What is alternative provision?

Alternative provision, usually shortened to AP, covers education arranged for a child outside their usual school. In England, the Department for Education (DfE) describes it as education arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education. It also includes places that schools arrange for pupils who are suspended or directed off-site to improve their behaviour.

In practice, AP ranges from pupil referral units and AP academies to small independent providers, tuition centres, vocational projects and one-to-one tutoring. A pupil might attend AP full-time or for part of the week, sometimes while staying on the roll of their home school.

England and Wales

In England, statutory guidance sets out what local authorities and schools must do, including arranging suitable full-time education from the sixth school day of a permanent exclusion or a suspension of more than five days. In Wales, the same idea is usually called education other than at school (EOTAS). Some providers must register as an independent school, depending on how much education they give and to whom, so check the current rules for your nation.

Why it matters for your setting

• Commissioners expect you to know exactly who is attending, for how many hours, and why any sessions were missed.
• Schools that place pupils with you keep responsibilities for safeguarding and attendance, so they will ask you for regular, accurate updates.
• Good records of referrals, needs and contacts make every placement safer and easier to review.

How PupilDB helps

PupilDB keeps each pupil’s referring agency, local authority, entitled hours, SEN/ALN status and medical notes in one record, and reports attendance against entitled hours so you can show commissioners what was delivered. Each placement records who commissioned it and why, with targets, six-weekly reviews and where the pupil went next.