BPS welcomes additional learning needs funding in Wales
The BPS has welcomed £20 million of funding saying it will enable more children with additional learning needs to stay in mainstream schools.
21 March 2025
The Welsh government has announced funding to be targeted at improving equipment, facilities and the learning environment for children with additional learning needs (ALN).
The BPS believes the funding will help to improve access and inclusion for pupils with ALN. It called for some of the funding to be used to make improvements to children's sensory and physical environment.
Dr Abigail Wright, a senior specialist early years educational psychologist and BPS educational psychology lead for Wales, said:
"We welcome this extra government spending which will help schools to improve access for children with additional learning needs and create more inclusive learning environments. This is a positive step that will ensure that children are supported in their parents' chosen mainstream school.
"We would urge local authorities to invest some of this funding to enable a whole schools and class approach to developing environments and provision to ensure the differing needs of all children are met.
"This would include considering the sensory and physical environment to ensure access and inclusion for every child. Providing the right support around children's sensory environment and providing adaptations is proven to be a successful intervention," Dr Wright added.
"However, any new investment must go hand in hand with a comprehensive allied health professions and educational psychologist (EP) workforce plan. EPs can work proactively with children and their families and teachers to ensure specialist assessment is undertaken so that the most appropriate interventions can be implemented."
A 2024 Senedd report recommends that the Welsh government should review the current numbers of allied health professionals and educational psychologists, and to identify where there are current gaps and how these gaps will be addressed. It says the numbers needed to support future likely level of need, including the number of training places needed, should also be assessed. This should then be supported by a clear delivery plan.
The BPS urged that this recommendation be actioned in full to ensure inclusion of children and everyone supporting them in education.