Alternative provision

Alternative provision, often shortened to AP, is education arranged somewhere other than a mainstream or special school place: a pupil referral referral When a professional passes your child on to a specialist team for assessment or treatment. A GP, school or health visitor can usually make one. Read the full definition of referral unit, a smaller specialist setting, tuition, or a mix. It is used when a child has been excluded, is too unwell to attend, or for other reasons would not otherwise receive suitable education.

The legal core is the word suitable. Local authorities must arrange suitable education for children who would not otherwise get it, and government guidance covers how AP should be used, including unregistered settings and in-school units.

If AP is proposed for your child, useful questions are: what is the plan for returning to mainstream, who is responsible for reviewing progress, and how many hours of education will my child actually receive? Part-time arrangements are meant to be temporary steps, not a destination.