Children with additional learning needs (ALN) in Wales are being failed, school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru is warning as it calls for an urgent injection of funding and action to tackle a shortage of educational and child psychologists. 

The union this afternoon made the calls in a motion also supported by the Association of Education Psychologists which secured unanimous support at the Wales TUC Conference in Llandudno. 

Warning that the public services which support children have been ‘eroded’ in the wake of the pandemic and cost of living crisis, the motion says the new ALN system has ‘several positive aspects’, including new Individual Development Plans. 

But it says this is being undermined by a ‘failure to properly cost and fund’ the major reforms introduced by the Welsh Government in 2021 – failing many pupils, families and schools. 

The motion says schools are struggling to deliver the support children need due to the complexity of the requirements, with local authorities being forced to issue their own guidance on the code - putting immense pressure on schools, particularly Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinators (ALNCos).  

It says: ‘Congress calls on Welsh Government to amend the ALN code and base legislation to better reflect what schools can achieve and provide the much-needed cash investment to deliver on the demands of the code as it stands. Children are being failed and we cannot sit back and let this happen.’ 

The motion also calls on the Welsh Government to double places on the Cardiff Educational and Child Psychologist (ECP) training course and to establish a second training course for north and mid-Wales. 

Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru national secretary, said: “It is unacceptable that schools are being set up to fail because they simply do not have the capacity to deliver for children.  There is nothing more soul-destroying for a leader to know their children with additional learning needs are being let down in this way through no fault of schools. 

“While well-intentioned, the reforms to the ALN system have been poorly thought through in places and are not supported by the funding needed to ensure all pupils get the support they deserve. 

“That includes the right staffing, from teaching assistants and ALNcos, to other specialist roles. 

“Schools have been left with the responsibility to implement the legislation, but they are being expected to do it with their hands tied behind their backs.” 

A second NAHT Cymru motion, which also won unanimous backing, calls for progress on improved conditions of service for school leaders on the back of last year’s industrial action by NAHT Cymru members in the shape of action short of strike. In the motion, the union says its negotiations during the dispute helped to put conditions of service for school leaders at the top of the agenda, with it forming a key part of the remit for the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body this year. 

It calls upon the congress to support improved conditions of service of school leaders, including a provision for protected leave at certain times during holiday periods, as well as 'reasonable working hours’. 

The motion adds: ‘School leaders are being exploited, their working hours are grossly over and above what they should be working. This is having a detrimental impact on the delivery of education and our important educational reforms will not be successful is our school leaders are not supported. 

Notes to Editors 

The motions read as follows: 

1) Congress is concerned about the ongoing impact on children of the post-pandemic and cost of living crisis. The public services that support children have been eroded.  

The new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system in Cymru/Wales has several positive aspects, such as the new Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and Congress supports the ambitions of the new Welsh Government legislation to support children and young people with ALN. 

However, the failure to properly cost and fund the major reform introduced by the Welsh government in 2021, has created a system that is currently failing many pupils, families and schools.  

Schools are struggling to deliver due to the complexity of the requirements. Local Authorities are issuing their own guidance on the code to cover all bases, as there is concern about the risk of tribunals  failing children.  However, this is putting immense pressure on schools, particularly Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinators (ALNCos).  

Congress calls on Welsh Government to amend the ALN code and base legislation to better reflect what schools can achieve and provide the much-needed cash investment to deliver on the demands of the code as it stands. Children are being failed and we cannot sit back and let this happen.