Can you appeal to the Education Tribunal for Wales?
If you disagree with a decision about your child's additional learning needs in Wales, you may be able to appeal to the Education Tribunal for Wales. This checker asks about the decision and your circumstances, then indicates whether an appeal may be open to you and the deadline to watch. It is a guide, not advice on your case.
How it works
Tell the checker what the school or local authority has decided — for example about whether your child has additional learning needs, or what their Individual Development Plan should contain — and when you were told. It indicates whether that kind of decision carries a right of appeal to the Tribunal.
The system in Wales is built on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018. It replaced statements with Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and the Education Tribunal for Wales hears appeals about additional learning needs and the support a child should receive.
There is a time limit for appealing, and it runs from the date of the decision, so it pays to act promptly once you know you disagree. Many disputes are also resolved through the local authority’s own processes before, or instead of, a Tribunal hearing.
The result is an indication of whether you may have a right of appeal, not a view on whether the appeal would succeed. If it suggests you can appeal, the next step is advice in good time before the deadline.
Questions about Can you appeal to the Education Tribunal for Wales?
Not necessarily. Many disagreements are resolved through the local authority's own dispute resolution and avoidance processes before, or instead of, a Tribunal hearing. An appeal can also settle before it reaches a final hearing.
No. It indicates whether an appeal may be open to you, based on what you enter. Whether you have a right of appeal in your specific circumstances, and how to put it, needs advice from a solicitor.
There is a fixed time limit that runs from the date of the decision you are appealing, so it is important to act promptly. Because the deadline is strict, you should check it as soon as you know you disagree with a decision.
Yes. Anything you share is treated in confidence, and nothing you enter into the checker is stored unless you submit the callback form.
No. Wales has its own framework under the 2018 Act, with Individual Development Plans and the Education Tribunal for Wales. England uses EHC plans and a different tribunal, so guidance written for England does not apply to Welsh cases.
You can appeal decisions such as whether a child has additional learning needs, the content of an Individual Development Plan, or a refusal to make or maintain a plan. The checker indicates whether the decision you have describes carries a right of appeal.
An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is the statutory plan, introduced by the 2018 Act, that sets out a child or young person's additional learning needs and the additional learning provision to meet them. It replaced the older system of statements of special educational needs.
The Education Tribunal for Wales is the independent body that hears appeals about children and young people's additional learning needs, including disputes about Individual Development Plans and the support a child should receive.
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