What Is Additional Learning Provision (ALP) in Wales?

Published 20 July 2026

Additional Learning Provision, often shortened to ALP, is one of the most important terms in the Welsh Additional Learning Needs system.

It is also one of the terms parents are least often given time to understand.

Families may be told:

“That is universal provision.”
“Your child does not need ALP.”
“The school is already supporting them.”
“It will be covered in the IDP.”
“That is not Additional Learning Provision.”

Those phrases can be confusing, especially when a child is struggling to attend, access learning, communicate, regulate, read, write, manage transitions, cope with the classroom environment, or take part safely in school or college life.

This article explains what Additional Learning Provision means in Wales, how it links to an Individual Development Plan, and what parents can ask when support is unclear.

This article is written for families in Wales. It provides general information only. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace advice from a qualified legal, educational, health or safeguarding professional where that is needed.

Quick answer

Additional Learning Provision, or ALP, is the education or training provision a child or young person needs because they have Additional Learning Needs.

For a child aged under 3, ALP means educational provision of any kind.

For a child or young person aged 3 or over, ALP means education or training that is additional to, or different from, what is generally made available to most children or young people of the same age [1], [2], [3].

The phrase “additional to, or different from” matters.

It means the question is not only whether the child is getting some help.

The question is whether the child needs education or training provision that goes beyond what is generally made available to others of the same age.

What legal test is used to decide whether a child has ALN?

In Wales, the decision is not based only on diagnosis, parent concern, school concern, or whether a child is struggling.

The legal test has two parts.

Decision-makers need to consider:

whether the child or young person has a learning difficulty or disability;
whether that learning difficulty or disability calls for Additional Learning Provision [2], [4].

A child of compulsory school age, or a person over compulsory school age, may have a learning difficulty or disability if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or if they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from using education or training facilities generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream maintained schools or mainstream further education institutions [2], [4].

For a child under compulsory school age, the test is different. A child under compulsory school age may have a learning difficulty or disability if they are, or would be if no Additional Learning Provision were made, likely to fall within that definition when they reach compulsory school age [2], [4].

Only if the learning difficulty or disability calls for ALP does the statutory ALN system apply.

That is why the key question is not:

Does this child have a diagnosis?

It is:

Does this child have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for Additional Learning Provision?

How does ALP link to ALN?

A child or young person has Additional Learning Needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for Additional Learning Provision [2], [4].

So ALP is not a side issue.

It is part of the legal test for ALN.

A child may be struggling. A parent may be worried. A school may be providing support. There may be health, sensory, communication, literacy, anxiety, physical, developmental or attendance concerns.

But the ALN question is whether the child or young person has a learning difficulty or disability, and whether that difficulty or disability calls for ALP.

Welsh Government’s Parent and Carer Toolkit says you do not need a medical diagnosis for a child to be identified as having ALN. It says decisions about support are based on significance of need, not a medical assessment [3].

That is important for families waiting for autism assessment, ADHD assessment, speech and language input, mental health support, sensory assessment, occupational therapy, dyslexia assessment, or other clinical advice.

A diagnosis may be useful evidence.

But the ALN system should not wait for a diagnosis before considering need.

At the same time, a diagnosis on its own does not automatically mean a child has ALN. Welsh Government’s March 2026 decision-making guidance says a medical or neurodivergent diagnosis is not, by itself, sufficient to determine whether a child or young person has ALN. The focus should be on functional needs, participation and barriers to learning [4].

What is not automatically ALP?

Support is not automatically ALP just because it is helpful.

Nurseries, schools and colleges are expected to adapt teaching and learning for a wide range of learners. Welsh Government’s toolkit describes differentiated teaching as adapting lessons to suit different learning styles and needs, using different teaching methods, materials or levels of support to help children and young people understand and make progress [3].

Welsh Government’s March 2026 decision-making guidance also says education settings are expected to use differentiated teaching or targeted interventions where appropriate for all learners [4].

That ordinary inclusive practice matters.

But it is not always the same as ALP.

