Complex learning 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 Adamsdown Primary School, Pencaerau Primary School, Peter Lea Primary School, Meadowbank Primary School, Tŷ Gwyn Special School and Woodlands High School 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 Complex Learning Needs Specialist Resource Base at Adamsdown Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Establish a new 20 place Complex Learning Needs Specialist Resource Base at Pencaerau Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Establish a new 20 place Complex Learning Needs Specialist Resource Base at Peter Lea Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings.
Increase the designated number of places at Meadowbank Special School from 98 to 110 from January 2027.
Increase the capacity of Tŷ Gwyn Special School from 240 places to 300 places from January 2027. The school would be accommodated across two sites including the existing Tŷ Gwyn buildings and the vacated accommodation at Riverbank Special School from January 2027. The expanded school would transfer to new build accommodation on the Tŷ Glas site in Llanishen with a further increase in capacity to 320 places from September 2030.
Increase the capacity of Woodlands High School from 240 places to 300 places from January 2027. The school would be accommodated across two sites including the Fairwater Campus site and the existing Vincent Road campus site. The capacity of the school would be further increased to 360 places from September 2032 upon completion of new build accommodation at the Vincent Road campus site.

View the report on the Modern Gov website.

Consultation

To meet the demand for specialist places for learners with Complex Learning Needs it is proposed to:

Establish a new 10 place Complex Learning Needs Specialist Resource Base at Adamsdown Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings
Establish a new 20 place Complex Learning Needs Specialist Resource Base at Pencaerau Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings
Establish a new 20 place Complex Learning Needs Specialist Resource Base at Peter Lea Primary School from January 2027 within the existing buildings
Increase the designated number of places at Meadowbank Special School from 98 to 110 from January 2027
Increase the capacity of Tŷ Gwyn Special School from 240 places to 300 places, utilising the existing buildings and the vacated accommodation at Riverbank Special School, Vincent Road, Ely for a transition period from January 2027. The expanded school would transfer to new build accommodation on the Tŷ Glas site in Llanishen with a further increase in capacity to 320 places from September 2030
Increase the capacity of Woodlands High School from 240 places to 300 places from January 2027. The school would be accommodated across two sites including the Fairwater Campus site and the existing Vincent Road campus site. The capacity of the school would be further increased to 360 places from September 2032 upon completion of new build accommodation at the Vincent Road campus site.

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: