IDP Template Wales: What a Legally Sound Individual Development Plan Must Contain

Most parents receive their child's first draft IDP, read through it, and feel vaguely uncomfortable — but cannot quite identify why. The language sounds supportive. The school clearly knows your child. But something feels thin. That instinct is usually correct.

The reason is that an IDP's legal protection depends entirely on the specificity of what is written into it. A vague IDP — and the majority of first drafts are vague — is not a protective document. It is a liability shield for the school. Understanding what each section must contain, and what language to push back on, is the skill that transforms an IDP from a piece of bureaucracy into a document that actually secures your child's support.

The Mandatory IDP Structure Under Annex A of the ALN Code

The ALN Code 2021 sets out the required structure in Annex A. Schools and local authorities can adjust the visual formatting — add logos, change fonts, reorder sub-items within sections — but the main headings must appear in the correct order, and each section must contain the information the Code requires.

Section 1A: Administrative Information

The basic identification section. Child's name, date of birth, Welsh/English medium preference, home address, school name, local authority, and the name of the organisation responsible for maintaining the IDP (school or LA).

Mistakes here — wrong school contact, outdated address — are common and worth checking. More importantly, Section 1A should confirm whether the plan is school-maintained or LA-maintained, because that determines who is legally accountable for securing the provision.

Section 1B: Contact Details

Parents' names and contact information, plus any other relevant contacts such as an independent advocate or social worker if applicable. If you have a SNAP Cymru advisor assisting you, their details can be listed here.

Section 1C: About Me (One Page Profile)

Developed through Person-Centred Practice, this section captures three things:

• What people appreciate about the child
• What is important to the child
• How best to support the child

This should be written collaboratively with the child — age appropriately — and with the family. It is not a clinical description of difficulties; it is a humanising profile that sets the tone for the whole plan. Section 1C also includes baseline health information and notes about communication preferences.

If the school has produced an "About Me" section that reads like a clinical deficit list rather than a positive, person-centred profile, it has not been completed correctly.

Section 2A: Description of ALN

This must describe the specific learning difficulties or disabilities that act as barriers to the child's progress. It should be precise and evidence-based — drawn from educational psychology reports, clinical assessments, and observed data.

Common problems with Section 2A:

• Too vague: "The child has difficulties with learning and concentration." (What kind? In what contexts? To what extent?)
• Mismatch with evidence: The reports say the child has significant processing speed difficulties, but 2A only mentions "mild learning difficulties"
• Missing conditions: If a child has been assessed for autism but is awaiting confirmation, the observed difficulties should still be described

If Section 2A is inaccurate or incomplete, everything that follows is built on a weak foundation. Challenge it in writing before the plan is finalised.

Section 2B: Additional Learning Provision — The Critical Section

This is the section that determines whether the IDP actually protects your child. The ALN Code Chapter 23 is unambiguous: provision must be specified and quantified.

That means every item of ALP must state:

• What it is (specific intervention, not a general description)
• How often it will be delivered (number of sessions per week/fortnight, duration of each session)
• Who will deliver it (qualified TA, specialist teacher, speech therapist — not "school staff")
• Where it will be delivered (in class, withdrawal basis, specialist room)
• Whether it must be delivered through the medium of Welsh

What to reject — language that is legally unenforceable:

"The pupil will receive support from a teaching assistant when needed." — No frequency, no duration, no qualification requirement, no obligation.

"The child will have access to a sensory space when dysregulated." — No proactive provision, purely reactive, no schedule.

"Regular small group reading support will be provided." — What group size? How regular? Who runs it? What programme?

What to insist on — specified and quantified language:

"The pupil will receive 3 x 45-minute 1:1 sessions per week with a qualified Teaching Assistant trained in Precision Teaching, withdrawn from class, in addition to classroom support during numeracy and literacy lessons (5 hours per week)."

"The child will receive 2 x 60-minute sessions of sensory occupational therapy per fortnight, delivered by or under the direct supervision of a qualified Occupational Therapist."

"The pupil will receive direct Speech and Language Therapy: 1 x 45-minute individual session weekly, plus 2 x 20-minute group sessions weekly, delivered by or under the direct supervision of an HCPC-registered SaLT. Targets will be reviewed termly."

The difference is not minor. An IDP that contains the first version of each example provides no basis for complaint if the school delivers zero sessions in a term. An IDP that contains the second version creates a measurable, enforceable commitment.

Section 2C: Health-Related ALP

If the Local Health Board has agreed to provide any clinical services — Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, CAMHS support, sensory integration therapy — those must appear in Section 2C. Once written in, the NHS is legally obliged to deliver.

The critical failure point here is twofold. First, many schools leave Section 2C blank because the health board has not formally committed to any provision. If your child is receiving or needs NHS therapy, do not let the school leave this section blank — push for the DECLO (Designated Education Clinical Lead Officer at the health board) to be contacted and for provision to be formally described. Second, even where provision is listed, it may be described in the same vague terms as Section 2B. Apply the same specified-and-quantified test.

If the health board is not responding or not contributing to the IDP, write directly to your local health board's DECLO. This role is required by Section 61 of the ALNET Act.

Section 2D: Named Institution

Only used when the child's needs require placement at a specific named school, specialist resource base, or residential provision. Most school-maintained IDPs will leave this blank. If you are seeking a specialist school placement, this section is where that commitment is recorded — and it is legally enforceable once written in.

An IDP Audit Checklist

Before accepting or signing any IDP, run through these questions:

Section 2A:

• Does it accurately describe all of my child's learning difficulties or disabilities?
• Is it consistent with the professional reports we have submitted?
• Does it describe the impact on learning in specific, concrete terms?

Section 2B:

• Is every item of provision stated with a specific type of intervention?
• Does every item include a frequency (sessions per week/fortnight) and duration?
• Is it clear who will deliver each item (what qualification they need)?
• Are there any phrases like "as needed," "when available," "regular support," or "access to"? These must be replaced with specific commitments.

Section 2C:

• If my child receives or needs health therapies, are they listed here?
• Is the health provision specified and quantified in the same way as Section 2B?

Section 1C:

• Was my child involved in creating the About Me profile?
• Does it read as a positive, person-centred account — not a list of deficits?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, do not sign the IDP as presented. Write to the ALNCo formally requesting specific revisions, citing Chapter 23 of the ALN Code 2021 and your right to challenge any section before the plan is finalised.

The Wales IDP & ALN Blueprint includes a full section-by-section audit toolkit with exact examples of compliant and non-compliant language, plus the template letters for requesting revisions and escalating if the school refuses.

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