What is an Alternative Provision?
Alternative Provision
Alternative provision (AP) is an educational provision used for children who, because of illness, exclusion or other reasons, need an alternative to their mainstream school. It is very often used by schools for children on fixed term exclusion and by local authorities for children on permanent exclusion.
There are various types of alternative provision, catering for different needs. Some provide for children who are waiting for a school place, some for school refusers, while pupil referral units often provide for children either temporarily or permanently excluded from school.
Looked After Children are overrepresented in alternative provision. Research suggests the percentage of Looked After Children attending a pupil referral unit (PRU) is around 11 times that of children with non-looked after status.
What constitutes a good alternative provision?
Carers, social workers, VSOs and IROs should expect the following from any alternative provision provided for their Looked After Children:
- The AP provider will have worked with the school prior to the child transferring to the AP in order to assess their specific needs and ensure they can provide for them
- It will have high aspirations for the outcomes of the child, aiming to improve their attendance, motivation, self-confidence and engagement with education, as appropriate.
- It will provide the child with an education that is on par with that of their peers in mainstream schools, particularly in English, Maths and Science, and will ensure there are appropriate accreditations and qualifications available
- It will have very clearly defined objectives. For children up to the age of Key Stage 3, this should be reintegration to mainstream school; for older children it may be progression to further education, an apprenticeship, training or employment
- For all key professionals linked to the child or young person to be involved with any education planning arrangements to ensure that there is a holistic approach to supporting the child/young persons progress.
