Huw Lewis, Minister for Education and Skills
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
In October 2013, I made a commitment to revise and update the Inclusion and Pupil Support (IPS) guidance document. This commitment was made in response to the recommendations contained in the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s “Inquiry into Attendance and Behaviour” and the University of Edinburgh “Evaluation of education provision for children and young people educated outside the school setting.”
In October and November 2014 I reaffirmed my commitment to issue revised guidance and at that time indicated that an amended document would be available in spring 2015.
To help support my commitment to inclusive education, my officials have been working to align the revision of the IPS guidance with the proposals of the draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (ALN) Bill.
In my written statement of 18 June I announced my intention to consult on the draft ALN Bill and the proposed ALN Code of Conduct. In light of my statement, the timescales for the consultation of the revised IPS guidance will no longer coincide with the progress of the Bill. Instead, the revised IPS will provide a foundation for maintained schools and local authorities when planning their inclusive education service which focusses on a model of differentiated support for all learners.
My intention is for the revised IPS guidance to be a ‘living’ document that will be subject to a rolling programme of updates that align with significant changes to legislation and policy that affect children and young people in an educational setting. By creating this living document I can be sure that schools and local authorities are equipped with the latest advice and guidance to support all learners in achieving their potential.
A draft version of the guidance will be released for public consultation in autumn 2015; with final publication to follow in spring 2016. The proposals contained within the draft ALN Bill will be incorporated into IPS as part of the update programme when appropriate. In the interim, the existing IPS guidance will remain in place for maintained schools and LAs to refer to when supporting vulnerable learners.