Alternative education provision

In February 2025 the Department for Education publication Alternative Education, Statutory guidance for local authorities the definition of alternative provision is:

• 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
• pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision for education to help improve their behaviour

Any organisation can provide alternative and off-site provision including private, voluntary, community or charity sectors. Home education, education provided out of school hours or out of school hours youth work s not classified as alternative provision.

Our Live Well directory is not an exhaustive, but lists those providers who have asked to have their details published on this site. It includes:

• provision which may be arranged by those with responsibility for pupils that meet the above criteria 
• provision that is offered to extend the curriculum offered to pupils to meet specific needs and requires teaching away from a school

By using alternative provision, programmes of learning can be designed to meet the needs and interests of the individual. This makes it more likely that they will engage with learning and succeed in education. In Cheshire East, alternative provision for KS4 students will usually be linked to accredited programmes or courses which will result in or contribute to the achievement of a recognised qualifications.

Alternative provision usually makes up part of a learner’s curriculum but may, in some cases, make up their entire curriculum. Where the provision makes up the entire curriculum, the commissioner should ensure both the following:

• the provider is registered as a school if required
• the pupil is receiving their full curriculum entitlement appropriate to the type of school

Unregistered provision cannot provide full-time education for any child with an EHCP or who is looked after and cannot provide full-time provision for more than four students who are not in these groups.

Commissioning alternative provision

 In all cases, schools should:

• work with the young person to create a clear plan for their alternative provision, which states why it is being arranged, what specific needs it will meet, how it will be monitored and how it will support the young person onto the next stage of their education or training
• evaluate the quality of teaching and learning at the alternative provision they use and the impact of this on pupils’ progress towards the qualifications they are studying at their placements
• evaluate the academic, personal and social progress being made by all pupils who attend alternative provision, ensuring that the targets set for academic progress are suitably challenging
• visit the provision regularly to carry out quality assurance checks
• consider ways to track and evaluate the impact of alternative provision on pupils’ transition to their next phase of education or into adulthood
• ensure that governors understand the progress made by pupils who attend alternative provision so they can ensure that decisions made about value for money are well informed
• keep close records on attendance so that they are aware of where a child is and what they are doing at all times

Further information and advice for schools is described in the Overview of Alternative Provision and requirements of schools (MS Word, 62KB)

Cheshire East is  part of a regional partnership who have set up a Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) for alternative provision. This is a list of providers on whom basic checks have been carried out and schools may join this partnership and so use the FPS as a starting point when sourcing alternative provision.

Quality checks

All providers listed are responsible or ensuring that students are safe and well cared for while they are in their care and must be able to provide evidence of this.

The school is responsible for carrying out their own checks prior to placing any learner with a provider, regardless of any checks carried out by another school or the LA. The school should check the provider operates in a way that is acceptable to the school and this  includes checking the health and safety and safeguarding polices.

Schools may use the alternative provisions quality assurance record (MS Word, 863KB) to assist them when they are considering using Alternative Provision. 

Safeguarding children and young people attending alternative provision

All AP providers are required to have safeguarding measures in place and schools or parents can ask to see copies of these. They should have a named  Designated Safeguarding Lead who will address any safeguarding issues arising while the child is attending the AP.

Any concerns about the safety of a child attending alternative provision should be raised with the provider or the school who has arranged the provision.

If this is not appropriate or if the concern is urgent then please contact Cheshire East Consultation Service (CheECS).

ChECS is the ‘front door’ for access to services, support and advice for children and their families, from early help and support through to safeguarding and child protection.

Phone ChECS on 0300 123 5012 (option 3, option 2). Callers will be directed to a Social Worker who will take details off the caller with regard to their concerns. The worker will gather your information and advise you of the next step.

If you need to contact someone out of hours and you believe it to be an emergency that can't wait, please call our Emergency Duty Team on 0300 123 5022.