Post-16 Educational Provision in Wales for ALN Young People

Published 21 July 2026

Post-16 Educational Provision in Wales for ALN Young People

This article follows our companion guide, Types of Educational Provision in Wales for ALN Pupils.

That article looks at provision up to the end of compulsory school age.

This article looks at what happens after compulsory school age.

For many ALN families, this is where the system becomes even harder to navigate.

Parents and young people may hear about:

school sixth form;
special school sixth form;
FE college;
specialist college;
Independent Special Post-16 Institutions;
Jobs Growth Wales+;
apprenticeships;
supported employment;
online learning;
EOTAS;
hospital or home tuition;
volunteering;
day services;
university;
Disabled Students’ Allowance;
social care transition.

Those routes are not all the same.

Some are education.

Some are training.

Some are employment routes.

Some are support routes.

Some are social care or community routes that may sit alongside education but do not replace it.

The labels matter because they affect who is responsible, what support may be available, whether an IDP continues, what consent is needed, how funding works, and what happens if the route breaks down.

The earlier the planning starts, the less likely the young person is to be left choosing from whatever happens to be visible at the last minute.

This article is general information. It is not legal advice, benefits advice, placement advice, safeguarding advice or Tribunal representation.

What this article is, and what it is not

This article is not a decision tree.

It does not tell a young person which route they should take.

It helps families understand the main post-16 routes they may hear about, what those routes usually mean, and which questions need to be asked before a young person agrees, refuses, starts, pauses or leaves a route.

The aim is not to push every young person towards college, work or university.

The aim is to help families understand the landscape so decisions are less rushed, less vague and less dependent on who happens to explain the system.

Why the questions change after 16

After compulsory school age, the system changes.

The young person’s own views and consent matter more directly.

Welsh Government guidance says that for young people aged 16 or over, both the school and local authority must get the young person’s consent before starting the process of identifying ALN [1].

That is a major shift.

Parents can still be important.

Many young people want a parent, carer, advocate or trusted adult involved.

But services should not assume that parents make all decisions in the same way they may have done when the young person was younger.

This can be positive.

It can also be difficult.

Some young people are ready to speak for themselves.

Some are not.

Some can make decisions but need support to understand letters, meetings, deadlines, travel, finance, timetables, sensory load, consent and long-term consequences.

Some young people may say no to support because they are embarrassed, exhausted, overwhelmed or trying to feel independent.

That is why post-16 planning should not be treated as a simple handover from school to college.

It is a transition in responsibility, identity, support and decision-making.

For more on this, see ALN Transitions in Wales: Nursery, School, College and Beyond.

Start planning before Year 11

Learn Without Limits CIC strongly advises parents to contact Careers Wales from age 14, or at the start of Year 10, whatever type of provision the child is in.

That includes young people in mainstream school, special school, specialist provision, PRU, EOTAS, flexi-schooling, online provision, hospital or home tuition, independent provision or elective home education.

Post-16 routes are often less clearly signposted than pre-compulsory-school-age routes.

By Year 11, families may already be dealing with application deadlines, college open days, transport questions, IDP reviews, course entry requirements, health evidence, consent, anxiety, fatigue and young people’s changing views about what they want next.

Starting earlier gives everyone more time.

Careers Wales provides careers advice and guidance for young people. Its school provision privacy notice says Careers Wales works with pupils aged 13 to 19 who are based in schools, colleges or home educated. It also says Career Check is a survey carried out in Year 10 to help careers advisers work out what support may be needed [2].

For ALN young people, early contact matters because a careers adviser has more time to understand the young person’s strengths, needs, interests, support requirements and realistic options.

Parents can ask Careers Wales to connect them with the adviser or team who supports ALN transitions in their local area.

Home-educating families should not assume Careers Wales will automatically make first contact.

Careers Wales says it has a dedicated team of Careers Advisers who work with home-educated young people, and families can contact Careers Wales directly to ask for information or make an appointment [3].

Parents can find their nearest Careers Wales centre here: Careers Wales: Our Centres.

