The impact of additional learning needs identification in Wales

This project will explore the impact of special educational needs (SEN) or additional learning needs (ALN) identification on educational trajectories in Wales.  

Research has shown that sociodemographic factors such as ethnicity, social class, season of birth, and neighbourhood characteristics can impact the identification of SEN/ALN. Children with SEN/ALN typically achieve lower levels of educational attainment than their peers. This gap may, in part, be the result of the impact of the SEN/ALN on their learning. However, if SEN/ALN identification leads to effective support, then children’s academic performance should start to improve.  

The research team will use Welsh administrative data to answer four research questions: 

1. What individual, house, and school-level factors contribute to the identification of SEN/ALN? 
2. How does being identified with SEN/ALN impact academic trajectories? 
3. How does a learner’s academic trajectory differ by the type of SEN/ALN identified? 
4. How does the age at which the SEN/ALN is identified impact academic trajectory? 

The administrative data underpinning this research includes baseline characteristics for all Welsh born children, their education data and outcomes (at KS1 to KS4), and their healthcare utilisation across primary care and hospital admission sources. An electronic cohort will be created, sampling all children born in Wales between 1 September 2002 and 31 August 2008; children not in mainstream education will be excluded. The research team will use propensity score matching and multilevel modelling to statistically match pupils with and without identified SEN/ALN, and examine the factors associated with SEN/ALN identification and academic trajectories.  

The Welsh SEN/ALN system is transitioning to a new statutory support system for those aged 0-25 with a learning difficulty or disability, alongside other major education system-level reforms, including a new national curriculum. This project will provide insight into how the current system identifies and supports the progression of children with SEN/ALN, provide a baseline from which to view the effectiveness of the new SEN/ALN system, shape emerging policy and practice, and develop a framework for potential adaptation and replicability in other contexts and jurisdictions.  

The research team will disseminate to policymakers, academics, UK research networks, and the public with multiple tailored outputs.