Definition
Alternative Provision is education arranged by the local authority or school for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness, or other reasons, cannot attend a mainstream school. It includes pupil referral units, AP academies, registered AP schools, and a range of unregistered settings. The LA duty is at section 19 of the Education Act 1996.
In context for parents
Key checkpoints
- AP is education arranged by the LA or school for pupils unable to attend mainstream (exclusion, illness, or other reasons).
- LA duty under Education Act 1996, section 19 to arrange suitable full-time education.
- Includes PRUs (around 350 in England), AP academies, registered AP schools, and unregistered providers.
- For a child with SEND, EHCP duties continue in AP; Section F provision must still be arranged by the LA.
- Timpson Review (2019) and the SEND and AP Improvement Plan (2023) have flagged AP overuse and quality as systemic concerns.
Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on every LA to arrange suitable full-time education for any child of compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion, or otherwise, cannot attend mainstream school. "Suitable" is defined as appropriate to the child's age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs.
The AP landscape in England is divided. Registered AP includes PRUs (around 350 across England), AP academies (around 50), and independent AP schools registered with DfE. Unregistered AP includes a vast range of providers, from established charities and well-run tutoring services to single-trader online programmes. The OFSTED unregistered school regime means a provider offering more than 18 hours a week of education must register; many AP providers carefully sit below this threshold.
For a child with SEND in AP, the EHCP duties continue. Section F provision must still be arranged, by the LA, in the AP placement. AP must not be used as a substitute for properly resourced mainstream or specialist placement. Where AP becomes the long-term placement, Section I of the EHCP should name it, and the LA should consider whether EOTAS is the more appropriate route (where no school is suitable).
The Timpson Review (2019) and the SEND and AP Improvement Plan (2023) have both flagged AP overuse and quality as systemic concerns. Many LAs commission AP from unregistered providers without robust safeguarding or curriculum oversight; parents should ask for the provider's registration status, safeguarding policy, and curriculum offer in writing.
Related terms
The terms parents most often see alongside Alternative Provision.
Pupil Referral Unit(PRU)
A type of alternative provision school for pupils who are unable to attend mainstream school, often following exclusion or medical reasons.
Education Otherwise Than At School(EOTAS)
A bespoke package of education arranged and funded by the local authority for a child with an EHCP for whom no school placement is suitable. Provision is set out in Section F.
Permanent Exclusion
The headteacher's decision to permanently remove a pupil from a school. Parents have rights to a governors' review and, where disability is a factor, the SEND Tribunal or independent review panel.
Emotionally Based School Avoidance(EBSA)
Difficulty attending school driven by emotional distress rather than truancy. Often linked to anxiety, autism, sensory needs, or unmet SEND, and rarely resolved by attendance penalties alone.
Where parents ask about this
Parents usually find this page after a suspension or permanent exclusion, when a school has proposed "off-site directed education", or when AP has been suggested as a substitute for SEND provision. Searches include "alternative provision school refused mainstream", "section 19 education local authority", and "unregistered alternative provision safeguarding". A Beaakon advocate can audit the proposed AP placement, identify whether it complies with section 19 and EHCP duties, and challenge inappropriate AP use.
References
The primary legislation, statutory guidance, research, and clinical tools this page draws on.