

At Gladstone Primary School we care greatly about the welfare and education of EVERY child.

At Gladstone, we have a shared vision where staff, governors, parents and children work together in partnership to provide every child with the best education possible. We have a committed team of staff who work with our children in group settings and on an individual level. This is in order to ensure all children feel happy and secure, working within a safe environment in order to realise their full academic potential.

We have rigorous systems and processes in place at Gladstone Primary that ensures that ALL children’s attainment, progress and attendance is closely monitored, tracked and discussed at set times in the year. Appropriate provision is put in place in order to meet the needs of our children striving to break down any barrier to learning.

As a school we ensure the needs of all children through high quality teaching and learning provision. Our Universal Provision includes:

whole class teaching
effective differentiation
collaborative group work
individual and small group interventions
appropriate and reasonable adjustments to enable access to the school environment, curriculum and facilities

During their time at Gladstone, most children will make expected progress in their learning from their starting points. If a child is not progressing, we will gather observations, use assessment data and seek to work in collaboration with outside agencies / professionals to identify any additional learning needs. A wide range of evidence will be gathered over time, including:

assessment tools, frameworks and questionnaires
standardised assessments
observational data
formative assessments of day to day learning
monitoring progress over time
assessments from other agencies e.g., Paediatrician.

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,
does not match or better previous rate of progress,
does not close, or widens, the attainment gap between the child and their peers, despite the provision of support aimed at closing that gap.

Identification of Additional Learning Needs (ALN)

When pupils do not make the expected progress with Universal Provision and following thorough investigation and evidence gathering, a child may be identified as having ALN.

Additional Learning Needs (ALN) is the term now used to describe pupils who were previously known as having Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The way pupils are recognised as having ALN is changing. Parents, pupils and other professionals will be invited to a Person-Centred Planning (PCP) meeting to discuss the pupils’ needs and decide ways forward. In the PCP meeting, everyone’s thoughts are recorded and the questions that we consider are:

What do we like and admire about the pupil?
What is important to the pupil?
What is working well?
What could be better?
What is important for them moving forward?

At the PCP meeting, it may be decided that your child doesn’t have ALN that requires Additional Learning Provision (ALP) in which case they would not be added to the ALN register.

ALP is support and provision put in place that is in addition to and different from what would normally be offered to support a pupil.

Alternatively, it may be agreed that your child does have ALN which requires ALP, this will be set out in an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that will set out targets and support in place to help achieve these.

IDPs are required to be reviewed annually through a PCP meeting.

The four areas of ALN are identified as:

Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
Sensory and/or physical
Behavioural, Emotional and Social

Any Interventions that take place are tailored to meet the needs of individual pupils and all teachers meet regularly to monitor progress and plan the way forward.

If you have any concerns about your child’s progress, please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance, or contact Mrs McCarthy (ALNCo).

At Gladstone Primary, we pride ourselves in forming positive and mutually respectful partnerships with parents, families and outside agencies to solely support the children in our care and their progress in all areas.

Please contact the school if you are concerned about the support your child is able to access. We will work together to solve any concerns. If you feel that we cannot sufficiently address your concerns, Snap Cymru is an organisation that provides support and advice to parents and pupils and will also work with schools to resolve problems.

Additional Information

For additional information regarding ALN, follow the links below:

Additional Learning Needs in Wales – What is happening in Wales?

https://youtu.be/00gHqzWowPg

A Parent / Carers guide to Additional Learning Needs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISba05AGqJk&feature=youtu.be

The Index is for families who have children aged 0-18 years, who have a disability or additional need and live in the Vale of Glamorgan.

It's a way of us keeping families informed about what's available locally and nationally.

You'll receive a newsletter every three months, packed full with information about events, activities, playschemes and services, as well as regular ebulletins. You can also contact us directly with any questions you may have.

There is more information on our web pages as well as a quick video and an online registration form.

The Index Video:

English : here

Welsh : here

Registration Form

School ALN Process (new to ALN or initiated), click here.

IDP Review Process Map click here.

Referral to LA for IDP Reconsideration for change of placement (7 weeks), click here.