Glossary (ALN a–z).

A term describing children and young people who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age.

The designated person in a school responsible for coordinating ALN provision, supporting staff, liaising with external agencies, and ensuring learners' needs are met.

Statutory guidance that sets out how schools, colleges, and local authorities must support learners with ALN in Wales.

Educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream institutions in Wales.

A statutory document that sets out a learner's ALN, the ALP required to meet those needs, and expected outcomes. Replaced the old Statement and IEP.

The framework categorizing ALN into: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, and Sensory and Physical Needs.

An approach that puts the learner at the heart of decision-making about their support, focusing on their strengths, aspirations, and what matters to them.

Actively involving learners in decisions about their own support, ensuring their views, wishes and feelings shape their IDP and provision.

A tiered approach to identifying and supporting learners, starting with universal provision and increasing intensity of support based on need.

High-quality inclusive teaching practices that meet the needs of most learners without requiring additional intervention or support.

Additional time-limited interventions provided to small groups or individuals to address specific learning gaps or needs.

Legal obligations that schools and local authorities must fulfill when supporting learners with ALN, including IDP reviews, transitions, and timescales.

The process of preparing for and supporting a learner's move between educational settings or into adulthood, documented in their IDP.

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals that describe what a learner will achieve through their ALP.

A visual tool showing all interventions and support available across a school, who receives them, and their cost and impact.

One of the Four Areas of Need, covering difficulties with acquiring and processing information, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia.

One of the Four Areas of Need, covering difficulties with speech, language, social communication, and autism spectrum conditions.

One of the Four Areas of Need, covering difficulties with emotional regulation, anxiety, ADHD, attachment, and mental health challenges.

One of the Four Areas of Need, covering hearing/vision impairments, physical disabilities, and sensory processing difficulties.

The process of identifying whether a learner has ALN, determining the nature and extent of those needs, and deciding what provision is required.

A statutory process where the IDP is evaluated to check progress, update outcomes, and revise provision. Must happen at least annually.

Highly personalized support for learners with complex or severe needs, often involving external specialists or special school placement.

Partnership working between education, health, social care, and other agencies to support learners with complex needs holistically.

Adapting teaching methods, resources, or activities to meet the varied learning needs of all pupils in a classroom.

Using teaching strategies and interventions that have been proven effective through research and data, ensuring best outcomes for learners.

The primary Welsh law that replaces the old SEN system with a single ALN system for 0–25-year-olds. It sets out duties for local authorities, schools and further education institutions to decide whether learners have ALN, prepare and maintain IDPs, and secure appropriate ALP.

UK legislation that protects people with protected characteristics, including disability, from discrimination. In education it underpins the duty to make reasonable adjustments so disabled learners are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Under the Equality Act 2010, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Many, but not all, learners with ALN will also meet this definition.

Changes that schools, colleges and local authorities must make so disabled learners are not put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. This can include changes to policies, teaching approaches, equipment, or the physical environment.

Everyday teaching, support and school systems designed so that all learners can participate, feel they belong and make progress. High-quality inclusive practice reduces barriers to learning and limits the need for more intensive additional learning provision.

Education arranged by a local authority for a learner who cannot attend a mainstream or special school full time. This may include home tuition, online learning, tuition centres or bespoke packages agreed through multi-agency planning.

A local authority-maintained setting that provides education for learners who cannot attend mainstream school, often due to medical, behavioural, social or emotional needs. PRUs may form part of an EOTAS package or short-term placement.

A school maintained by a local authority that is specially organised to provide education for learners with ALN who require highly specialised, intensive or bespoke provision that cannot reasonably be provided within mainstream settings.

A class or unit attached to a mainstream school providing targeted or specialist provision for learners with particular types of ALN, while supporting inclusion in mainstream classes for parts of the week where appropriate.

Learners who are in the care of a local authority, for example in foster care or residential care. The term care-experienced is often used for learners who are or have been looked after. They are a priority group for monitoring progress, wellbeing and ALN.

A plan that records the education targets, support and progress of a child or young person who is looked after. Where the learner also has an IDP, the PEP should complement and align with it rather than duplicate information.

The team within a local authority that carries out statutory ALN functions, such as deciding whether learners have ALN, preparing and maintaining IDPs, securing ALP, and coordinating specialist and multi-agency support.

The independent inspectorate that evaluates the quality and standards of education and training in Wales. Estyn inspections comment on how well providers identify and meet ALN, promote inclusion and use resources effectively.

The devolved government responsible for education policy and legislation in Wales. Welsh Government developed the ALNET Act and ALN Code and issues guidance, circulars and funding programmes related to ALN and inclusion.

Support that helps children, young people and their families understand their rights, express their views and participate fully in decisions about ALN, IDPs and provision. Advocates are independent of the school or local authority.

Arrangements that help resolve disagreements about ALN decisions or provision, usually through meetings and facilitated discussion. They aim to reach an agreed way forward without immediately using formal appeal routes.

An independent tribunal that hears appeals about certain ALN decisions, such as whether a learner has ALN, the contents of an IDP, or which body maintains it. It also considers disability discrimination claims relating to schools.

How ALN is identified and supported for children under compulsory school age, including those in maintained nursery classes and registered non-maintained settings. Emphasis is on early identification, family partnership and smooth transition into school.

How ALN is identified and supported in further education colleges. Local authorities are responsible for deciding whether young people in FE have ALN and for preparing and maintaining their IDPs while they remain in education or training.

Learning pathways available to young people after compulsory school age, including school sixth forms, FE colleges, apprenticeships and work-based learning. IDPs should support progression into appropriate post-16 provision and be maintained where ALN continues.

The national system created by the ALNET Act and ALN Code for identifying, assessing and meeting additional learning needs for children and young people aged 0–25 in Wales.

A senior officer in each Local Health Board who coordinates the health board's responsibilities for children and young people with ALN, including responding to requests for advice and agreeing health-related ALP.

The officer in a local authority who coordinates duties for children under compulsory school age who are not yet in maintained school, including ALN decisions and IDPs in early years settings.

A qualified psychologist employed or commissioned by the local authority to provide psychological assessment, consultation and advice about children and young people's learning, social and emotional needs.

The collective term used in the ALN Code for NHS organisations that have duties in relation to ALN, including Local Health Boards, NHS trusts, clinical commissioning groups, NHS foundation trusts and Special Health Authorities.

The NHS body responsible for planning and delivering most health services in a region of Wales. Local Health Boards must work with local authorities and schools to identify and support learners with ALN.

The council of a county or county borough in Wales. Local authorities hold key duties for ALN, including deciding whether learners have ALN, preparing and maintaining some IDPs, and securing appropriate ALP.

A school in Wales or England funded by a local authority (including community, foundation, voluntary, maintained nursery schools and PRUs). Maintained schools have specific ALN duties under the Act and Code.

A maintained school that is not a special school or PRU. Most learners with ALN are educated in mainstream maintained schools with additional learning provision and reasonable adjustments.

Describes a learner who is registered at, and receives education in, more than one school or FE institution at the same time, for example a mainstream school and a PRU or college.

A college or similar institution in the further education sector. FEIs in Wales have duties to decide whether young people have ALN, maintain some IDPs and secure ALP where they are the responsible body.

An independent institution specially organised to provide education or training for post-16 learners with ALN. It is not part of the FE sector or a maintained or independent school.

A person appointed by the Education Tribunal for Wales to act on behalf of a child who lacks capacity to conduct an appeal or claim themselves, helping them to exercise their rights within the ALN system.

A child or young person who is subject to a detention order and held in relevant youth accommodation. The ALN system includes specific duties for identifying and meeting ALN for detained persons.

International conventions on the rights of children (UNCRC) and disabled people (UNCRPD). Local authorities and NHS bodies in Wales must have due regard to these when exercising ALN functions.

The Welsh local authority that is legally responsible for a child or young person in the ALN system. This is usually the authority for the area where the learner ordinarily lives, and for looked after children it is the authority that looks after them. The responsible local authority must decide on ALN, prepare and maintain IDPs where required, and arrange the ALP in those plans.

Public authorities that must have regard to the ALN Code when exercising their functions. This includes local authorities, governing bodies of maintained schools and FEIs, proprietors of academies, youth offending teams, persons in charge of relevant youth accommodation and various NHS bodies.

In the ALN system this usually means a Local Health Board or an NHS Trust in Wales. These bodies must consider requests for advice, decide whether a treatment or service is ALP, and where ALP is specified for them in an IDP, arrange and deliver that provision.

For ALN purposes, a child is anyone who is not over compulsory school age. The Code uses the term carefully because some duties and rights (for example who can exercise appeal rights) differ for children and young people.

A person over compulsory school age but under 25. Young people can usually exercise their own rights within the ALN system, including asking for decisions about ALN, requesting an IDP and appealing to the Tribunal.

Defined broadly in education law. It includes biological parents, anyone with parental responsibility, and any person who has care of the child. All of these people may need to be involved in ALN decisions, meetings and IDP processes.

A school day is any day on which there is a school session at a maintained school (or when a PRU meets). A term-time day is a day when an FEI is due to meet to teach students during its main teaching periods. These definitions are used to calculate statutory ALN timescales, such as deadlines for decisions and IDP reviews.

A multi-agency team established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to work with children and young people in the youth justice system. YOTs must have regard to the ALN Code and help identify, share information about and support learners with ALN who are involved with youth justice services.

Youth custody or secure settings (for example young offender institutions, secure children's homes or secure training centres) where children and young people may be detained. The ALN Act and Code set out duties on local authorities and health bodies to identify ALN and secure appropriate ALP for detained learners in these settings.

For a detained child or young person, the home authority is the Welsh local authority identified in the Education Act 1996 as responsible for them. This authority must ensure appropriate ALP is specified in and delivered through the IDP while the learner is detained.