Additional Learning Needs (ALN)

Additional Learning Needs 

At Rhyl high school we believe that every child matters and deserves an opportunity to be the best they can be regardless of their background. We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all children are valued, supported and encouraged to achieve their potential. Our Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision ensures that every pupil receives the guidance, care and tailored support they need to thrive both academically and personally. We celebrate diversity, foster understanding, and work closely with our teachers, families, professionals and the wider school community to help every learner succeed. 

For most children and young people, their needs can be met through good quality teaching and understanding. As a school our staff can offer extra help or tailored support when needed to help pupils make progress. We refer to this as Universal Provision. A small number of children and young people may have Additional Learning Needs (ALN), which means they need extra support, referred to Additional Learning Provision (ALP). This is additional to or different help from what is usually available to all pupils of their age.  

Universal Provision 

At Rhyl High School we firmly believe that the best place for children to make progress is in lessons with experienced subject specialist teachers who know, value and encourage their classes, tailoring and differentiating their lessons to the needs of their learners. However, with differentiation in mind some learners may require a little help to achieve their best. Universal provision refers to the support that is routinely available to all children within the school. This may include targeted literacy and numeracy interventions, subject-specific support, mentoring, or support with social, emotional and behavioural needs, such as access to school-based wellbeing services, learning support and the pastoral team. Many learners may require additional support at different points in their education, and this does not always mean that an IDP is needed. Examples of this can be seen within the school provision map which can be found below. 

Provision Map 2025-2026

Additional Learning Provision and Individual Development Plans 

Where a learner has ongoing or more complex needs that require provision beyond what is ordinarily available, an IDP may be put in place. IDPs are statutory plans that outline a learner’s additional learning needs and the support required to help them make progress and achieve positive outcomes.  

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a statutory document that sets out a learner’s Additional Learning Needs and the Additional Learning Provision (ALP) required to support them. IDPs are reviewed at least annually and are either maintained by the Local Authority or by the school. ALP within our setting may include access to teaching assistant support (either one-to-one or in small groups), a bespoke or highly differentiated curriculum through Achieve, EBD or Wellbeing, or continued support for learners who access alternative provision. 

Further information regarding the Additional Learning Needs code of Practice and upport within our school can be found on the Denbighshire Inclusion website below, the additional learning needs code of practice, and our schools inclusion protocol. 

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/education-and-schools/additional-learning-needs/aln.aspx

https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2025-01/250124-the-additional-learning-needs-code-for-wales-2021.pdf

Inclusion Protocol September 2025

The ALN Department and Achieve Provision 

The ALN Department at Rhyl High School works closely with pupils, families, staff and external agencies to ensure that learners with additional learning needs are supported to make progress academically, socially and emotionally. 

A key part of our provision is Achieve, which supports learners with specific and complex learning needs across Key Stages 3 and 4. 

Within the Achieve provision, we are proud to offer a range of purposefully designed spaces, each created to support, engage, and nurture our learners in different ways. These areas enable us to deliver a truly holistic approach to learning, ensuring that every student’s individual needs are recognised and met. 

Sensory Area: 

Our calm and inviting sensory space provide learners with the opportunity to take time out when needed. It offers a safe environment for reflection, emotional regulation, and self-calming — supporting students to manage sensory overload or moments of anxiety in a positive and structured way. 

Speech and Language Area: 

This area is overseen by Mrs. Price, who works closely with external Speech and Language Therapists to deliver high-quality, targeted speech and language interventions. The focus here is on improving communication skills, expressive and receptive language, and social interaction, helping learners to build confidence and develop essential life skills. 

Private Booths: 

Our four individual work booths provide a quiet, distraction-free space for learners who may find the classroom environment overwhelming. These booths allow students to complete classwork, tasks, or interventions in a calm setting where they can focus and succeed at their own pace. 

Testing and Assessment Area: 

This dedicated area enables learners to undertake assessments — including CATs, reading and spelling tests, and dyslexia or dyscalculia screeners — within a supportive and comfortable environment. The space ensures that learners feel at ease during testing, allowing us to gather accurate and meaningful data to inform personalised learning plans. 

Classroom Area: 

The largest section of Achieve functions as a fully equipped classroom, designed to mirror the look and feel of a mainstream learning environment. It is used to deliver a wide variety of lessons, interventions, and group activities, supporting the development of core academic skills while maintaining a sense of belonging and inclusion. 

Breakout and Work Area: 

This flexible workspace encourages collaboration, peer learning, and reflection. It serves as an ideal area for small group work, project-based activities, and evaluation tasks. Additionally, it provides a welcoming social space where learners can interact with peers during break and lunch times, fostering positive relationships and social development. 

At Key Stage 3, Achieve offers:

• Small-group, highly differentiated English teaching delivered by specialist staff 
• Literacy and numeracy development embedded across learning 
• Social and emotional interventions such as Talk Time and LEGO®-based Therapy 
• Opportunities for cross-curricular learning. 
• A bespoke curriculum tailored to individual needs for children with Individual Development Plans. 

At Key Stage 4, Achieve focuses on:

• Mentoring and coaching to support GCSE outcomes 
• Targeted academic intervention in English, Maths and Science 
• Personalised pathways, including accredited and non-examined courses such as NCFE, Equality and Diversity and PSE 
• Support for learners facing barriers to mainstream attendance. 

EBD:

Hafan is our behaviour provision which offers a tailored educational experience to support pupils with emotional and behavioural needs. Pupils who attend Hafan have a bespoke timetable that accommodates specific individual needs while allowing pupils to attend mainstream lessons too. Hafan maintains small class sizes to foster a nurturing environment conducive to learning. There are separate classes for Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils, ensuring an age appropriate curriculum is delivered. The dedicated and highly trained staff are driven by passion for helping every pupils achieve their educational outcomes.

The EBD / Hafan Provision

Who’s who: