Learn without Limits CIC Blog

  School IDPs, LA IDPs, EHE and EOTAS — What Every Parent in Wales Needs to Know 1. What Is the Difference Between a School-Maintained and an LA-Maintained IDP? Under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (“ ALNET Act ”), only one body at a time can legally maintain a child’s Individual Development Plan ( IDP ): • School – when needs can reasonably be met within school resources • Local Authority ( LA ) – when needs go beyond school capacity, or when EOTAS is being considered Legal basis: ALNET Act 2018, sections 10–14 ALN Code 2021 , Chapters 11–13 2. Why Schools Often Do Not Escalate to the LA (Without Criticising Staff) Parents frequently ask: “Why won’t the school pass this to the LA when they clearly can’t meet needs anymore?” Here are the real-world reasons, framed respectfully. Reason 1 – Fear that escalation appears as “failure” Many ALNCos feel responsible for solving everything, even when needs exceed their remit. But es...

  THE INVISIBLE WORKLOAD THAT SCHOOLS NEVER SEE The Hidden Reality of ALN Parenting in Wales and Why It Deserves Recognition Schools see a child for around six hours a day. Parents see every hour before that and every hour after. They see the morning anxiety, the exhaustion after school, the sensory overload, the masking, the meltdowns, the shutdowns, the scripts rehearsed at night, the rituals holding everything together, and the emotional cost that never makes it into a behaviour log or IDP review. This is the invisible workload that shapes the daily reality of thousands of ALN families in Wales. And it is enormous. ⭐ Schools See Behaviour. Parents See the Why. Our November deep research confirmed the same pattern found in Welsh Government mental health studies, the Guardian’s recent report on anxiety and bullying, and from the lived experiences of our own community: Children who cope at school often fall apart at home because they have been holding it together all day...

  WHY YEAR 10 IS THE REAL STARTING POINT FOR FE COLLEGE PLANNING IN WALES A Parent Guide with Evidence from Welsh ALN Law and System Realities For years, families in Wales have been told that transition planning for Further Education takes place in Year 11 . On paper, it sounds simple and reassuring. But for ALN families , waiting until Year 11 is often the single biggest factor behind failed transitions , broken placements , and delays in support . The truth is this: ⭐ Year 10 is the safest, most realistic, and legally aligned starting point for FE transition. This article explains why, what the law says, where the system falls down, and what parents can do to protect their child’s future. For deeper context, you can also read our earlier article: 👉 Navigating the Post 16 Pathway in Wales https://learnwithoutlimitscic.blogspot.com/2025/11/navigating-post-16-pathway-in-wales.html ⭐ What the ALN Law and ALN Code Actually Say A few key quotations from the ALN Code for...

  ⭐ CARERS WEEK SPECIAL When No One Talks to Each Other, Families Fall Through the Gaps Why Poor Communication Between Services Hits Unpaid Carers the Hardest Across Wales, thousands of unpaid carers shoulder the emotional, practical and financial responsibility of supporting children with Additional Learning Needs . During Carers Week , we want to highlight something every family in our community understands: 📌 Most of the system’s problems happen not because people do not care, but because the people who do care are not talking to each other. When communication breaks down between schools, ALN teams , CAMHS , social care, transport, therapies, health boards, and local authorities, unpaid carers become the only ones holding it all together. And the weight is enormous. The “Joined-Up System” That Rarely Joins Up Policy documents promise: multi agency working holistic support early intervention shared responsibility Parents often experience: contradictory...

  Why So Many Disabled Children Mask at School and Break Down at Home Learn Without Limits CIC – November 2025 Parents across Wales describe the same confusing experience. Teachers say their child is “fine”. Polite, quiet, compliant, coping. But at home, everything collapses. The child comes through the door and: cries shuts down lashes out clings to their parent refuses to speak melts down withdraws This is not naughtiness. It is not poor parenting. It is not a choice. It is masking ,  and for some children, it is masking plus code switching , a combination almost nobody talks about in Welsh ALN spaces. This article builds on our recent pieces on: anxiety in Welsh children , and bullying and emotional distress Because masking sits beneath both. What masking actually is Masking means hiding distress, copying peers, and suppressing natural reactions to appear “fine”. A child who masks may: force eye contact stay silent eve...