They can also contact Careers Wales here: Careers Wales: Contact Us.

Quick answer

There is no single post-16 route for ALN young people in Wales.

A young person may:

stay in school sixth form;
remain in special school post-16 provision;
move to FE college;
attend a specialist post-16 placement;
enter training;
start Jobs Growth Wales+;
apply for an apprenticeship;
use online or distance learning;
receive local authority-arranged provision in limited circumstances;
move towards work with support;
volunteer to build confidence;
progress to university;
need health, social care or day-service support alongside education or training.

The key question is not only:

What course or route is available?

The better question is:

Does this route match the young person’s needs, support, consent, confidence, transport, health, communication, learning level and next step?

The five questions to ask about any post-16 route

Before agreeing to, refusing or leaving any route, ask:

Is this education, training, employment, social care, or a mix?
Who is responsible for support, IDP review and ALP?
What does the young person want, and what consent has been given?
What happens if the route breaks down?
Has Careers Wales been involved early enough, and what is the next step after this route?

Those five questions will not solve everything.

But they help families avoid one of the biggest post-16 risks: a young person being moved from one vague option to another without a real progression plan.

At a glance: common post-16 routes

School sixth form
The young person stays in school for A levels or other post-16 courses. The key question is whether the school can continue to meet ALN and support the young person’s next step.

Special school post-16 provision
The young person remains in special school for post-16 learning. The key question is whether the provision is still education-led and progression-focused.

FE college
The young person moves to a further education college. The key question is whether the college understands the IDP, ALP, support needs, transport and transition risks.

Specialist college or ISPI
The young person attends a specialist post-16 institution. The key question is who funds it, who secures the education element, and how health or social care support is coordinated.

Jobs Growth Wales+
A training and development route for some 16 to 19 year olds who need support to move towards work or further training. The key question is whether the young person is ready and properly supported.

Apprenticeship
A paid job with training and qualifications. The key question is whether the young person can manage employment expectations and access support or reasonable adjustments.

Online or distance learning
Learning delivered remotely. The key question is whether it is structured, recognised, accessible and not too isolating.

EOTAS after 16
Local authorities have a power to arrange suitable education otherwise than at school for young people over compulsory school age but under 18 in certain circumstances. This is not the same as the compulsory school-age duty.

University or higher education
A young person may move into higher education. The key question is what student support, disability support and Disabled Students’ Allowance may be available.

Volunteering or supported work experience
This may build confidence, skills and routine, but it should not be used to disguise the absence of education, training or support where those are still needed.

Why official status matters after 16

Official status still matters after compulsory school age.

A route may sound educational, but it might legally be training, employment, social care, private tuition, informal volunteering or community activity.

That does not make it bad.

But it changes the questions.

Families should check:

Is the young person enrolled as a student?
Is this a school, FE college, training provider, employer, university, charity, private provider or local authority arrangement?
Is there an IDP?
Who maintains the IDP?
What ALP is written down?
Who delivers the support?
Is attendance or participation recorded?
Is the route funded?
Is transport included?
Is health or social care involved?
What happens if the young person cannot attend?
What happens if the young person changes their mind?
What happens after this course or placement ends?

A label is not enough.

Families need to understand responsibility.

1. School sixth form

Some young people stay at school after compulsory school age.

This may be for A levels, vocational qualifications, Welsh Baccalaureate, GCSE resits or other post-16 courses.

School sixth form can work well where the young person already knows the setting, staff and routines.

It may reduce the shock of transition.

It may also keep peer links, transport patterns and trusted adult relationships in place.

But staying in school is not automatically the easiest route.

The young person may still face:

higher academic demands;
fewer subjects;
larger gaps between lessons;
more independent study;
less structured support;
social changes;
different expectations around self-advocacy;
pressure to manage deadlines;
post-18 planning.

Families should ask:

Is the young person choosing to stay?
What courses are available?
Are entry requirements clear?
Will the IDP continue?
Who will coordinate support?
What ALP will be delivered?
How will free periods or independent study be managed?
What happens if attendance dips?
Is transport still available?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What is the plan after Year 12, Year 13 or Year 14?

School sixth form can be a good route.

But it should not be used as a holding pattern because nobody has planned properly for college, training, work or specialist provision.

2. Special school post-16 provision

Some maintained special schools provide post-16 or sixth form provision.

For some young people, this can be the right route.

It may offer familiar staff, specialist support, communication support, life skills, independence work, vocational learning, therapies, health support and careful transition planning.

But post-16 special school provision should still have a purpose.

It should not simply be “more of the same” because the next step is hard.

Families should ask:

Why is staying in special school the right route now?
What qualifications or recognised outcomes are available?
How will independence be developed?
How will communication be supported?
What work experience or community access is included?
What happens after this provision ends?
Is the young person being prepared for FE, supported employment, adult services, community participation or another route?
Does the IDP still match the young person’s current needs?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
Are health and social care transition plans joined up?

A special school post-16 route can be excellent where it is purposeful.

It can become a problem if it delays planning for adult life.

3. FE college

Further education college is one of the main post-16 routes in Wales.

A young person may attend college for:

vocational courses;
A levels;
GCSE resits;
independent living skills;
supported learning;
employability courses;
apprenticeships or work-based learning linked to college;
stepping-stone courses;
part-time learning.

College can be positive because it gives young people a fresh start and a more adult environment.

It can also be difficult because college usually expects more independence.

The young person may need to manage:

a larger campus;
new travel routes;
new staff;
new peers;
free time between sessions;
different safeguarding arrangements;
online systems;
assignments;
self-advocacy;
consent;
course changes;
exams or assessments.

Families should ask:

Has the college seen the IDP?
Who is the ALN or learner support contact?
What support is available before term starts?
Is there a transition visit?
Can the young person practise travel?
How will sensory, anxiety, communication, health or fatigue needs be managed?
What happens if the course is too hard or too easy?
What happens if attendance dips?
Can the young person move course without losing support?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What is the complaints or escalation route?

College is not one type of provision.

A large FE college may include several routes under one roof.

The course title alone does not tell you whether the young person will be supported well.

4. Discrete or supported FE provision

Some colleges offer discrete or supported provision for learners with additional needs.

The names vary.

Parents may hear:

supported learning;
life skills;
independent living skills;
foundation learning;
preparation for work;
employability;
access to FE;
learning support;
entry level provision;
supported internship-style provision.

These routes can be valuable.

They may help young people build communication, confidence, independence, travel skills, employability, qualifications and social participation.

But families need to check whether the route is genuinely matched to the young person.

Ask:

What level is the course?
Is it accredited?
What outcomes are expected?
How does it build on what the young person has already done?
Is it too easy?
Is it too demanding?
What support is built in?
What ALP is written into the IDP?
How much of the week is taught?
Is there work experience?
Is travel training included?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What does progression look like after this course?

A supported course should not become a parking place.

It should lead somewhere.

That “somewhere” may be another course, work, supported employment, volunteering, independent living, adult learning, community participation or a better matched specialist route.

But there should be a plan.

5. Independent Special Post-16 Institutions

Some young people need a specialist post-16 placement outside mainstream FE.

These settings are often called Independent Special Post-16 Institutions, or ISPIs.

An ISPI may support young people with complex ALN, autism, communication needs, physical disabilities, sensory needs, medical needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, or combinations of needs.

A specialist post-16 placement may be residential or day provision.

It may include education, therapies, care, independence training, communication support, behaviour support, vocational learning and transition planning.

These placements can be life-changing.

They can also be expensive, contested and hard to secure.

Welsh Government guidance says arrangements for planning and securing placements at ISPIs changed as part of ALN reform, and funding is now made available to local authorities through the Local Authority Education Grant [4].

Families should ask:

Why is a specialist post-16 placement needed?
Has local FE provision been considered?
What evidence shows that mainstream FE cannot meet need?
Is the institution on the Welsh Government list of ISPIs?
Who is responsible for the education element?
Who funds care, health or therapy elements?
Is the placement day or residential?
What programme of study is being proposed?
What outcomes are expected?
How will the IDP be maintained and reviewed?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What happens if the placement is refused?
Is there a route of appeal or challenge?

A specialist post-16 placement should not be treated as a reward, a failure or a last resort label.

It should be considered where it is necessary to meet the young person’s reasonable needs for education or training.

6. Jobs Growth Wales+

Jobs Growth Wales+ is a training and development programme for 16 to 19 year olds.

Working Wales describes it as a flexible programme designed around the young person, whether they need a little help or more support [5].

This route may suit some young people who are not ready for ordinary employment, college or an apprenticeship but do want to build skills, qualifications, confidence and work experience.

It may be especially relevant where a young person is at risk of becoming NEET, meaning not in education, employment or training.

Families should ask:

Is the young person eligible?
What strand or level of support is being suggested?
What qualifications are available?
Is there work experience?
What support is available for ALN, disability, anxiety or health needs?
Will the provider see the IDP if the young person consents?
What happens if attendance is difficult?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What happens after the programme?
Does this route lead to college, work, apprenticeship or further training?

Jobs Growth Wales+ can be a practical bridge.

But it still needs a plan.

A young person should not be sent there simply because nobody knows what else to do.

7. Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a paid job with training.

The young person works, earns and studies towards a qualification.

Careers Wales says apprenticeships are open to anyone over 16, including people with a disability, health condition or learning difficulty [6].

Apprenticeships can be excellent for some ALN young people.

They can give structure, real-world learning, income, confidence and a clear sense of purpose.

They can also be too much too soon if the young person is not ready for employment expectations.

Families should ask:

Is the young person ready for paid work?
What hours are expected?
What qualification will they work towards?
Where will training happen?
Is the employer supportive?
What reasonable adjustments are needed?
How will anxiety, communication, fatigue, sensory needs or health needs be managed?
Can the training provider support learning needs?
What happens if the placement breaks down?
Is Access to Work or other employment support relevant?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
Will travel be manageable?

An apprenticeship is not “less academic school”.

It is work.

That can be brilliant for the right young person with the right support.

It can be damaging if the support is vague and the employer is not prepared.

8. Supported employment, work experience and volunteering

Some young people want to move towards work but are not ready for a job or apprenticeship.

They may benefit from:

supported employment;
supported work experience;
volunteering;
community projects;
employer visits;
work tasters;
social enterprise projects;
digital portfolio work;
supported internships or internship-style routes where available.

These routes can help young people build:

confidence;
routine;
communication;
travel skills;
workplace behaviour;
references;
practical experience;
independence;
self-belief.

But they should not be used to hide the absence of education, training or support.

Volunteering is not automatically education.

Work experience is not automatically a progression plan.

Families should ask:

Is this part of a course, training programme, IDP outcome or informal activity?
Who supervises it?
Is there insurance?
Is safeguarding clear?
What skills will be developed?
How will progress be recorded?
Will the young person get a reference or portfolio evidence?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What happens next?
Is this replacing education or complementing it?

This is where Learn Without Limits CIC’s Bridge model matters.

Some young people need a safe, small, supported step before they can manage college, work or training.

For more on our approach, see Learn Without Limits CIC Bridge.

9. Online and distance learning

Online and distance learning may be useful after 16.

It may include:

online college courses;
remote tutoring;
distance learning;
Open University-style routes later on;
private online courses;
digital qualifications;
home-based study;
blended learning with college or school;
online learning as part of a local authority package.

Online learning can work well for young people with fatigue, anxiety, chronic illness, sensory needs, mobility needs or disrupted attendance.

It can also be isolating.

Families should ask:

Is this a recognised course?
Is it accredited?
Is it full-time, part-time or flexible?
Who teaches or supports the young person?
Is there live contact?
Is the young person expected to self-study?
What happens if motivation drops?
Is screen use manageable?
Is there support for dyslexia, ADHD, autism, visual stress, fatigue or executive function?
How are assignments and deadlines handled?
Is the route funded privately or through an institution?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What does it lead to?

Online learning can be part of a good plan.

It should not become a quiet way for a young person to disappear.

10. EOTAS after compulsory school age

EOTAS means Education Otherwise Than At School.

For compulsory school-age children, local authorities have duties around suitable education in certain circumstances.

After compulsory school age, the position changes.

Welsh Government’s EOTAS guidance says local authorities have a power to provide EOTAS provision for young people over compulsory school age but under 18 [7].

That is not the same as saying every young person over 16 has an entitlement to EOTAS.

Welsh Government guidance also says young people over 18 and up to 25 with ALN may continue to have an IDP maintained for them, but those learners are not entitled to EOTAS provision [7].

This is a critical boundary for families.

Ask:

Is this young person under 18 or over 18?
Is the local authority using its power to arrange EOTAS?
Is the young person still registered at school or enrolled at an FE college?
Who maintains the IDP?
Is there an IDP review?
What ALP is needed?
Is the provision suitable?
Is health or social care involved?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What happens when the young person turns 18?
What is the route beyond EOTAS?

Post-16 EOTAS should not be treated as a vague promise.

Families need the detail in writing.

Some young people cannot attend school, college or training because of illness, treatment, recovery, mental health, fatigue or disability.

They may need learning at home, in hospital, online, through a tutor, or through a blended package.

This may sit within EOTAS in some circumstances.

It may also involve school, college, health, the local authority or another provider depending on the young person’s status.

Families should ask:

Who is arranging the learning?
Is the young person registered at school, college or another provider?
Who maintains the IDP?
How many hours are being provided?
Is the offer suitable for the young person’s health?
How will qualifications be supported?
How will ALP be delivered?
What medical evidence is needed?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What happens if the young person improves?
What happens if their health deteriorates?
How will isolation be reduced?

Health-related provision should be responsive.

A young person recovering from illness may need hours increased gradually.

A young person with fluctuating health may need pacing.

A young person with deteriorating health may need the plan changed quickly.

The system should not wait for crisis before reviewing the route.

12. Home-based learning after 16

After compulsory school age, some young people learn from home by choice, health need, anxiety, family circumstances or because school or college has broken down.

This may involve:

parent-supported learning;
online courses;
private tutoring;
independent study;
community learning;
distance learning;
exam entry as a private candidate;
portfolio-building;
work experience or volunteering alongside study.

This can be positive where the young person has a real plan.

It can be risky where the young person is simply at home with no structure, support, qualifications, social contact or route forward.

Families should ask:

Is the young person learning, resting, recovering or stuck?
Is there a plan?
Are there qualifications or outcomes?
Is support needed for ALN?
Is there an IDP?
Who is responsible for reviewing it?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
Is the young person isolated?
What social contact is safe and realistic?
What is the next step?
What help is needed to re-engage?

Home can be part of a route.

It should not become an invisible waiting room.

13. Higher education and university

Some ALN young people progress to university or higher education.

This may be through:

A levels;
vocational Level 3 courses;
Access to HE;
foundation degrees;
degree apprenticeships;
part-time study;
distance learning;
Open University-style routes;
supported progression from FE.

Higher education is different from school and FE.

The young person is usually treated as an adult student.

Support may come through university disability services, reasonable adjustments and student finance routes rather than the school ALN system.

Welsh Government says the Disabled Students’ Grants can help eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students with additional study-related costs arising from disability, long-term health conditions, mental health conditions or learning difficulties. It can help with non-medical personal help, specialist equipment and other disability-related study costs [8].

Families should ask:

Has the young person contacted disability services?
Is evidence up to date?
Can they apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance or Disabled Students’ Grants support?
What accommodation support is needed?
Is the course structure realistic?
How will travel, lectures, placements and deadlines be managed?
What happens if the young person needs to pause or repeat?
What support exists for mental health, executive function, communication or sensory needs?
Has Careers Wales supported earlier route planning?

University can be the right route.

But it should not be treated as proof that support is no longer needed.

A young person can be academically capable and still need significant practical support.

14. Adult learning, community learning and day services

Some young people move into adult learning, community learning or day-service provision.

These routes may support:

independent living;
communication;
wellbeing;
social connection;
confidence;
community participation;
practical skills;
supported volunteering;
adult social care outcomes.

These routes can be valuable.

But families need to be clear about what they are and what they are not.

A day service is not automatically education.

A community activity is not automatically a progression route.

Adult learning may be educational, but it may not replace FE, specialist post-16 provision or a structured training pathway where those are needed.

Families should ask:

Is this education, care, support, activity or social participation?
Who funds it?
Is there a care and support plan?
Is there an IDP?
Are outcomes written down?
Is transport available?
What skills are being developed?
Is the young person safe and meaningfully included?
Has Careers Wales been involved?
What happens next?

For some young people, adult social care and education planning need to connect.

They should not run on separate tracks while the family tries to hold everything together.

15. NEET risk and “nothing suitable”

NEET means not in education, employment or training.

For ALN young people, NEET risk is not only about motivation.

It can be about:

poor transition planning;
anxiety;
trauma;
fatigue;
transport;
unsuitable courses;
failed placements;
lack of ALP;
waiting lists;
inaccessible work routes;
health needs;
care responsibilities;
poverty;
low confidence;
young people not trusting services;
parents not knowing where to go.

A young person may look like they are “doing nothing” when actually the route has collapsed around them.

Families should not wait until everything has broken down.

Ask early:

What is the current route?
Is the young person attending?
Is it working?
What support is missing?
Is the IDP still accurate?
Who needs to review the plan?
Does the young person need Careers Wales, college support, local authority ALN support, health input, social care input or advocacy?
What is the smallest next step?

If the young person is 14 or older and no one has spoken to Careers Wales yet, that is a practical next step.

For more on why this matters, see Disabled Young Adults After 19: Wales Needs to Treat NEET Risk as a Prevention Crisis.

Post-16 support depends heavily on communication.

A young person may want their parent or another trusted adult involved, but services may need the young person’s consent before sharing information or involving that person.

A simple consent note can help.

For example:

I authorise [name of trusted adult] to support me in discussions about my education, ALN, social care, training, employment and transport arrangements. I agree that relevant services may speak with them, include them in meetings, and share relevant information with them so they can help me understand my options and communicate my views. I understand that I can change or withdraw this consent at any time.

This does not remove the young person’s voice.

It helps make sure their voice is not lost because meetings, forms and systems are hard to manage alone.

What to ask before a young person leaves a route

Before a young person leaves school, college, training, an apprenticeship, specialist provision or another route, ask:

Is there another route ready?
Has the IDP been reviewed?
Has Careers Wales been involved, and does the young person have a realistic next-step plan?
Has the provider put concerns in writing?
Has the young person been asked what they want?
Is there health evidence?
Is transport the real barrier?
Is anxiety, fatigue or sensory overload the real barrier?
Is the course wrong, or is the support missing?
Is there a risk of becoming NEET?
Who is responsible for the next step?

Leaving a route may be the right decision.

Staying in the wrong route can harm confidence.

But a young person should not be left with no plan because adults failed to act early enough.

ALN, IDPs and ALP after 16

ALN does not disappear at 16.

Welsh law covers children and young people with ALN.

The practical questions are:

Does the young person have ALN?
Is there an IDP?
Who maintains the IDP?
What ALP is written into the IDP?
Is the young person enrolled at school or FE?
Is the local authority responsible?
Has the young person consented to assessment or information sharing?
Is the plan being reviewed before transition points?
Is the route realistic?
What happens if the young person disengages?

Welsh Government guidance says the ALN test includes whether the young person has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for ALP. For a person over compulsory school age, this includes whether they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or a disability that prevents or hinders use of education or training facilities generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream maintained schools or mainstream FE institutions [1].

That matters.

Post-16 ALN is not only about school.

It includes education and training.

For a plain-English explanation of ALP, see What Is Additional Learning Provision (ALP) in Wales?.

For wider signposting, see Where to Go for ALN Help in Wales: A Parent Route-Map.