Dorset Council and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council are working together to change how we provide alternative provision for children and young people who need it.
These council’s will be setting up new contracts with providers of alternative provision from September 2022 and are seeking feedback from parents, carers and young people to decide what the requirements should be.
What is alternative provision?
Alternative provision is often something that a child or young person participates in when they can’t go to a mainstream school.
There are many reasons why some children struggle to attend or get their needs met by regular schools or other education settings. This can be due to health, emotional or behavioural challenges. In some cases, these issues can lead to them being excluded from school.
Alternative provision is usually away from school and is not led by school staff. Although if the child risks exclusion, a provider may work with the child in the school. Contracted providers give tailored alternative provision to support the child’s needs
Alternative provision should be a short-term solution to re-engage children back into school. Although some children currently stay in alternative provision longer.
Councils are responsible for arranging suitable education for permanently excluded pupils and for others who, because of illness or other reasons, would not receive suitable education without alternative arrangements being made.
Schools are responsible for arranging suitable full-time education from the sixth day of a fixed period exclusion and may also use alternative provision for enhanced support for a child to help improve behaviour.
Why is it changing?
Improved support for children to stay in mainstream education will reduce the numbers requiring alternative provision. But if they do need alternative provision, it should be a short-term solution centred around the needs of the child and ideally be close to their home.
The councils have contracts with over 60 providers which end later this year so we must make new arrangements ready for September 2022.
Ofsted also wants more alternative provision to be registered to regulate how children are supported to complete their education.
How can you get involved?
It is important that the councils hear what families think good alternative provision looks like. It will help them write a specification for potential providers. This is a document that tells providers the contract requirements.
There will be other opportunities to discuss the wider aspects of alternative provision.
If your child has attended an alternative provision now or in the past and you would like to share your views please book a morning or evening session according to the age of your child. If you have children in both groups, choose whichever you feel is most relevant.
The events are for parents and carers in Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council areas. They are run in partnership with Dorset Parent Carer Council and Parent Carers Together
| Alternative provision for children aged 11 years old and under | Alternative provision for children aged over 12 years old
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| Wednesday 26 January 9:30am to 10.30am
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Thursday 27 January 9:30am to 10.30am | |
| Wednesday 26 January 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Thursday 27 January 6:30pm to 7:30pm |
Teenagers will also be asked what they think about alternative provision. If your child would like to get involved, please support them to complete this form and they’ll be sent more information.
Please could you make the language child friendly. Many of the the young people who use this provision have no idea it is spoken about as alternative provision. I think for some young people they would better understand ….Iearning opportunities outside of school
Thank you for your feedback Julie. This article is aimed at parents. We’re working on our plans on how we’ll engage with young people and agree, we know we need to give this careful consideration. You’ll see the young people’s survey linked at the bottom of the article explains alternative provision more simply. We’re working with Dorset Parent Carer Council on this and also our Youth Voice team to plan this stage. Thanks again.