Demand for ALN Teaching Staff in South Wales Rises as Schools Face Growing Staffing Pressures

CAERPHILLY, Wales - Sept. 1, 2026 - PRLog -- Demand for specialist education professionals has risen across South Wales, according to new analysis by Vetro Recruitment's education team.

The specialist education recruitment agency analysed its internal vacancy data from the past 12 months across the South Wales region and identified a significant increase in vacancies for Teachers and Teaching Assistants to support pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and other specialist educational needs.

The report found increasing demand across Cardiff, Newport, Caerphilly, Torfaen, and Blaenau Gwent, with schools in 2026 looking to fill a range of specialist roles supporting children and young people with additional learning and behavioural needs.

Key findings:

• Specialist education vacancies increased by 62% compared with the previous 12-month period across South Wales.
• Demand for roles supporting pupils with ALN, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), Social, Emotional, and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD), Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), and challenging behaviours continued to grow across the region.

The findings reflect the increasing need for specialist education staff as schools continue to develop inclusive learning environments in special schools, and expand specialist provisions within mainstream schools.

Ross Harries, Associate Director of Education at Vetro Recruitment, said: "Schools across South East Wales are seeing an increase in the need for specialist support for pupils with additional learning needs, which has created a wide range of rewarding opportunities for education professionals.

"We've seen increasing demand for Teaching Assistants, Teachers, and behaviour specialists who can support children with a variety of needs. These roles are not only essential to schools but also offer incredibly rewarding careers for people passionate about making a difference."

The data highlights the diversity of specialist education careers now available, with vacancies spanning mainstream schools, specialist resource bases (SRBs), learning resource bases (LRBs), pupil referral units (PRUs) and specialist provisions supporting pupils with autism, additional learning needs and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Vetro Recruitment's analysis identified increasing across a range of specialist roles, including:

• ALN Teaching Assistants
• SEN Teaching Assistants
• ASD Support Staff
• Behaviour Support Specialists
• Specialist Teachers
• PRU Teachers
• SRB & LRB Teaching Assistants
• PMLD Teaching Assistants
• Challenging Behaviour Support Staff

The education recruitment agency believes the findings demonstrate the growing importance of specialist education professionals in supporting inclusive education across Wales.

Vetro Recruitment works with schools across South Wales, helping recruit high-quality teaching and support staff for mainstream, specialist and alternative education settings.
(Learn more at: https://www.vetrorecruitment.co.uk/our-divisions/vetro-ed...)