Petition Uphold ALN Children’s Right to Needs-Based Support and Full-Time Education in Wales

Despite clear provisions in the ALN and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 and the ALN Code, many local authorities are refusing to provide support unless a child has a formal diagnosis. This is not only unlawful — as the law states support must be based on need — but also leads to children being denied full-time education, left on reduced timetables, or out of school entirely.
As a parent of a child with additional learning needs, I have witnessed firsthand how difficult it is to access support in Wales unless a formal diagnosis is in place. This goes directly against Welsh law, which clearly states that provision must be needs-based. My child, like many others, has been denied the support and full-time education they deserve — not because their needs are unclear, but because the system wrongly prioritises diagnosis over support.