Author: Gina Judge

Alternative Provision Policy

December 2025

Review date: December 2026

Contents

Page 3		1. Introduction
Pages 3-6		2. Definitions and Guidance / 2.1 Definitions of Alternative Provision / 2.2 Types of Alternative Provision / 2.3 Definition of Full-Time Provision / 2.4 Definition of Good Alternative Provision
Page 6-7		3. Vision and Aims
Pages 7-8		4. National Context
Page 9		5. Local Context
Pages 9-10		6. The Role of the Local Authority
Page 11		7. Statutory Guidance and Legislation
Pages 12-13		8. Responsibility for Commissioning Alternative Provision and Funding / 8.1 Alternative Provision Commissioned by the Local Authority / 8.2 Alternative Provision Commissioned by Schools
Pages 13-14		9. Quality Assurance
Page 15		10. Directory of Alternative Provision
Page 15		11. Key Points to Consider Before Commissioning Alternative Provision
Page 16		12. Referral Process
Pages 17-18		13. Safeguarding
Page 18-19		14. Record Keeping
Pages 19-20		15. Recording and Monitoring Attendance
Pages 21-22		16. Health and Safety
Page 22		17. Transition
Pages 22-23		18. Reintegration
Page 23		19. Policy Review
Page 24		20. Frequently Asked Questions
Page 25		21. Appendices

