ALN Assessment Wales: How the Assessment Process Works Step by Step

Every family's journey to an Individual Development Plan starts with an assessment. But "assessment" in the Welsh ALN system does not mean a single test or a visit from an educational psychologist. It means a formal decision-making process governed by specific statutory timelines, triggered by a formal written request, and conducted against a two-part legal test. Getting this process right — or knowing when it has gone wrong — depends on understanding exactly what the law requires.

What Triggers an ALN Assessment?

The statutory process begins when it is "brought to the attention" of a maintained school or a local authority that a child may have ALN. This notification can come from:

• A parent or carer making a written request
• A class teacher or other school staff member identifying concerns
• A health professional such as a GP, paediatrician, or therapist
• A social care worker
• The child or young person themselves (for older learners)

The mechanism matters. A verbal mention at a parents' evening does not formally trigger the statutory process. A written request — letter, email, or formal correspondence — that explicitly states you believe your child may have ALN and invokes the school's duty under the ALNET Act 2018 is what starts the legal clock.

When you make a formal written request, cite Section 11 of the ALNET Act 2018 if you are writing to the school. This is the provision that creates the school's "duty to decide" whether the child has ALN. If you are writing directly to the local authority — for a pre-school child, or because the school has refused — cite Section 13, which creates the equivalent LA duty.

The Legal Test the School Must Apply

Once notified, the responsible body must apply the two-part statutory test:

Part 1: Does the child have a learning difficulty or disability? This means either a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of same-age peers, or a disability (under the Equality Act 2010) that prevents or hinders access to mainstream education.

Part 2: Does that learning difficulty or disability call for Additional Learning Provision? ALP is provision that is additional to or different from that made generally available for children of the same age in mainstream settings.

The critical insight here — one that many parents only discover during a dispute — is that a diagnosis does not automatically satisfy the test. A child with a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis who can have their needs met through high-quality differentiated classroom teaching does not meet the legal threshold for ALN. Equally, a child without any diagnosis who requires provision beyond the classroom norm does meet the threshold.

If the school is claiming your child does not need ALN support because they do not yet have a diagnosis, that is legally incorrect. The test is based on observed needs, not medical labels.

What Evidence Should Be Gathered?

The ALN Code 2021 specifies that the assessment must use Person-Centred Practice and build a reliable, holistic picture from multiple sources of evidence gathered over time. The responsible body should seek:

Educational data: Progress tracking records, attendance logs, behaviour incident records, progress monitoring data from tools used in school, and observations from class teachers and support staff.

Medical and diagnostic reports: Formal assessments from paediatricians, CAMHS professionals, sensory impairment specialists, or any clinician who has assessed the child.

Therapy reports: Written recommendations from HCPC-registered Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, or Physiotherapists. These should specify the exact frequency, duration, and type of intervention required.

Educational Psychology reports: Reports from Educational Psychologists carry significant weight. If the school has not referred the child for an EP assessment, parents can commission an independent HCPC-registered EP. Independent EP reports must be considered by the school during IDP preparation and carry substantial weight in any Tribunal appeal.

The child's and family's own account: The family's written account of what they observe at home — sleep patterns, anxiety levels, social difficulties, sensory issues — is a legitimate and important form of evidence. Write it up and submit it formally.

A One Page Profile: A document (usually co-created with the child) capturing what people appreciate about the child, what is important to them, and how best to support them. This feeds directly into Section 1C of the IDP.

The Statutory Timelines

Once the school receives a formal written request:

• 15 school days: The school must acknowledge the request and issue a formal notice that it is considering the matter.
• 35 school days from the formal notice: The school must complete the decision-making process and either issue the IDP (if ALN is confirmed) or a No ALN Notice (if ALN is not confirmed).

If the local authority is running the process (for pre-school children, Looked After Children, or where the school has referred the case upward):

• 12 weeks: The LA must determine whether the child has ALN, determine the ALP required, and issue the final IDP.

These deadlines do not pause. If the school is waiting for an educational psychology report, waiting for a CAMHS assessment, or waiting for therapy reports, that does not extend the statutory deadline. The school must meet the deadline with whatever evidence is available and revise the IDP later if new reports come in.

What Happens If the School Refuses to Assess?

If the school concludes that the child does not meet the ALN threshold — or refuses to begin the process at all — they must issue a formal "No ALN Notice" or "No IDP Notice" in writing, with their reasons.

On receiving this notice, the parent's next step is to write to the Local Authority, formally requesting that the LA reconsider the school's decision under Section 68 of the ALNET Act. The LA has 7 weeks to review the evidence and make its own determination.

If the LA upholds the school's decision, the final escalation route is the Education Tribunal for Wales (ETW), which has the power to reverse the decision and order the responsible body to prepare an IDP.

Do not accept a verbal or informal refusal. Do not accept an email that says "we don't think your child needs an IDP at this stage" as a final decision. Demand the formal written No ALN Notice with stated reasons — this is the document that formally triggers your right to escalate.

What About Children Without a Diagnosis on NHS Waiting Lists?

Wales has some of the longest NHS neurodevelopmental assessment waiting lists in the UK. Families waiting for autism or ADHD diagnoses may be told by schools that no IDP can be considered until a formal diagnosis exists.

This is incorrect under Welsh law. The ALN test is based on needs, not diagnosis. If a child demonstrates learning difficulties that call for ALP — assessed through observation, progress data, and any available clinical reports — they meet the legal threshold regardless of diagnostic status.

Parents in this situation should compile their own evidence package: detailed written accounts of difficulties observed at home and at school, any reports from private therapists or independent assessments, and any school data showing lack of progress. Submit this formally in writing with your Section 11 request. The school cannot lawfully refuse to assess simply because an NHS diagnosis is pending.

Getting through the assessment with the right evidence base is the first step. The Wales IDP & ALN Blueprint walks through the full process and includes the exact template letters for requesting assessment, challenging a refusal, and ensuring the resulting IDP meets the legal standard for specified and quantified provision.

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