Types of Alternative Provision
Alternative Provision can be set up by the public, voluntary and private sectors. It can be registered (with Ofsted) or unregistered.
Registered
Registered provisions are schools or education providers who:
- offer provision over 15 hours a week
- facilitate examinations
- are regulated by Ofsted (also known as maintained schools); this includes maintained schools, academies and free schools
An Alternative Education provider must be registered if it provides full-time education to:
- 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age
- 1 or more pupils of compulsory school age with an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- 1 or more pupils of compulsory school age who are looked after by the local authority
Unregistered
Unregistered provisions are educational providers who:
- are not required to be Ofsted registered
- can only offer up to 15 hours per week
- do not facilitate examinations
Unregistered facilities tend to be small, specialist organisations; these providers are not schools.
How Alternative Provision is delivered
Alternative Provision is delivered through a variety of means including:
A PRU is a type of school for children who cannot be educated in a mainstream setting as they may have been permanently excluded or have been referred for a short term placement as a preventive measure. They are often staffed by highly qualified and experienced teachers. These teachers normally have expertise in dealing with SEND, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Alternative provision Academies and Free Schools support learners who are experiencing difficulties. This includes those who have been excluded from mainstream education. These schools can be pupil referral units that have academised, or free schools that have specialise in providing an alternative curriculum to mainstream provision.
AP units provide in-house support within a mainstream school. More schools are developing this to better meet the needs of pupils, reducing the need to send them off-site.
Tuition Services offer a solution where there are significant barriers to a child or young person physically attending school; this would include pupils with a medical condition or those experiencing acute Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance.
Vocational providers offer work-related learning opportunities that will form part of a pupil’s timetable. This often takes place at a further education college. It can also be delivered through smaller specialist providers.
Personalised and specialist providers are often unregistered. They offer specialist learning support through a variety of ways such as animal care, agriculture, or gardening. These providers tend to be used to provide a bespoke package of support to pupils with complex needs.