Support may not be ALP if it is part of the ordinary support, differentiated teaching or inclusive practice generally available to most learners of the same age.

It may become ALP where the child or young person needs education or training provision that is additional to, or different from, what is generally made available to others of the same age, because of their learning difficulty or disability.

This is why parents often need to ask:

Is this ordinary support, or is this Additional Learning Provision?

What might ALP look like in practice?

ALP can take many forms.

It might include specialist teaching, structured literacy intervention, communication support, targeted support from trained staff, adaptations to how learning is delivered, specialist equipment, support around access to the learning environment, or provision recommended by professionals.

Examples of possible ALP might include:

a specific literacy programme delivered several times a week;
speech and language strategies that staff are trained to deliver in school;
support for communication so the child can access teaching;
structured support for transitions where transitions are a barrier to learning;
sensory-informed provision where sensory needs prevent access to learning;
a reduced-distraction teaching environment for defined learning tasks;
specialist teaching input;
support to access practical lessons, college workshops or training;
provision delivered outside the ordinary classroom where that is necessary;
carefully specified support within education otherwise than at school, where EOTAS forms part of the child or young person’s IDP.

These are examples, not a checklist.

Whether something is ALP depends on the facts of the individual case.

The key question is whether the support is education or training provision that is additional to, or different from, what is generally made available to others of the same age, and whether it is called for by the child or young person’s learning difficulty or disability.

Where does ALP appear in an IDP?

If a child or young person is identified as having ALN, an Individual Development Plan, or IDP, must usually be prepared and maintained [1], [3].

For young people over compulsory school age, consent can affect the decision-making process. Welsh Government’s toolkit explains that where the decision is about a young person, the young person’s consent may be needed before the decision is made. If a young person does not consent to a decision on ALN being made, the school or college should still try to meet their needs through additional support [3].

Welsh Government’s toolkit says the IDP describes what ALP is considered necessary to support the child or young person and must be kept under review [3].

Parents should check whether the IDP clearly explains:

the child or young person’s ALN;
the ALP needed to meet those needs;
who will provide the ALP;
how often it will happen;
where it will happen;
whether the ALP should be provided in Welsh;
the intended outcomes;
the reasons for what is set out in the plan;
how the plan will be reviewed.

Welsh Government’s parent rights guide says an IDP should include the type of ALN the child or young person has, how they will be supported to learn, who will support them, what they should be able to achieve when support is in place, the name of any setting they need to attend, whether support should be provided in Welsh, and the reasons for what is set out in the plan [1].

That gives parents a useful checklist.

If the provision is not clear enough for a parent, child, young person, school, college, local authority or professional to understand what must happen, it may not be clear enough to work in practice.

Why does clear wording matter?

Clear wording matters because the ALP written into an IDP must be provided.

Welsh Government’s parent rights guide says an IDP is a statutory plan, whether it is maintained by a school, college or local authority. It also says the ALP written into the IDP must be provided [1].

This is why vague wording can cause problems.

For example:

“Access to support when needed.”

That sounds helpful, but it may be too vague.

A clearer description should answer practical questions such as:

What support is being provided?
Who will provide it?
How often will it happen?
Where will it happen?
What training or specialist oversight is needed?
What outcome is the support intended to help with?
How will everyone know whether it is working?
Does it need to be provided in Welsh?
Does the plan explain why that provision is needed?

The IDP does not need to script every minute of the child’s day.

But it should be clear enough to deliver, review and challenge if needed.

Who decides whether a child has ALN and needs ALP?

The answer depends on the child’s age, setting and circumstances.

Welsh Government’s toolkit explains that local authority maintained nurseries, schools, colleges and local authorities all have roles in the ALN system [3].

A maintained school may decide whether a child or young person has ALN and may maintain the IDP in many cases.

A further education college may decide whether a young person has ALN, where the young person gives consent, and may prepare and maintain an IDP where ALN is identified, unless the local authority is responsible [3].

A local authority may be responsible in some cases, including where needs are more complex or special circumstances apply.

