Autism and Social Communication Needs

Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provisions

This consultation closed on 26 March 2026.

Cardiff Council is consulting on changes to provide high quality primary and secondary specialist school places for children and young people with Additional Learning Needs.

Statutory notice

On 29 May 2026 the Cabinet agreed for the Council to publish legal Statutory Notices following a public consultation on proposed changes to Additional Learning Needs Provision.

The notices for proposed changes to Hywel Dda Primary School, Radnor Primary School, Ysgol Glan Morfa, Fitzalan High School and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern are live from 16 June 2026 and allow a period of 28 days for formal objections to the proposals up to and including 13 July 2026.

View details of the notices:

Objections should be sent to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, Cardiff Council, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4UW.

Objections may also be sent to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, Cardiff Council by emailing [email protected]

Please note that any such objection sent by e-mail must contain the full name and postal address of the objections.

Post-consultation report

A report on the consultation on proposed changes to provide high quality primary and secondary specialist school places for children and young people with Additional Learning Needs will be considered by the Council's Cabinet at its meeting on 28 May 2026.

The report informs Cabinet of the responses received during the consultation, the issues raised, the Council's response to these and recommendations on the way forward.

In the report, Cabinet is recommended to authorise officers to publish statutory notices to:

Establish a new 10 place Autism and Social Communication Specialist Resource Base at Hywel Dda Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings. The base would provide 10 places in 2026 to 2027 with scope to extend to 20 places from 2028 to 2029.
Establish a new 30 place Autism and Social Communication Specialist Resource Base at Radnor Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings. The base would provide 10 places in 2026 to 2027 with scope to extend to 20 places in 2027 to 2028 and 30 places in 2028 to 2029.
Establish a new 10 place Welsh-medium Autism/Social Communication Specialist Resource Base at Ysgol Glan Morfa from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Establish a new 42 place Autism and Social Communication Specialist Resource Base at Fitzalan High School from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Establish a new 10 place Welsh-medium Autism and Social Communication Specialist Resource Base at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern from September 2027 within the existing buildings.

View the report on the Modern Gov website.

Consultation

To meet the demand for specialist places for learners with Autism and Social Communication Needs it is proposed to:

Establish a new 20 place English-medium Autism and Social Communication Needs Specialist Resource Base at Hywel Dda Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings. The base would provide 10 places in 2026 to 2027 with scope to extend to 20 places from 2028 to 2029.
Establish a new 30 place English-medium Autism and Social Communication Needs Specialist Resource Base at Radnor Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings. The base would provide 10 places in 2026 to 2027 with scope to extend to 20 places in 2027 to 2028 and 30 places in 2028 to 2029.
Establish a new 10 place Welsh-medium Autism and Social Communication Needs Specialist Resource Base at Ysgol Glan Morfa from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Establish a new 42 place English-medium Autism and Social Communication Needs Specialist Resource Base at Fitzalan High School from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Establish a new 10 place Welsh-medium Autism and Social Communication Needs Specialist Resource Base at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern from September 2027 within the existing buildings.

The consultation runs from 9 February to 26 March 2026 and is an opportunity to learn about the proposed changes, ask questions and to make comments.

You can read or download a copy of the consultation documents detailing the proposed change: