If you are concerned that your child / young person has an additional need or learning difficulty which may be impacting upon their learning, it is important to raise this concern with the school / college.

What if my child is too young to attend school?

If your child is too young to attend school (under 5 years of age) they are classed as early years. You can find more information about early years here.

What happens when a child / young person or parent raises a concern?

When a parent, child / young person raises a concern about a possible additional learning need, the school will begin the decision-making process which starts with gathering evidence and possibly a period of intervention which will be monitored and reviewed.

The school will ask you to come in and join a person centred meeting to talk about your concerns and work with them to help your child / young person.

If your child / young person does not make satisfactory progress with this intervention, then the school Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo) will consider whether your child / young person meets the criteria for having an additional learning need using a person centred approach. If your child / young person has an additional learning need that requires additional provision, then the school will have 35 working days to prepare an Individual Development Plan (IDP) to support their learning. Your views, wishes and feelings will be included in any decisions.

What happens if my child doesn't have an additional learning need?

If a decision has been made that your child / young person does not have an additional learning need, they may still have a learning difficulty. In schools learning difficulties are supported through a variety of strategies which are accessible to all learners, this is called Universal Provision.

What happens if I disagree?

If you disagree with the school's decision, then ask to speak to the class teacher, Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo) or the headteacher, so they can discuss this with you.

If you have spoken to the school, and the concern or disagreement is not resolved you can ask to speak with an Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Caseworker. The ALN Caseworker can provide you with impartial advice and support. You can find more information on resolving your concerns here.