NAHT Cymru has urged the Welsh Government to listen to the clear message emerging from across the Senedd and from school leaders throughout Wales: additional funding arising from spending on special educational needs in England should be used to strengthen support for children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN).

The call by the school leaders’ union follows a Senedd vote backing proposals for more funding to support learners with ALN and schools facing growing financial pressures.

While the vote is not binding on the Welsh Government, NAHT Cymru says it reflects the reality being experienced in schools across Wales, where demand for support continues to increase while resources remain under severe strain.

Plaid Cymru’s supplementary budget does not allocate any of the extra funding for ALN, and the union is calling on it to rethink this decision.

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 coordinated a campaign that resulted in more than 5,000 letters being sent to Welsh ministers calling for funding generated through increased SEND investment in England to be directed towards ALN provision in Wales. The union has consistently 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 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.

“This is not about politics; it is about children,” added Dr Gault. “We have seen remarkable consensus among school leaders, local authorities and education professionals about the scale of the challenge facing ALN provision.

“The question now is whether the political system will respond with the urgency required. Every child deserves access to the support they need to thrive, and every school deserves the resources necessary to provide that support. Wales cannot afford to miss this opportunity.”

NAHT Cymru has reiterated its call for a fair, equitable and sustainable model of ALN funding and says it will continue to press the Welsh Government to ensure schools receive the resources necessary to meet the needs of learners now and in the future.