£4.5m investment to support children and young people with additional learning needs

An extra £4.5m to support children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN) in Wales, has been announced.

The funding will support special schools, specialist units and third sector organisations to address the disruption caused by the pandemic. This is in addition to £26 million already allocated this financial year to local authorities and education settings for ALN learners.

£4 million will go directly to special schools and specialist units to help provide extra support for children and young people with ALN.

£500,000 will be awarded to Children in Wales to distribute to third sector organisations. The funding will help organisations promote the new ALN system and its benefits for children, parents and carers and young people.

Along with the additional financial support, changes are being made to the implementation timetable to move learners from the SEN (Special Education Needs) system to the ALN system.

The time available to move children will be extended by one year, with children who were due to move to the ALN system between January and August this year now moving between January 2022 and August 2023. The right for children, and their parents, to request the move to the ALN system will be unaffected.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: “We know that special schools and the children who attend them have faced significant challenges due to the pandemic. The additional funding we are announcing today will help ease some pressures and help prepare for our new ALN system.

“We recognise the hard work and dedication of staff working with children and young people with ALN. Special schools, specialist units and third sector organisations all play a key role in supporting children and young people, in their education and beyond. I want to thank them for the work they do to help children and young people flourish.”