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What is Alternative Provision (AP)?

Alternative Provision is for children who are unable to access mainstream education for a variety of reasons. The Department for Education describes it as: ‘…education arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education; education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period exclusion; and pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour.’


Guardians can also pay privately for AP and schools can also arrange and fund this – thoughdoing this is at the discretion of the school.

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How much time do Participants spend at AP?


Participants may attend AP full time or part time. If the provision is part time, then the rest
of their learning will take place in their usual school where they will remain on roll. If full time, then they must receive an equivalent full-time education to their peers in mainstream schools.


While some children benefit from staying in alternative provision until they finish
compulsory education, many will return to mainstream school, be it after weeks, months or even years.

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What sort of places can provide AP?
Alternative provision can be delivered in several different settings, including but not limited to:

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  • Youth Centre settings

  • Sports facilities

  • Outdoor learning centres

  • Forest Schools

  • Animal-assisted therapeutic centres

  • Vocational and practical settings like car mechanics or hairdressers

  • Community centre settings


How do I get into AP?


There are three main ways in which a child might be transferred to alternative provision:
 

  • Permanent exclusion, where the pupil is removed from the school roll. The school no longer has any responsibility for the child.

  • A managed move, where the pupil transfers to alternative provision voluntarily. This is a more consensual approach that involves the full cooperation of parents, and the local authority. It avoids the child having a permanent exclusion in their records.

  • A referral, where the pupil remains on the roll of their current school but receives some or all their education off-site. This can be done by the parents and tends to be privately funded.

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What Does and EHCP Cost?

You will need to contact the AP provider to discuss prices and to get a quote (as this will vary from setting to setting.) Schools and guardians may need to pay privately, though your Local Education Authority may fund the provision if it is a registered AP provider and there is enough evidence regarding the participants need for AP.

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Why might the participant need AP?


There are many other reasons why a child might attend alternative provision, such as:

  • Mental health needs

  • School phobia/school refusal

  • Bullying

  • Medical needs

  • Persistent truancy

  • Being a young carer

  • Special educational needs

  • Temporarily not having a school place, for example if they have moved to an areawith no suitable school places or are an asylum seeker

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