1. Introduction; 2. Definitions and Guidance

1. Introduction
The Alternative Provision Policy for Nottingham City sets out our approach to supporting children and young people who attend alternative provision to ensure that their individual needs are met and that they are safe from harm. This policy explains the statutory responsibilities for different parties relating to the commissioning of alternative provision places as we seek to strengthen and improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
2. Definitions and Guidance
2.1 Definitions of Alternative Provision (AP)
Alternative Provision is defined 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 offsite provision to improve their behaviour’ (DfE 2025).
However, alternative provision also includes the broader range of provision that schools commission independently for pupils who are unable to access full-time mainstream education for a number of different reasons, or, for whom, a full-time mainstream offer is not suitable.
Nottingham City recognises that there is a need to ensure that the curriculum of our schools is inclusive and accessible, providing opportunities for all pupils to succeed. However, we also recognise the need to offer different types of provision that allows some pupils to achieve their potential outside of what is accessible at school.
2.2 Types of alternative provision
Alternative provision broadly falls into two main categories: that which is registered and that which is unregistered.
Any education or training provider must be registered with the Department for Education (DfE) if they are offering:
full time education for five or more learners of compulsory school age
or where one or more such learners have an Education Health and Care Plan
or where one or more learner is “looked after” by the Local Authority.
In most cases, institutions falling under one of the above will be a state-run school, academy, or pupil referral unit (PRU). Any other provider falling into one of the above categories must register as an Independent School.
It is acknowledged that, as a consequence of this Department for Education (DfE) guidance, there may be some providers who are originally categorised as alternative providers of education, but who will ultimately need to become registered as independent schools. Where a provider meets the threshold for independent school registration, the provider must notify the local authority that this threshold has been reached.
Each term Nottingham City requires all providers on their Accredited Alternative Provision Directory to share placement numbers to ensure unregistered providers are not in breach of the Independent School regulations. If an educational provision is in breach of the Independent School regulations, i.e. not registered with the DfE, they are found to be running an illegal school. This is a criminal offence and if convicted, the owner can face imprisonment and/or a fine. Illegal schools are not the same as unregistered schools because not all establishments have to register. Illegal schools are schools which meet the criteria for registering as independent schools but where the proprietors have opted not to register.
If, at any point an alternative provision provider is suspected to be an illegal school, the local authority will raise this concern with the Ofsted Illegal Schools team to investigate: unregisteredschoolreferrals@ofsted.gov.uk
The local authority will share this information with their school network and no further alternative provision placements should be accepted until the provider has successfully registered as an independent school or is no longer in breach of the Independent School regulations. The provider in breach of the regulations will be temporarily suspended from the Accredited AP Directory until the matter is resolved.
Some alternative provision arranged by schools or local authorities can be delivered in settings which fall outside any existing designation as a school. This type of alternative provision is commonly referred to as unregistered alternative provision and includes a wide range of providers, from tutoring and online companies to individual vocational training and therapeutic provision that may take place on private property such as motor vehicle workshops or farms. These settings are not registered with the Department for Education and are not inspected by Ofsted. The local authority and the school have a duty to quality assure alternative provision, however, there are specific quality assurance safeguards that schools should undertake to satisfy themselves of quality and appropriateness of the provision for individual children and young people. E.g. they need to be satisfied with safeguarding arrangements and health and safety arrangements.
2.3 Definition of full-time provision
“Full-time education” is not defined in law, but the DfE consider an institution to be providing full-time education if it is intended to provide, or does provide, all, or substantially all, of a child’s education. Relevant factors in determining whether education is full-time include:
the number of hours per week that is provided
the number of weeks in the academic term/year the education is provided
the time of day it is provided
whether the education provision in practice precludes the possibility that full-time education could be provided elsewhere.
Generally, the DfE consider any institution that is operating during the day, for more than 18 hours per week, to be providing full-time education. This is because the education being provided is taking up the substantial part of the week in which it can be reasonably expected a child can be educated.
2.4 Definition of good alternative provision
Good alternative provision is that which appropriately meets the needs of pupils which require its use and enables them to achieve good educational attainment on par with their mainstream peers. All pupils must receive a good education, regardless of their circumstances or the settings in which they find themselves.
Provision will differ from pupil to pupil, but there are some common elements that alternative provision should aim to achieve, including:
good academic attainment on par with mainstream schools – particularly in English, maths, and science (including IT) – with appropriate accreditation and qualifications;
that the specific personal, social, and academic needs of pupils are properly identified and met in order to help them to overcome any barriers to attainment;
