Row over Funding for Additional Learning Needs Erupts in Torfaen Council

A ROW over funding for additional learning needs has been raised at a council facing “significant demand” to support pupils. 
A dispute over funding for additional learning needs meant the minority Plaid Cymru Welsh Government was unable to get its current spending plans approved by the Senedd. 
Councillors in Torfaen were told by their director of education Andrew Powles additional learning needs, or ALN, is a “significant challenge” for the council to “address demand for placements and inclusive practice”. 
During the meeting Torfaen Borough Council’s deputy leader, Councillor Richard Clark the cabinet member responsible for education, called for the Welsh Government to provide extra funding. 
He claimed the Plaid Cymru government wasn’t willing to put any additional funding towards ALN, despite Labour and Reform UK Members of the Senedd having last week rejected the supplementary budget that would have provided a further £120m over three years for ALN. 
Labour had demanded the government provide £100m in the current year’s budget as the price of making a deal. 
The Welsh Government has additional funding as a result of new spending in England that included extra money for pupils with special educational needs. 
Cllr Clark said he was proud “as a Labour administration” Torfaen had put an additional £300,000 into ALN funding in this year’s budget but criticised the new Welsh Government. 
He said: “I do share the leader’s exasperation, he didn’t say exasperation but I will, that the current regime in Cardiff are being so mealy mouthed that they will not support ALN pupils in their proposed budget.” 
Cllr Clark then acknowledged funding for ALN had been provided “up front” to councils in Wales with the extra money for special educational needs, in England, a “bail out” for schools but argued as a result Welsh councils should receive further funding for ALN. 
He said it was a case of “chwarae teg” or fair play. 
“Fair play, that money should come to us and we have got a proven record as an education authority of the money that comes to us gets transported to the schools. Come on Welsh Government, play fair, support the most vulnerable children,” said Cllr Clark. 
He said the 21 other education directors across Wales and headteachers have identified ALN as their highest priority: “We’ve put in what we can put in, chwarae teg, fair play, support us Welsh Government.” 
Earlier leader Anthony Hunt, who also leads the umbrella body the Welsh Local Government Association which also called for more ALN funding, said how councils respond to the demand to support those pupils “genuinely keeps me up at night”. 
He said: “There’s been a debate in Wales this month about funding and ALN and in England, of course, councils were allowed to put it on the credit card, so to speak. 
“That’s not what we did in Wales, so we haven’t had the credit card bill to pay off, however that bill still exists within our school budgets.” 
Torfaen council puts around £5 million a year into mainstream schools for pupils with additional needs. It spends a further £1.7m on out of county placements. Mr Powles said the ambition is to increase support and provision within the borough. 
He said: “We want our learners in Torfaen where possible and we want them in mainstream so we can have them as part of our community.”  ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​