What are entitled hours?

Entitled hours is a practical term used by many alternative provision providers, tuition centres and commissioners rather than a single legal definition. It describes how many hours a week a pupil is supposed to be taught or supported. For example, a school might commission two days a week, or a local authority might commission ten hours of tuition for a pupil who is unwell.

The number matters because children of compulsory school age are entitled to a suitable, full-time education. In England, statutory guidance expects local authorities to arrange full-time alternative provision where that is needed, with part-time arrangements only when they are in the pupil’s best interests, for example for health reasons. When a provider delivers only part of a pupil’s week, the commissioner needs to know how the rest of the week is covered.

Why it matters for your setting

• Commissioners often pay for, and review, placements against the hours agreed, so you need to show what was delivered.
• Attendance measured against entitled hours is fairer than a raw percentage when pupils have different timetables.
• Low attendance against entitled hours is an early warning that a placement may need a review.

How PupilDB helps

PupilDB records entitled hours on each pupil’s record and reports attendance against them, so you can show each commissioner what was delivered.