What is alternative provision?

What is alternative provision?

The DfE alternative provision statutory guidance defines alternative provision (also known as AP) as education arranged by the Local Authority for children resident in their borough in the following circumstances:

• Children who have been excluded (previously referred to as permanently excluded) from School
• Children who are not able to attend school due to significant health needs
• Pupils directed by schools to off-site provision to support improvement of behaviour (DfE 2016).

Reasons that children are referred to alternative provision, include:

• Exclusion previously known as 'permanent exclusion’
• Being at high risk of further suspensions or exclusion. This is a managed move arrangement and requires the school to lead on securing the consent of parents/carers.
• Medical reasons (either physical or mental health), as agreed with a medical consultant. Guidance regarding children missing school due to medical needs can be found here.
• Recommended as the most suitable education provision for a child, as outlined in their Education Health and Care plan

Alternative provision education should be full-time, unless there are specific reasons why this is not possible (e.g. medical treatments, other specified interventions). While ‘full-time’ is not defined in law, pupils should receive the same amount of education as they would receive in a maintained school, 25 hours per week.

Commissioned alternative provision

The Local Authority commissioned alternative provision is rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

All services outlined below deliver a broad and balanced curriculum which allows pupils to work towards the same level or standard of qualification as in mainstream schools. The provision also delivers specific interventions to meet personal, social and academic needs that may be barriers to engagement and attainment.

Providers develop intervention plans for all placements with pupils, their families and other involved professionals that outline clear objectives, including next steps following the placement such as re-integration into mainstream education, further education, training, or employment.

Alternative provision in Kensington & Chelsea includes:

• Ormiston Academies Trust (Ormiston) schools for children who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of suspension/ exclusion. 

Ormiston Beachcroft Academy is in Westminster 

Ormiston Latimer Academy is in Kensington & Chelsea

• Pears Family School is commissioned for Westminster resident and educated children at risk of suspension or exclusion, up to year 9. Pears Family School | Families learning together (thefamilyschoollondon.org)

• Chelsea Community Hospital School (CCHS) provides education for children and young people while they are in hospital or unable to attend mainstream school as a result of their medical or mental health needs, based in six inpatient settings and through a community-based provision. HOME (cchs.org.uk)

Promoting early-intervention

 The Bi-borough School Inclusion Strategy outlines the local authority’s commitment to addressing risk factors and working in a trauma informed way to minimise the number of children educated outside mainstream settings in alternative provision. All teams in children’s services prioritise targeted, early-intervention to promote engagement in education and learning, minimising the risk of suspension and exclusion.

Targeted support in mainstream school is delivered by:

• RBKC Early Help North Kensington Inclusion Pilot: Trauma-informed Early Help practitioners are embedded in eight north Kensington schools and work with the school, family and child to deliver interventions to improve behaviour and engagement with school.
• Ormiston Academies Trust (Ormiston) Primary Behaviour Outreach: Delivered by the provider of our off-site alternative provision, behaviour specialists work with teachers/TAs and children using behaviour for learning techniques to improve behaviour.
• Ormiston Managed Intervention Centres: Westminster Education Centre (WEC) and Kensington & Chelsea Education Centre (KCEC) offer 5 week behaviour intervention placements for secondary age children to promote engagement in learning.

For children with additional education needs, other services may also be involved, including Speech & Language Therapy, Educational Psychology, Bi-borough Inclusion and Autism services and/or mental health services to address wider support needs that impact on school engagement.

Referrals to these services are made directly by schools or health professionals for eligible children.

Roles and responsibilities

Schools are responsible for:

• Thoroughly assessing the needs of children and young people and making all reasonable efforts to support children through their existing resources.
• Seeking advice from appropriate specialist agencies to address and meet additional behaviour and education needs.
• Arranging alternative, full-time education from the sixth continuous day of a suspension, if the suspension is over 5 days, until the return date for all pupils of compulsory school age.
• Oversight of the quality of alternative provision commissioned by schools.
• Obtaining parental consent for time-limited interventions.

Local authorities are responsible for:

• Commissioning and arranging alternative provision for children who have been excluded.
• Ongoing review of alternative provision to ensure children receive the right support, in the right place at the right time, as aligned with the DfE SEND & AP Improvement Plan (2023).
• Commissioning sufficient placements to support children who have or are at risk of being excluded from school, or who are unable to attend school due to their medical needs.
• Oversight of placement quality and monitoring children’s outcomes in alternative provision the local authority commissions.

Related information (provide links to):

• Children unable to attend school due to medical reasons guidance.
• Educating your child at home
• Information on suspension and exclusion from school