Alarm over 44% fall in additional learning needs numbers

Published

2 years ago

October 18, 2024

THE NUMBER of children recorded as having additional learning needs has almost halved under Welsh Government reforms due to “systematic underfunding”, a committee warned.

Buffy Williams led a debate on the education committee’s interim report amid a Senedd-long inquiry investigating the Welsh Government’s sweeping changes to educational support.

The additional learning needs (ALN) reforms have been replacing the old special educational needs (SEN) system in phases over four school years from 2021.

Ms Williams, who chairs the committee, said: “So, what have we found? To be blunt, the additional learning needs reforms are not going as planned.”

She raised concerns about a 44% fall in the number of pupils recorded as having SEN or ALN during the transition which is entering its final year.

She told the Senedd: “This reduction appears to be driven by a decrease in the number of pupils identified as having low to moderate SEN or ALN.

“At no point during the passing of the ALN bill did the Welsh Government anticipate that the reforms would almost halve the numbers of children identified as having additional needs.

“In fact, the Welsh Government repeatedly asserted that it would have no impact on the total numbers of children identified as having ALN or SEN.”

Ms Williams said the committee struggled to believe arguments that SEN was previously over-reported or that “universal” provision is sufficiently inclusive.

The reason committee members found most convincing was schools and councils lacking the required resources to give every child an individual development plan.

Ms Williams told the debating chamber or Siambr: “This resourcing shortage is the result of years of systematic underfunding of SEN and ALN provision in schools.”

Tom Giffard, the Conservatives’ shadow education secretary, echoed the Labour committee chair’s comments, warning that too many learners are being left behind.

He said: “In 2016/17, there were 92,000 children recognised as having SEN with low to moderate learning difficulties or disabilities. In 2022/23, that’s nearly halved.

“Now, I can’t realistically believe that there are fewer young people today with additional learning needs than there were less than a decade ago.”

Mr Giffard, a former teaching assistant in a Welsh-language primary school, added: “It’s clear that there are huge elements of the system that are not working.

“And that causes frustration for parents, for pupils, for teachers and others who care about these young people who are not getting the support they need.”

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow education secretary, was similarly greatly concerned by the fall in the number of children receiving support.

Calling for adequate funding, he said: “We can’t let these children and young people down.”

Labour’s Hefin David, who is stepping down from the committee for personal reasons, said he had nothing but praise for the ALN support his daughter has received.

“This system has worked for her,” he said while acknowledging that some parents feel they face a “constant battle” for support for their children.

Dr David, who represents Caerphilly, suggested the difficulty is children in a grey area of diagnosis who sit just outside the statutory support that is available.

He told the Senedd: “Giving them the support is the challenge because their needs are very different and diverse.”

Warning that children are falling under the radar, Laura Anne Jones said the reforms are not clear enough, with Wales’ councils interpreting them in 22 different ways.

She raised the impact on parents, saying: “Many felt very isolated and helpless that they didn’t know how to get the support their children needed, and it’s quite heartbreaking.”

Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan said the committee heard children have been traumatised by a lack of support, leading to high absence levels among some pupils with ALN.

Responding to the debate on October 16, Lynne Neagle, who formally accepted most of the committee recommendations, recognised the challenges.

Wales’ education secretary told the Senedd she has listened to feedback that parts of the legislation, which was passed in 2018, are overly complex and unclear.

Ms Neagle said improving collaboration between health and education is a key priority.

The minister pointed to £107m invested in day-to-day revenue support since 2020, with more than £170m in longer-term capital to improve facilities for pupils with ALN.

She said her officials are reviewing how councils fund mainstream schools, with the aim of identifying how much each delegates for ALN.

Ms Neagle highlighted an extra £5m invested in a pay award for schools’ ALN coordinators.

In closing, she said: “I am determined that meeting the needs of learners with ALN remains at the heart of our education reforms.”

Welsh language report says students face mixed experiences across colleges and universities

Published

4 days ago

May 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW report has found that Welsh-speaking students face inconsistent access to Welsh language services across Wales’ colleges and universities.

The research, published by the Welsh Language Commissioner on Monday (May 25), gathered responses from more than 1,500 further and higher education students.

It examined four key areas: whether students can submit written work in Welsh, choose accommodation with Welsh-speaking students, access a Welsh-speaking personal tutor, and receive wellbeing support through the medium of Welsh.

The report also looked at the wider language culture on campuses, including how institutions promote Welsh language services and support students to use Welsh naturally in academic and social settings.

Osian Llywelyn, Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, said colleges and universities had a vital role in helping students use Welsh as part of everyday life.

He said: “Given the importance of sustaining and developing the continued use of the Welsh language, it is essential to recognise the key role that further education colleges and higher education institutions play in ensuring that students have the opportunity to use Welsh naturally as part of their academic and social lives.

“While it is encouraging to see strong examples of good practice, that experience is not consistent across the sector. As a result, we have identified clear improvement actions, and we will be asking the relevant institutions to address them.”

Five improvement actions have been identified. These include standardising Welsh-medium assessment arrangements, proactively offering Welsh language services rather than simply making them available on request, addressing gaps in workforce Welsh-language skills, strengthening students’ sense of belonging through Welsh, and improving self-assessment and monitoring.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr, the body responsible for funding and regulating tertiary education in Wales, said the findings showed the need for more support across the sector.

He said Medr’s new Welsh Language Condition would place a clearer focus on providers promoting and supporting the use of Cymraeg, and on creating formal and informal opportunities for staff and learners to develop their Welsh-language skills.

Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, said students’ experiences of Welsh at college or university could influence their willingness and ability to use the language later in the workplace.

He said the report showed the need for the Welsh-language experience to extend “well beyond the classroom”.

The report will be officially launched at the Welsh Language Commissioner’s stand at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Anglesey at 11:00am on Monday (May 25).

Education

£1,500 cash bursary announced for aspiring local youngsters

Published

5 days ago

May 20, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

FOLLOWING its previous success, Ceredigion Youth Service is fortunate to accept another opportunity provided by West Wales Holiday Cottages to support young people with a cash bursary this year.

The purpose of the bursary is to provide young people aged between 11 and 25 with the chance to receive £1,500 to help with their future aspirations. The successful applicant(s) will be chosen by Ceredigion Youth Forum, which is a panel made up of young people from Ceredigion.

Gwion Bowen, Senior Support Officer Participation, said: “We are very grateful to West Wales Holiday Cottages for providing us with this opportunity for young people in Ceredigion for the ninth year in succession. Like ourselves, West Wales Holiday Cottages recognise that many young people living in Ceredigion may experience difficulties in accessing training, support and social activities due to socio-economic issues. The bursary was extremely successful last year, with a young person gaining financial support to help them with their mobile beauty start up business.”

Councillor Wyn Thomas, Cabinet for Schools and Lifelong Learning, said: “I would like to encourage anyone aged between 11 and 25 who needs financial support to reach their goals to consider this fantastic opportunity. As with previous years, I hope that the bursary is a success again this year, and that it will benefit young people in Ceredigion.”

Lisa Stopher, Managing Director at West Wales Holiday Cottages said, “West Wales Holiday Cottages are delighted to be supporting the bursary once again in partnership with Ceredigion Youth Service. We recognise that many young people can face barriers when accessing opportunities, training and resources, and we hope this bursary will continue to make a positive difference by giving young people the support they need to pursue their goals and aspirations.”

Do you need financial support to reach your goals? Would you benefit from having financial support to help you with training or equipment that is required for your chosen vocation? Are you looking for support to start your own enterprise? Are you a member of a community group and looking for financial support to purchase resources or equipment?

The closing date for applications is midnight on 19 July 2026. If you’re interested, contact Gwion Bowen on 07790 812939 or e-mail [email protected] for an application form.

Education

Ashmole & Co fund future accountants with financial donation to primary school

Published

5 days ago

May 20, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

CARMARTHENSHIRE’S would-be mathematicians are being given a major boost in their careers thanks to an Ashmole & Co donation to Ysgol Llandybie Primary School.

The donation, funded by the company’s Ammanford office, will help with the annual purchase of the online MyMaths resource which uses the online resource to help pupils and parents with the teaching of maths at home as well as allowing teachers to set tasks and provide them with tutorials to show them the mathematical concepts being taught.
The programme can assist in all areas of mathematics from shape to space, and from data to financial literacy.

Laura Craddock, Partner in Ashmole & Co’s Ammanford office, said, “We are always keen
to offer our support locally. We are more than happy to help fund the online resource
MyMaths to help train the local accountants of the future from a young age.”

Llandybie Primary School Head Teacher, Rhian Pritchard, said, “We are keen to continue
using online resources to enhance our pupils’ learning experience but they come at an extra
cost. We are grateful to Ashmole and Co for the donation which will enable us to continue
the provision of online maths learning.”