IDP Annual Review Wales: How to Prepare and What to Expect

The IDP annual review is not a formality. It is a statutory requirement, and it is the most important meeting in your child's school year if they have an Individual Development Plan. Done well, it results in an updated plan that accurately reflects your child's current needs and specifies the provision that will support them through the next twelve months. Done poorly — which happens frequently in schools under resource pressure — it rubber-stamps an outdated plan and lets inadequate provision continue unchallenged.

The difference between those two outcomes depends largely on how you prepare and what you bring to the meeting.

What the Law Requires

The ALN Code 2021 mandates that every IDP must be formally reviewed at least once every 12 months. The review must:

• Assess whether the ALP described in Section 2B has actually been delivered
• Evaluate whether the provision has produced the desired outcomes
• Determine whether the IDP needs to be revised, maintained as is, or ceased
• Involve the child (age-appropriately) and their family through Person-Centred Practice

The review is not discretionary. If a school reaches the 12-month mark without conducting a review, they are in breach of their statutory duties. Write to the ALNCo formally if the review is overdue.

When Can You Request an Early Review?

You do not have to wait 12 months if circumstances change significantly. You have the right to request an early review at any time by writing to the ALNCo (or LA, if they maintain the plan). Valid reasons to request an early review include:

• The provision specified in Section 2B is not being delivered
• Your child's needs have changed materially — a new diagnosis, a significant regression in progress, or a change in health status
• New clinical evidence has been produced that was not available when the IDP was last reviewed
• You are concerned about transition — for example, preparing for a secondary school move requires planning that should begin in Year 5
• The named school or provision arrangement is not working

Your request should be in writing, state the specific reason, and give the school 10 working days to confirm a review date.

How to Prepare: Building Your Evidence Dossier

The Person-Centred Practice framework that governs IDP meetings is structured around evidence and reflection. Walking in with a clear, documented view of what has worked, what has not, and what is needed next gives you far more influence over the outcome.

Review the current IDP before the meeting. Read Section 2B carefully. For every item of provision specified, ask yourself: was this actually delivered? At the frequency stated? By the person described? If not, document the shortfall. A school that has not delivered 1:1 sessions at the stated frequency cannot claim the provision was adequate simply because it appears on the plan.

Gather school data. Request updated progress data from the school before the meeting — academic tracking, standardised test results, any observation notes. Compare this with the baseline data from when the IDP was first prepared or last reviewed. Progress (or lack of it) is the objective measure of whether the current provision is working.

Update professional reports. If your child has had any new assessments — an updated EP report, a SALT review, a CAMHS letter — bring copies to the meeting. New clinical evidence should directly inform revisions to Sections 2A and 2B.

Complete a new One Page Profile with your child. Section 1C should be updated at every review to reflect who your child is now — their current interests, communication preferences, and how they want to be supported. Children's views change. A 10-year-old's "About Me" from age 7 is outdated.

Write down what you want from Section 2B. Before the meeting, write out the specific provision items you want to see in the revised IDP, in specified-and-quantified format. For example: "3 x 45-minute 1:1 intervention sessions per week using a structured literacy programme, in addition to the current in-class TA support during English and maths." Going into the meeting with your exact requests drafted means you are negotiating from a clear position rather than trying to articulate needs on the spot while managing your child and talking with four school staff simultaneously.

The Meeting Structure: 4+1 Questions

Welsh IDP meetings use a Person-Centred Practice framework based on "4+1 Questions":

1. What have we tried? (What provision has been in place since the last review)
2. What have we learned? (What the evidence tells us about the child's progress)
3. What are we pleased about? (What is going well)
4. What are we concerned about? (What is not working or what gaps remain)
5. Given what we know, what should happen next? (What should the revised IDP specify)

This structure is meant to be collaborative. Use it. Bring your own answers to all five questions. If the school only addresses questions 1 and 3, push for a genuine conversation about questions 4 and 5 — those are where the important decisions get made.

What to Do After the Meeting

Read the revised draft IDP carefully before agreeing to it. Ideally, you should receive the draft in writing before signing. If the school expects you to approve a revised plan at the meeting itself, ask for a copy to review at home. You have the right to object to the draft and request revisions.

Apply the same audit checklist as for the original IDP: is Section 2B specified and quantified? Does it reflect what was discussed and agreed at the meeting? If items you specifically requested are absent, or if provisions have been watered down compared to what you argued for, put your objections in writing within 5 working days.

Confirm what was agreed in writing. After the meeting, send a brief email to the ALNCo summarising the key points discussed and what was agreed would appear in the revised IDP. This creates a paper trail and makes it much harder for agreed provisions to quietly disappear between the meeting and the draft.

Set a reminder for the next review date. The school should confirm when the next 12-month review will be held. If that date is not confirmed, ask for written confirmation. Your diary entry is your safeguard against the school letting the review slip past without your involvement.

The Wales IDP & ALN Blueprint includes a preparation checklist for IDP meetings and annual reviews, along with template letters for requesting early reviews and challenging inadequate revised plans.

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