How well does Templeton School cater for children with additional learning needs (ALN)?

We have an excellent reputation for supporting pupils with additional learning needs and for being a fully inclusive school. We were a lead school for the implementation of the ALN statutory reform in 2022-24 and very carefully follow the principles and processes outlined by the reform.

Our deputy head teacher has a great deal of expertise in inclusion and additional learning needs. She leads the ‘Tenby Cluster of Schools’ ALN forum and uses her expertise to support and train our own staff as well as education professionals across the local authority.

We recognise that a child has additional learning needs when she or he finds it significantly more challenging to learn than other children of a similar age. He or she may have difficulties which are of a physical nature, connected with sight, hearing or speech, emotional or behaviour difficulties or specific learning difficulties related to aspects of language and/or mathematics.

The school’s policy and practice aims to help our pupils with additional learning needs, this also includes pupils who are exceptionally gifted too. We are committed to early intervention to ensure that the right level of support is put in place to meet the needs of the individual child as soon as possible.

As part of our provision, we regularly hold Person Centred Planning (PCP) meetings for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN). PCP meetings, attended by the child, the parents, school staff and other professionals, are very child centred.

In these meetings it is established whether the child’s needs are able to be met through ‘Universal level Provision’ i.e. differentiated support within the classroom or whether their need is escalated to requiring an Individual Development Plan (IDP).

IDPs tend to be designed for pupils with additional learning needs requiring support additional to what can be provided within the classroom, i.e. specialist support, 1:1 provision, targeted intervention etc.

We work very closely, and enjoy excellent relationships with, the inclusion service of the Pembrokeshire Local Authority who offer us high quality support to ensure the best provision for our learners.

Professionals such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, autism specialists and behaviour support teachers, regular visit and work with our school.

We work very hard to ensure that parents are kept fully informed at every stage of the ALN process. A very strong working relationship between home and school is of such benefit to everyone, particularly the child.