improved pupil motivation and self-confidence, attendance, and engagement with education; and
clearly defined objectives, including the next steps following the placement such as reintegration into mainstream education, further education, training, or employment. (DfE 2013)
3. Vision and Aims
Alternative provision plays a vital role in supporting children unable to access mainstream education for various reasons. In Nottingham we have a rich AP network that, operating alongside mainstream and special schools, helps to meet the needs of children for some or all of their education.
Our aim is to ensure every child in the city receives an inclusive education and, where necessary, has access to effective early intervention delivered by a skilled workforce. We want children and young people to access opportunities and support that enables them to achieve their full potential at home, in educational settings, and in their communities as well as being well prepared for adult life. As part of our vision, we encourage schools and academies to involve learners and their families in deciding the right alternative provision environment so that the needs of the young person are met. It is important for learners to continue to have a sense of belonging to their home school thus it is paramount for schools and academies to make regular visits to the learner and capture their voice around the process and their education. The aim of using alternative provision is to support learners to reintegrate back to mainstream education and there should be a joint plan between the home school and provider on how to assess when the learner is ready to return.
The aims of this Alternative Provision Policy are to:
Outline the Local Authority’s strategic plan in relation to alternative provision
Ensure all stakeholders are aware of their statutory responsibilities in relation to AP
Work closely with stakeholders to secure a shared commitment to address low attendance and reduce exclusions for all groups of children and young people, including post-16.
Create a culture of collaboration and co-production that brings together all relevant partners and stakeholders in the design and delivery of high-quality alternative provision to create a safe, diverse, and engaging offer for children and young people.
Ensure high quality assessment, support, and personalised learning to meet individual need across clear learning pathways and transitions leading to positive outcomes for children and young people.
4. National Context
The Government’s SEND and alternative provision improvement plan sets out how the government proposes to work alongside children, young people and their families, and stakeholders across the SEND and alternative provision system, to deliver improvements for every child and young person with SEND and in alternative provision.
The improvement plan wants those working across education, health, and care to work with local and central government to:
Fulfil children’s potential
Build parents’ trust, and
Provide a financially sustainable system
The SEND and alternative provision system will offer children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy, and productive adult lives.
To deliver this vision, the government plans to establish a new delivery model based on a three-tier system of support:
Targeted support in mainstream schools for children and young people whose needs lead to behaviour that disrupts theirs or others’ learning
Time-limited placements in alternative provision for those who need more intensive support to address behaviour or anxiety and re-engage in learning
Transitional placements for those children and young people who will not return to their previous school but will be supported to make the transition to a different school when they are ready, or to a suitable post-16 destination
Section 19 of The Education Act 1996 places important statutory responsibilities on local authorities for supporting children and young people. This is a vital role that local authorities retain in an increasingly school-led education system and one that requires long-term strategic planning, informed by detailed local knowledge enhanced through consultation with parents and carers, and good relationships with local schools.
5. Local Context
This policy is part of a wider framework of policy documents that enable Nottingham City to meet the broader strategic objectives set out in the following:
Nottingham City SEND & AP Strategy
Nottingham City Fair Access Protocol
The Nottingham City SEND & AP Strategy sets out a vision that all children and young people receive an inclusive education and can access opportunities and support to enable them to achieve their full potential and progress onto adult life. Children who access AP are often some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Through the Partnership Assurance and Improvement Group (PAIG) there is an AP & Inclusion sub-group which meets regularly. The sub-group incorporates representatives from the Local Authority, primary, secondary and special school sector and alternative providers. The focus is to identify gaps; recognise early intervention and support; develop the inclusion strategy and transition model.
Nottingham City Council commissions Raleigh Education Trust to provide education for all permanently excluded learners. Denewood Learning Centre supports KS2 – KS3 learners with most places being on site. Unity Learning Centre is run as a virtual school with all learners having their education off-site at a mixture of DfE establishments or unregistered alternative provision. There are half termly network meetings for providers, Raleigh Learning Trust and the Local Authority. Raleigh Education Trust shares key performance indicators with Nottingham City. The Local Authority and Raleigh Education Trust meet half termly to share quality assurance information.
6. The Role of the Local Authority
The local authority has a duty to ensure that alternative provision is good quality, registered where appropriate and operates in a safe environment with due regard to safeguarding. In order to facilitate this, Nottingham City operates a tender process whereby prospective alternative providers must complete an application tender to be vetted and ultimately be included on the City’s Accredited Alternative Provision Directory. A panel meet to evaluate the tender and only those providers passing the initial stage are invited to complete the compliance process. A prospective provider must ensure that they meet the requirements of the service specification. (See Appendix Ai and Aii.) Compliance forms part of the annual quality assurance checks on unregistered alternative provision. Only when a provider has met full compliance will they be placed onto the Accredited Alternative Provision Directory. Unregistered providers are also subject to an annual evaluation visit and will remain on the Directory if these visits are satisfactory. The evaluation visit is based on the OFSTED framework: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development and leadership and management. There is also a separate safeguarding section.
Providers are judged to be Meeting Standards/Working Towards Meeting Standards/ Failing to Meet Standards. If a provider is placed in the latter two categories, a further visit is conducted to allow them to show development towards their action points. If a provider is still not meeting standards, they can be removed from the AP Directory. All secondary schools and academies as well as Raleigh Education Trust, the Virtual School and SEN team are privy to the compliance and evaluation outcomes. A provider can be temporarily suspended from the Directory if compliance is not met or they repeatedly fail the evaluation visit. Secondary schools and academies are notified when there are updates on providers. A link to the Accredited AP Directory can be found here: https://www.apnottingham.org.uk/home/
The local authority has a statutory duty to make arrangements for the provision of suitable full-time education at school, or otherwise, for each child of compulsory school age who, for reasons of illness, exclusion or otherwise, would not receive it unless such arrangements were made (The Education Act 1996: Section 16). Full-time education for excluded pupils must begin no later than the sixth day of the exclusion (The Education Act 1996: Section 19 and DfE statutory guidance on Alternative Provision 2013).
This is a comprehensive duty, which is normally fulfilled through children having access to and regular attendance at mainstream and special schools. In some circumstances this may not be the case and the local authority is then required to act and ensure that alternative provision is in place.
7. Statutory Guidance and Legislation
Schools and alternative providers must comply with all relevant legislation relating to the delivery of alternative provision, including any subsequent updates and amendments to those statutes. It is the responsibility of schools and alternative providers to ensure that they are aware of the implications of legislative changes and adjust their practices and provision accordingly.
A list of some of the key pieces of legislation with which schools and alternative providers must be compliant are detailed below. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.
Alternative Provision – Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (DfE 2013)
Education Act (DfE 1996)
Creating opportunity for all: our vision for alternative provision (DfE 2018)
Unregistered Independent Schools and Out of School Settings (DfE 2018)
Opportunities for All (DfE 2022)
Green Paper SEND and AP (DfE 2022)
SEND and alternative provision improvement plan (DfE 2023)
SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years (DfE 2014)
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014
Children and Families Act 2014
Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE)
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE 2023)
Working Together to Improve School Attendance (DfE 2022)
Behaviour in Schools (DfE 2022)
Suspension and Permanent Exclusion from maintained schools, academies, and pupil referral units in England, including pupil movement (DfE 2024)
Integrated Quality Benchmark Toolkit 2022
8. Responsibility for Commissioning Alternative Provision and Funding
The local authority and schools have a shared duty to make sure that children and young people have access to full-time mainstream education and, where this is not appropriate, to engage in high quality alternative provision that meets their aspirations. It is the responsibility of the commissioner to quality assure the alternative provision, have duty of care for the individual and ensure that their educational outcomes are met.
In Nottingham City, there are 2 main approaches to commissioning alternative provision:
8.1 Alternative provision commissioned by the local authority
The local authority commissions alternative provision that aims to reintegrate pupils into a mainstream setting following a period of intervention. This includes:
Statutory 6-day provision following permanent exclusion
Dual registered provision for children and young people at risk of exclusion or whom are unable to access a full time education in a mainstream school.
Where the local authority commissions alternative provision, this is funded by the high needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)
8.2 Alternative provision commissioned by schools
The schools commission alternative provision using Nottingham City’s Accredited Alternative Provision Directory that includes:
AP Free Schools inspected by OFSTED
Independent Schools inspected by OFSTED
Unregistered provision quality assured by the local authority and schools
Varied placement lengths short term/medium term/long term
Varied learning pathways broad, balanced curriculum/academic package/vocational provision/blended package
Schools would fund the alternative provision placement from their own budgets which might include use of the Pupil Premium or Pupil Premium Plus
In this instance, schools are the commissioner and should follow the guidance set out by the DfE for commissioning alternative provision using off-site direction.
9. Quality Assurance
The local authority and school have a shared duty to quality assure alternative provision.
The local authority is responsible for:
Quality assuring alternative provision prior to inclusion in the directory. This includes:
Screening tender applications to the Accredited Alternative Provision Directory
Ensuring all new unregistered alternative provision is fully compliant before being published on the Directory.
Completing an annual compliance report with all unregistered alternative provisions. This includes health and safety; safeguarding; leadership and governance; curriculum and policies. Once compliance checks are completed, the alternative provider signs a declaration stating that they are responsible for maintaining full compliance until the next annual check is completed by the local authority.
Using a standardised evaluation framework to quality assure alternative provision.
Sharing compliance and evaluation reports with schools and the City SEND Team and Virtual School.
The school is responsible for:
Quality assuring provision that is commissioned by the schools (see 8,ii).
Completing a due diligence process prior to commissioning a placement at an alternative provider.
Visiting the pupil during their placement at least once per term.
Reviewing pupil progress on a termly basis.
Listening to the views and experiences of the pupil.
Notifying the AP Commissioner if there are any concerns regarding the alternative provider’s safeguarding and/or health and safety practice as well as quality of teaching and learning.
Nottingham City schools must notify the Local Authority within 24hrs of the decision to permanent exclude a child. There is a pro-forma that must be completed and returned to exclusions@nottinghamcity.gov.uk. Once information is received, the Local Authority will log the exclusion and sent details of the pupil and reason for exclusion to Raleigh Education Trust. Information is also shared with the Youth Justice Service for their comments and any open actions. Nottingham City learners who have become permanently excluded from school are placed on roll with Raleigh Education Trust either at Denewood Learning Centre or Unity Learning Centre. The Local Authority meet weekly with Raleigh Education Trust to oversee cases and ensure that placements and support are in place as soon as possible. Raleigh Education Trust have day to day responsibility for providing education to these young people until they are ready to reintegrate back to a mainstream school. Denewood Learning Centre and Unity Learning Centre are subject to OFSTED inspections.
RET organise alternative provision placements where appropriate. RET only use providers from the Accredited Alternative Provision Directory. They complete their own quality assurance on providers, are responsible for monitoring and tracking attendance, behaviour, progress and safeguarding. In conjunction with the local authority, half termly AP network meetings are held to support providers.
10. Directory of Alternative Provision
As part of our shared duty to provide high quality alternative provision, Nottingham City has developed a Directory of Alternative Provision. The directory is a list of alternative provision providers who have met the expected standards for the safety and legality of operation. Settings are responsible for updating their own websites which includes statutory policies. Nottingham City recommends that schools use the directory as a starting point when considering the needs of a child or young person. However, responsibility for the child and placement rests with the schools who must also complete their own due diligence process.
11. Key Points to Consider Before Commissioning Alternative Provision
The local authority and school have a shared responsibility to ensure that a placement at alternative provision is appropriate and will meet the needs of the child or young person. The following points should be considered prior to commissioning:
Has the pupil, parent/carers and relevant teacher been spoken to before a decision about alternative provision has been made?
What does the pupil want, or need, to get out of the provision?
How will it complement the pupil’s mainstream curriculum?
What outcomes will the placement achieve – particularly in the areas of attendance, attainment, behaviour, and positive destination?
How long should the provision be for? Is there a timescale for reintegration to mainstream? What does quality reintegration back to mainstream look like? Is it phased, shared information, joint working, reports on progress?
Is it part time or full time?
What other considerations are there, such as transport arrangements?
The DfE’s guidance on arranging alternative provision states ‘schools should always inform the local authority when they commission a placement in alternative provision for a child to ensure the local authority maintains oversight of sufficiency and safeguarding’. As such, schools will be asked to submit a return to the local authority every half term identifying children on their roll currently accessing alternative provision.
12. Referral Process
The school remains ultimately responsible for the pupil are therefore responsible for:
Adhering to the DfE 2025 guidance on alternative provision as a basis for making arrangements for alternative provision.
Involving the child/young person and parents/carers in the process and any decisions taken.
Informing the local authority when a child has been placed in AP.
Organising meetings that involve all relevant parties prior to a placement being agreed and during the placement to review progress.
Explaining the reasons why alternative provision is being offered.
Gaining consent from the pupil and parent/carer that the alternative placement can commence.
Ensuring that all parties understand the agreement prior to it being signed.
Agreeing timescales and responsibilities for reviewing the agreement with the parent/carer and alternative provider.
Identifying a suitable programme for the pupil using Nottingham City’s Accredited Directory of Alternative Provision as appropriate.
Writing a referral for alternative provision that details the academic, social, and emotional needs and aspirations of the pupil.
Writing supporting risk assessments that will ensure the safety and well-being of the pupil.
Ensuring that the pupil who is referred to alternative provision remains on roll at the school as appropriate.
Funding a pupil’s placement on alternative provision.
Formulating a service level agreement (SLA) between the school and the alternative provider.
Organising visits to the learner at their provision to check on well-being, progress and attendance.
Defining and agreeing what reintegration steps will be taken and when.
13. Safeguarding
Where a child is placed in alternative provision, the commissioning school or local authority continues to retain safeguarding duties towards the child and should therefore be satisfied that the provision is in a safe environment as well as meeting the child’s pastoral and educational needs.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children (all young people under the age of 18) is defined for the purposes of this guidance as:
protecting children from maltreatment;
preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
All staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn. Schools must satisfy themselves that providers are compliant with the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education. A key part of this process should be school staff ensuring that staff at the registered alternative provision had appropriate checks, for example disclosure and barring service checks (DBS).
Where a school places a pupil with an alternative provision provider, it continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the placement meets the pupil’s needs (Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024)
As a minimum, the commissioner must:
Give alternative providers good quality information, in writing, about the school's expectations for child protection and the procedures they should follow if they have a concern about a pupil.
Support the alternative provider to access safeguarding training.
Jointly undertake good quality risk assessments with the alternative provider, covering both the activity itself and the pupil, in the context of the activity, as well as check that health and safety measures are securely in place.
Ensure that all other relevant information is shared with the alternative provider, including any information on special educational needs, literacy, behaviours that challenge, strategies that have worked in the past as well as their skills and interests.
Ensure arrangements are in place for working with other relevant services such as social care, educational psychology, substance support services and, when a pupil has an EHC plan, liaise with the local authority.
As a minimum, the alternative provider must:
Follow the guidance which has been provided by the school in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Report any safeguarding concerns regarding the pupil to the school as soon as is practicable and always before the end of the working day.
Work collaboratively with the school to produce risk assessments that enable the pupil to safely access the programme.
All Nottingham City providers are required to complete the annual statutory S.175 safeguarding audit overseen by the Nottingham City Safeguarding Childrens Partnership (NCSCP). City providers are invited to the termly DSL network meetings and encouraged to participate in safeguarding training led by NCSCP. As part of Nottingham City’s QA process, all unregistered provisions complete annual compliance checks that includes safeguarding.
14. Record Keeping
The alternative provider must:
Collect and supply data necessary to meet audit requirements and the requirements of the Education (Pupil Registration) England Regulations 2006, and responsibilities for school attendance. This will include data on punctuality, attendance, and details of any follow-up actions on these as well as attainment details of units of work completed and progress made.
Ensure that all data relating to pupils is managed, processed and stored in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (2018). They must ensure that they share placement information of pupils with Nottingham City at designated points each term. This will include full-time, part-time, social care involvement and EHCP data.
15. Recording and Monitoring Attendance
Improving attendance is everyone’s responsibility. The local authority, schools and alternative providers have a shared duty to adhere to statutory guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance and understand their responsibilities for school attendance.
The local authority has a statutory responsibility to identify and track pupils missing, or at risk of missing out on education. This includes children who are not attending school provision full time and those accessing alternative provision.
The local authority is responsible for:
Establishing a central database of children not accessing full-time education in the usual way, including those who are accessing alternative provision.
Monitoring the quality and amount of provision, educational and social outcomes, for all children and young people of compulsory school age who do not access education in the usual way.
Sharing information across local authority boundaries in a timely and appropriate way.
Ensuring that every child is on the roll of a school, regardless of their circumstances, unless their parents have elected to home educate.
Supporting alternative providers of education to understand and comply with legal requirements especially safeguarding and registration.
Supporting schools to identify potential alternative providers through Nottingham City’s Accredited Alternative Provision Directory.
Each pupil attending alternative provision must remain on a school roll and the school retains the ultimate duty of care for pre-16 pupils, wherever they are being educated. The school has the ongoing duty of care to the pupil, and the alternative provider has an obligation and duty of care to the pupil and the school. To ensure robust safeguarding of pupils in placement, there is an expectation that schools and alternative providers record and monitor attendance.
The responsibilities for monitoring attendance, on a daily basis, are as follows:
The school is responsible for:
Authorising any unexplained absences marked by the providers. Schools and providers must adhere to the DfE national codes. Schools are legally responsible for using the correct codes and the importance of using the correct code is also a safeguarding issue. All sessions when a pupil is not expected to be physically present in school should be marked appropriately using the DfE registration. E.g. Code K should be used if pupil is attending education provision arranged by the local authority; Code B when attending any other approved educational activity which includes unregistered alternative provision; Code D if pupil is dual registered at another school, e.g. AP Free School or Independent School.
The alternative provider is responsible for:
Enrolling pre-16 pupils onto their course(s) and for recording, monitoring, and reporting attendance and absences. This must be completed twice a day, morning, and afternoon. Attendance must be shared with the home school twice daily. This is a legal requirement for any pre-16 group in the same way as it is for post-16 groups (The Education Pupil Registration (England) Regulations 2006).
Contacting the school immediately if the pupil does not arrive at the provider’s premises as this is a legal safeguarding requirement.
16. Health and Safety
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a duty on employers, including alternative providers to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of its employees, and others who are affected by their activities such as children and young people on educational placements.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 employers have a responsibility to ensure that children and young people, including those attending alternative provision, are not exposed to risk due to lack of experience, physical ability, being unaware of existing or potential risks and/or lack of maturity.
For all environments, Nottingham City strongly recommend that a physical check of the provider and placement is carried out by a competent person from the school.
The commissioner is responsible for:
Checking the environment prior to a placement being agreed. Health and safety checks should be undertaken by a competent person and be kept in proportion to the environment and risks involved.
Ensuring the alternative provision is age appropriate and taking into consideration any pupils who might be at greater risk, for example due to health conditions or special educational needs and/or behaviour.
Ensuring that adequate health and safety arrangements are in place and the work the pupil will be doing is being effectively managed to safeguard their health and safety.
Schools should carry out appropriate monitoring throughout the placement to satisfy them that providers are continuing to manage the health and safety of pupils on placement. This could be undertaken as part of a general quality assurance visit to assess the overall effectiveness of the provision.
The alternative provider is responsible for:
Ensuring the health and safety of the pupil and managing any significant risks.
Reporting any serious accidents or incidents to the school as soon as is practicable.
Writing and reviewing risk assessments for all activities as well as those related to individual pupils.
17. Transition
When it is time for a pupil to transition from one key stage to the next or onto post-16 pathways, the school and alternative provider must work together to develop a transition plan. Families of permanently excluded Year 6 learners can apply for a mainstream secondary school place for their child.
The school is responsible for:
Arranging a meeting with the alternative provider to develop the transition plan. This must be arranged prior to transition taking place.
Speaking to the pupil to assess their views regarding moving key stages and/or progressing onto post-16 pathways.
Discussing transition arrangements with parents/carers and provide access to transition services as appropriate.
Monitoring the experience and progress of the pupil to ensure successful transition.
18. Reintegration
Where it is considered appropriate for a pupil to return to mainstream education, the school and the alternative provider must work together to develop a reintegration plan. Pupils that reintegrate back into the school will be continually supported in line with their specific needs.
The school is responsible for:
Arranging a meeting with the alternative provider to develop the reintegration plan.
Obtaining a final report on the pupil’s achievements during the placement (prior to reintegration); this includes academic attainment and progress, attendance, and safeguarding records as well as evidence of a change in behaviour (if required).
Speaking to the pupil to assess their views on the success of the placement.
Considering the final report and views of the pupil, the school will implement an appropriate reintegration plan based on the pupil’s needs. This may include a discussion with the pupil’s parent/carers and/or setting specific objectives for the pupil to achieve on reintegration, e.g., attendance or behaviour.
19. Policy Review
This policy and the procedures will be reviewed annually by the Alternative Provision & EOTAS manager.
20. Frequently Asked Questions
20.1 How can I check if an alternative provider/school is registered with the DfE?
If an alternative provision setting is registered as a school with the Department for Education and inspected by Ofsted, records for that education institution will exist on GIAS and the Ofsted Website. Some unregistered alternative provision providers may also be registered with Ofsted as childcare providers, but this does not mean they are registered as schools.
20.2 How do you report an unregistered school?
Ofsted may receive information regarding possible unregistered schools. If there is a possibility of any education provider operating outside the legislative framework, Ofsted will conduct inspections at reasonable notice.
If you suspect that a provider is potentially operating as an unregistered independent school, please contact unregisteredschoolreferrals@ofsted.gov.uk to discuss further, and let the Council know on apreferrals@nottinghamcity.gov.uk that you have done this. If the unregistered provision is acting illegally, they will be temporarily suspended from the Accredited AP Directory until the matter is resolved.
Appendices
Appendix Ai – Nottingham City Council Accredited Alternative Education Provision Directory Service Specification for use from 01.09.2022
Appendix Aii – Alternative Education Provision Accreditation Application Form
Appendix Bi – Nottingham City Council quality assurance compliance report
Appendix Bii – Nottingham City evaluation report
Appendix C – Alternative Provision Toolkit for schools and academies using Nottingham City Accredited Alternative Provision

2. Definitions and Guidance, cont.

2. Definitions and Guidance, cont.

2. Definitions and Guidance, cont.; 3. Vision and Aims

3. Vision and Aims, cont.; 4. National Context

4. National Context, cont.

5. Local Context; 6. The Role of the Local Authority

6. The Role of the Local Authority, cont.

7. Statutory Guidance and Legislation

8. Responsibility for Commissioning Alternative Provision and Funding

8. Responsibility for Commissioning Alternative Provision and Funding, cont.;
9. Quality Assurance

9. Quality Assurance, cont.

10. Directory of Alternative Provision; 11. Key Points to Consider Before Commissioning Alternative Provision

12. Referral Process

13. Safeguarding

13. Safeguarding, cont.; 14. Record Keeping

14. Record Keeping, cont.; 15. Recording and Monitoring Attendance

15. Recording and Monitoring Attendance, cont.

16. Health and Safety

16. Health and Safety, cont.; 17. Transition; 18. Reintegration

18. Reintegration, cont.; 19. Policy Review

20. Frequently Asked Questions

21. Appendices

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