For children in non-maintained nursery settings, such as private nurseries, voluntary nurseries, playgroups, childminders or care at home, the setting does not make the formal ALN decision. The local authority decides whether the child has ALN and, if needed, prepares an IDP [3].

Welsh Government’s toolkit also explains that most IDPs are managed by nurseries, schools or colleges unless the child or young person has complex needs or special circumstances involving the local authority [3].

That means families should not assume every IDP is a local authority IDP.

But they should also not assume that school-level support is the only route where needs are complex, unclear, or not being met.

When should a school, nursery or college ask the local authority for help?

Welsh Government’s toolkit says a nursery, school or college may need to ask the local authority to get involved where it believes the child or young person has ALN, but:

the child or young person may need ALP that the nursery, school or college cannot reasonably be expected to provide on its own;
the nursery, school or college cannot fully understand the nature or extent of the ALN;
the child or young person requires ALP that the nursery, school or college cannot clearly identify [3].

In those situations, the nursery, school or college must refer the case to the responsible local authority for a decision [3].

This matters where needs are complex, provision is unclear, professional input is needed, or the setting cannot reasonably secure what the child or young person needs.

Parents can ask:

Has the setting considered whether this should be referred to the local authority because the ALP is unclear, complex, or beyond what the setting can reasonably provide on its own?

What is the difference between ALP and reasonable adjustments?

Additional Learning Provision and reasonable adjustments are connected in real life, but they are not the same legal thing.

ALP sits within the Welsh ALN system under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 and the ALN Code for Wales [2], [5].

Reasonable adjustments sit within equality law, including the Equality Act 2010 [6].

A child may need reasonable adjustments because they are disabled.

A child may need ALP because they have ALN.

Some children need both.

For example, a disabled learner might need reasonable adjustments to access the building, classroom, equipment, communication or school routines. They may also need ALP if their learning difficulty or disability calls for additional or different educational provision.

Parents do not need to use perfect legal language in every conversation.

But it can help to understand that “reasonable adjustment” and “ALP” are not interchangeable terms.

If the issue is about access to education or training because of ALN, parents may need to ask whether the support should be identified and described as ALP in an IDP.

What is the difference between ALP and an Individual Healthcare Plan?

An Individual Healthcare Plan, or IHP, is usually used where a child has healthcare needs that need planning in school.

An IDP is the statutory plan used for children and young people with ALN.

Some children may need both.

Welsh Government’s toolkit says health services do not decide whether a child has ALN, but they do play an important role. They can share information and advice with nurseries, schools, colleges and local authorities, and they may contribute to IDPs where needed [3].

The toolkit also says that if a child or young person needs health-related support, such as speech and language therapy, this should be included in the IDP [3].

That does not mean every health need is automatically ALP.

The practical question is:

Is this health-related support needed to address a barrier to learning?

Where health advice is relevant to education or training, parents can ask how it has been considered in the IDP.

A child may have epilepsy, diabetes, continence needs, anxiety, pain, fatigue, sensory differences, communication needs or another health-related need. Some parts of their support may sit in a healthcare plan. Other parts may need to be considered through the ALN system if the need affects access to education or training and calls for ALP.

The question is not only:

Is this medical?

It is also:

Is this creating a barrier to learning, access, participation, safety or training that requires additional or different educational provision?

Does a child need a diagnosis to get ALP?

No.

Welsh Government’s toolkit directly addresses this misconception. It says a child or young person does not need a medical diagnosis to be identified as having ALN or to receive an IDP. It also says decisions on ALP do not depend on a medical assessment, IDPs can be issued without waiting for a diagnosis, and support should not be delayed because of NHS waiting times [3].

This matters because many families are stuck on waiting lists.

A child may be waiting for assessment for autism, ADHD, speech and language needs, sensory processing differences, developmental delay, mental health needs, dyslexia or another learning difficulty or disability.

The school, college or local authority should still look at the evidence of need and the barrier to learning.

Useful evidence might include:

school records;
attendance information;
examples of work;
progress data;
parent observations;
the child or young person’s views;
reports from health or education professionals;
communication records;
sensory, behaviour or anxiety patterns;
evidence of what has already been tried;
evidence showing what helps and what does not.

