A HEADTEACHERS’ union has urged the Welsh government to rethink spending on additional educational needs (ALN) following a Senedd vote.

NAHT Cymru says that additional funding arising from spending on special educational needs in England should be used to strengthen support for children and young people with ALN.

The union urged the Plaid Cymru-run administration to rethink its decision not to allocate any of the extra funding for ALN in its supplementary budget.

It said that the Senedd’s recent backing for proposals for more funding to support learners with ALN reflects the reality facing schools across the country.

Dr Graham Gault, from NAHT Cymru, said: “School leaders across Wales have been absolutely clear that the pressures associated with supporting learners with additional learning needs continue to grow at a pace far beyond available funding.

“Schools and local authorities are working incredibly hard to meet the needs of children and young people, but they cannot continue to absorb rising demand indefinitely. Additional investment is urgently needed if Wales is to deliver on its ambition of an inclusive education system for all learners.”

NAHT Cymru recently co-ordinated a campaign that resulted in more than 5,000 letters being sent to Welsh ministers calling for funding generated through increased special educational needs and disabilities (Send) investment in England to be directed towards ALN provision in Wales. 

The union has argued that this funding represents a significant opportunity to strengthen support for some of the most vulnerable learners in the education system.

Dr Gault said: “We recognise that ministers face difficult choices and competing demands across public services.

“However, school leaders will be disappointed that funding arising from investment in additional needs elsewhere in the UK has not been directed specifically towards ALN provision in Wales.

“Many schools are already making extremely difficult decisions about staffing, interventions and support services. Without sustained and targeted investment, there is a real risk that schools will be left trying to bridge an ever-widening gap between need and available resources.”

NAHT Cymru also stressed that support for children with ALN should not be viewed as a party-political issue and called on all parties in the Senedd to work together to establish a sustainable long-term funding model.

The government was contacted for comment.