A diagnosis may strengthen understanding.

But it should not be treated as the only doorway into support.

Can ALP be provided in Welsh?

The ALN system in Wales includes a bilingual principle.

Welsh Government’s toolkit says reasonable steps should be taken to provide Additional Learning Provision in Welsh for children and young people who need it [3].

Parents can ask whether Welsh language provision has been considered, especially where the child learns through Welsh, communicates best in Welsh, or needs Welsh language continuity to access education.

If Welsh language ALP is needed, the IDP should make that clear.

What should parents ask if support is unclear?

Parents do not need to start with confrontation.

A useful first step is to ask for clarity.

You might ask:

Please can you explain what support is currently being provided, whether it is considered Additional Learning Provision, and how it has been recorded?

You might also ask:

What support is generally available to most learners of the same age, and what support is additional to, or different from, that?

If an IDP is being drafted or reviewed, you might ask:

Please can the IDP specify what support will be provided, who will provide it, how often it will happen, where it will happen, and what outcome it is intended to support?

If a child is being told they do not have ALN, you might ask:

Please can you explain what evidence was considered, what learning difficulty or disability test was applied, and why the support needed is not considered Additional Learning Provision?

If the child or young person’s needs are changing, you might ask:

Please can the IDP be reviewed to consider whether the current ALP remains appropriate?

These are not magic words.

They are ways of bringing the conversation back to need, provision, evidence and clarity.

What are red flags in ALP wording?

Parents may want to ask more questions where wording is vague.

Examples include:

“support as required”;
“access to adult support”;
“regular check-ins”;
“small group work where possible”;
“differentiated tasks”;
“support from staff”;
“opportunities to use a quiet space”;
“strategies to support regulation”;
“school will monitor”.

Some of these may be helpful in real life.

The problem is that they may not explain what must actually happen.

A stronger IDP usually needs enough detail for the child, parent, school, college, local authority and any professional involved to understand the provision.

What if the school says support is already available to everyone?

Sometimes that may be true.

Schools and colleges can and should support many learners through ordinary inclusive practice.

But if a child cannot access learning without provision that is additional to, or different from, what is generally available to others of the same age, the ALN question should not be closed too quickly.

Parents can ask:

What support is generally available to all learners?
What has already been tried?
What evidence shows whether it is working?
Is my child making expected progress?
Is my child able to access the classroom, curriculum, timetable and wider school or college environment?
Are attendance, distress, behaviour, anxiety or withdrawal showing that access is still not working?
Does the child or young person need provision that is additional or different?
Should this be considered as ALP and written into an IDP?

The focus should stay on the child or young person’s actual access to education or training.

What if parents disagree about ALP?

Parents, children and young people have rights to challenge ALN decisions.

Welsh Government’s parent rights guide explains that children, parents and young people can challenge decisions about ALN, including decisions about the content of an IDP and the ALP described in it [1].

It also explains that a child, parent or young person can ask a local authority to reconsider some decisions made by a local authority nursery, local authority school or PRU [1].

Disagreement does not always need to begin with Tribunal.

Sometimes it starts with asking for the decision in writing, checking what evidence was used, requesting clarification, asking for a review, using disagreement resolution, or seeking independent advice.

But if the issue is serious, ongoing or high impact, families may need specialist advice.

Why ALP matters

ALP matters because it is where need becomes provision.

It is the bridge between:

“Your child has difficulties”

and

“This is what will be done to help your child learn.”

A child may have a diagnosis, a long history of distress, years of parent concern, attendance difficulties, sensory needs, anxiety, communication differences, literacy difficulties, physical needs, or complex barriers to learning.

But if the support is not clearly understood and written down, families can be left with good intentions rather than reliable provision.

The Welsh ALN system is meant to be rights-based, collaborative, inclusive, preventative and bilingual [3].

For that to mean something in real life, parents need to understand ALP.

Not as jargon.

As the practical question at the centre of the plan: