Alternative provision

Alternative provision can be a positive way to help a child learn, feel safer, reconnect with education or work towards returning to school. The right approach depends on why it is being considered and whether it meets the child’s needs.

This guide explains the main routes in England, including Trafford links. It is independent information, not legal advice or a statement about any individual child or school.

What is alternative provision?

Alternative provision (AP) is education arranged for some children of compulsory school age who cannot receive suitable education in their usual school, including because of exclusion, illness or other circumstances. Schools may also arrange education away from the usual site as a time-limited intervention to improve future behaviour. AP can be delivered by a pupil referral unit (PRU), an AP school, another school or college, an in-school unit, or an independent provider.

AP is not one single type of placement. It may be part-time alongside a child’s usual school, or full-time for a period. The child may stay on their usual school’s roll. Elective home education and education otherwise than at school under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 are separate arrangements, not simply other names for AP.

How can AP be used positively?

When it is planned around a child’s needs, AP can offer a smaller or calmer setting, a different way to access teaching, targeted support, or a gradual way to rebuild confidence and engagement. It can also help a child keep learning during a period when health needs or another serious barrier makes ordinary attendance difficult.

The plan should say what the placement is intended to achieve. Possible aims include helping a child return to their usual school, increasing the time they can manage there, maintaining progress in a subject or qualification, addressing a particular barrier to learning, or supporting a transition to a different longer-term setting. Returning to the usual school should not be assumed to be the right outcome for every child; the goal should fit the child’s needs and circumstances.

An available place by itself does not show that a provider is suitable. Ask how the provider’s teaching, approach and environment match your child’s interests, strengths, special educational needs, disability and health needs.

Different situations have different routes

1. A planned, needs-led placement or support

A school may suggest AP or off-site support because it thinks a child needs a different setting or targeted help. Ask whether this is a formal off-site direction, a voluntary arrangement, or another type of commissioned support. The label matters because the decision-making process, registration and review arrangements can differ. Ask for the purpose, proposed timetable, time limit, responsibilities and review plan in writing.

2. A formal off-site direction to improve future behaviour

Under current Department for Education guidance, an off-site direction is a temporary requirement to attend another education setting to improve future behaviour. It must not be used as a punishment for past behaviour. It should be considered when in-school interventions or outreach have not worked or are considered unsuitable. The plan should have clear objectives and a proposed maximum duration, and the child’s placement and reintegration plan should be reviewed.

Parents should be given written information about the placement, including its reasons and objectives, address, timetable and duration. Parents can request a review meeting in writing and can attend a review or send their views in writing. If the child has an EHC plan, the local authority should also be notified and invited to reviews. The school should explain the process that applies to the particular setting.

Does this mean permanent exclusion is the next step?

Not necessarily. Current DfE guidance describes off-site direction as one possible temporary measure to help prevent permanent exclusion. It is not an automatic or required stage before a permanent exclusion, and it is not itself a permanent exclusion. The guidance says the placement should address the child’s individual needs, have clear objectives and a proposed time limit, and be reviewed. It also says a child should continue to receive a broad and balanced education, with reintegration supported where that is the plan.

It is reasonable to ask the school directly what decision, if any, is being considered and what the AP is intended to change. AP cannot guarantee that a child will avoid exclusion, and accepting or declining a particular placement does not determine the outcome of any separate exclusion process.

3. Education during a suspension

A suspension is a formal, temporary exclusion from school. It is different from a planned AP placement intended to support a child’s needs or help them return to school. For the first five school days, the school should set and mark work. If a suspension is longer than five school days, the school must arrange suitable full-time education from the sixth school day for a child of compulsory school age. The school should tell you where and when it will happen and who to contact.

If you disagree with a suspension, the school’s letter should explain how you can ask the governing board to review it. A suspension should not be described as an agreed AP placement. If your child is being kept away without the formal suspension process, ask the headteacher to clarify the legal basis and follow the school’s complaints process if needed.

4. Education after permanent exclusion

After a permanent exclusion, the local authority must arrange suitable full-time education from the sixth school day for a child of compulsory school age. This is a separate route from a temporary school-arranged placement. Ask the council who is arranging the provision, when it starts, what education will be provided and who will oversee it.

5. Health needs or another reason a child cannot receive suitable education

Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996, a local authority must arrange suitable education at school or otherwise for a child of compulsory school age who may not otherwise receive suitable education because of illness, exclusion or other circumstances. The education should be suitable for the child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs.

For health-related absence, DfE statutory guidance says the local authority should arrange suitable education as soon as it is clear a child will be away for 15 days or more, consecutively or over the school year. It says provision should start as soon as possible and no later than the sixth day of absence. This is guidance about how the local authority should act; do not wait 15 days before asking for help. The guidance recognises that education may need to be part-time where full-time education would not be in the child’s best interests for health reasons.

6. Education otherwise than at school under an EHC plan

Education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is a distinct route for a child or young person with an EHC plan. The local authority may arrange the special educational provision somewhere other than a school or post-16 institution if it considers that it would be inappropriate for the provision to be made in a school or institution, after consulting the parent or young person. It is not an automatic consequence of a child struggling to attend, and it is not the same thing as a temporary AP placement.

SEND, disability and an EHC plan

Any education arranged for a child should take account of their age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs. Moving a child to another setting does not by itself remove their SEND or disability rights. Ask how teaching and support will be adapted, how reasonable adjustments will be considered, and how the usual school, provider and family will share information.

If your child has an EHC plan, ask how the proposed arrangement will deliver the special educational provision in Section F. The local authority that maintains the plan remains responsible for securing the provision specified in it, subject to the legal exceptions. If the child’s needs or placement may have changed, ask the local authority whether an early review is needed. A temporary AP placement should not be treated as automatically replacing the child’s plan or resolving a longer-term placement question.

Who pays for AP?

There is no single funding route for every AP placement, and an EHC plan is not automatically a personal pot of money for a school to spend on any AP place. The answer depends on the reason for the placement and who commissions it. Ask the school or local authority to identify the arrangement and explain the funding route in writing.

• Local-authority-arranged AP: when the local authority arranges provision under its section 19 duty, it is normally funded from the authority’s high-needs budget.
• School-commissioned AP: a school may commission a place. The cost may be met from the school’s delegated budget or from high-needs funding devolved to a school or local partnership. The Department for Education’s funding guidance says that AP top-up funding may be paid by the local authority or by the school commissioning the place.
• Provision specified in an EHC plan: the local authority that maintains the plan must secure the special educational provision specified in Section F, subject to legal exceptions. This responsibility does not mean every short-term AP place is automatically charged to an individual child’s plan funding.
• EOTAS under section 61: where agreed, the local authority arranges the special educational provision outside a school or post-16 institution. Ask the authority how the provision and any personal-budget arrangements will be funded.

Useful questions are: Who is the commissioner? Who has agreed the cost with the provider? Is the school using its own budget, a local AP arrangement or local-authority funding? If my child has an EHC plan, how will Section F provision be secured alongside this placement?

If school suggests a placement

You can ask the school to explain why this particular placement is being proposed and how it matches your child’s needs. Ask for the written plan before deciding what you think. If it is a formal off-site direction, ask the school to identify the legal route and the review process; parental disagreement does not automatically stop a formal direction, but the school must follow the process that applies.

Check whether the proposal describes the child rather than simply a vacancy. Ask how the provider will support your child’s learning, interests, communication, sensory needs, health, safety and any provision in Section F of an EHC plan. If those details are missing, ask the school to explain them before the placement starts where possible.

Warning signs to question

One concern does not prove that a placement is unlawful or unsuitable. It is a reason to ask for clear information and a review. You could ask further questions if:

• No one can explain the purpose, route, expected outcomes, time limit or review date.
• The placement seems to have been chosen because a space was available, without explaining how it fits your child’s needs, interests or EHC plan.
• Your child is expected to attend a setting without a clear timetable, teaching plan, safeguarding arrangements or named person to contact.
• Your child is receiving little or no teaching, or the offer does not appear to provide a broad and balanced education. Ask how the education is suitable and what will be taught.
• A formal off-site direction is extended without a review of progress, the child’s views, support needs and next steps, or you are not told how to take part in the review.
• Your child is being kept away from the usual school without anyone explaining whether this is a formal suspension, off-site direction or another arrangement.
• You are asked to agree to a permanent move or “trial” at another school without a clear explanation. A managed move is a permanent move and should be voluntary and agreed by all parties; it is different from a temporary off-site direction.
• Support in the EHC plan, reasonable adjustments or health needs are not being discussed, or the local authority is not involved when required for the route being used.

What can parents do?

1. Ask which process applies. Request the decision, reason, start date, timetable, duration, contact details and review arrangements in writing.
2. Ask what success would look like. Agree how the child’s learning, wellbeing and views will be considered, and what the next step will be if the placement is not helping.
3. Put the child’s needs on record. Explain what support has helped, what has not, what the child says, and any relevant information from the EHC plan or professionals.
4. Use the review process. For a formal off-site direction, parents can request a review meeting in writing and can attend or send written views. Keep the invitation, your response and the outcome letter.
5. Separate a temporary placement from a permanent move. Do not feel pressured to treat AP as agreement to a managed move. If you feel pressured into a managed move, the DfE guidance says you can raise this through the school’s formal complaints procedure and, where appropriate, the local authority.
6. Get advice early if exclusion is raised. Ask the school to explain its concerns and the support or adjustments it has considered. If a formal suspension or permanent exclusion happens, follow the challenge process and timescales in the school’s letter and current DfE guidance.

These steps cannot guarantee that a school will not make a lawful exclusion decision. They can help you understand the route, correct inaccurate records, share relevant information and ask decision-makers to explain how your child’s needs and views have been considered.

If you have found a provider you think could help

Tell the school or local authority which needs you think the provider could support and what outcome you hope it could help with. Explain whether you see it as short-term support alongside the usual school, a step towards more school attendance, or another option. Ask whether the school or local authority can assess the provider and consider commissioning a place.

Share information about what your child says, what helps them learn, and any professional advice that is relevant. Ask who would be responsible for checking the provider, arranging the placement, paying for it, coordinating any EHC plan provision, transport and safeguarding, and reviewing whether it is working. A parent identifying a possible provider does not by itself create a right to a funded place; the relevant decision-maker must consider suitability, responsibilities and the child’s individual circumstances.

If you think a particular offer is not suitable

You can explain why the specific proposal may not meet your child’s needs and ask what alternatives will be considered. Be clear and factual. For example, identify the needs or interests the setting does not appear to support, ask what evidence the decision is based on, and suggest information or adjustments that may help assess it.

If you decide not to accept a particular offer, record that accurately and promptly. You can say that your response concerns this specific placement, explain why, and ask the school to record your reasons and the options still being considered. If a meeting note or EHC review record says only that you “refused alternative provision”, ask for it to be corrected or for your written response to be attached. Keep a copy of your message and the reply.

There is not one blanket parental veto or one blanket parental-consent rule for every AP route. A voluntary arrangement or managed move has different rules from a formal off-site direction or education arranged after exclusion. Ask which route applies. If your child has an EHC plan and you disagree with a decision about the plan or placement, ask the local authority for the decision and information about the relevant review or appeal rights. Consider getting independent advice.

Questions to ask about a proposed placement

1. What is the purpose? Is this for needs-led support, a formal off-site direction, a suspension, permanent exclusion, health-related absence or another reason?
2. What are the intended outcomes? What will change for my child, how will progress be measured, and what happens at the end of the planned period?
3. How will it meet my child’s needs? Ask about the child’s views, interests, SEN support or Section F provision, reasonable adjustments, communication, health and sensory needs.
4. Who is responsible? Who commissions the place, who your child remains registered with, who checks attendance and learning, and who responds if it is not working?
5. What will the education look like? Ask for the start date, timetable, subjects, teaching arrangements, work from the usual school and qualifications where relevant.
6. How are safety and practical arrangements handled? Ask about safeguarding, information-sharing, travel, start and finish times, meals, equipment and absence reporting.
7. When will it be reviewed? Agree who will attend, what information will be considered, how your child’s views will be included and when the next step will be decided.

Checking a non-school provider

Ask the commissioner what checks it has made about the provider’s suitability, teaching, safeguarding, health and safety, staff and process for reporting concerns. Ask whether the provider must be registered for the proposed type and length of placement. DfE has published voluntary national standards for non-school AP; these are non-statutory, so check what standard the commissioner expects and what evidence it has considered.

A manageable next step

You could write to the person who proposed the arrangement and ask which route applies, what the placement is meant to achieve, how it will meet your child’s needs, who is responsible and how it will be reviewed. If you are proposing a provider, describe why it may help and ask for it to be considered. If no suitable education is being provided, contact the school and, where appropriate, the local authority. Trafford families can also ask Trafford SENDIASS for impartial information and advice.

Official guidance and Trafford support

• Education Act 1996, section 19 (local authority duty to arrange education in specified circumstances).
• Children and Families Act 2014, section 42 (local authority duty to secure special educational provision in an EHC plan).
• Children and Families Act 2014, section 61 (education otherwise than at school).
• Department for Education: Alternative provision statutory guidance (last updated 5 February 2025).
• Department for Education: Suspension and permanent exclusion guidance (current guidance effective 26 July 2026).
• GOV.UK: A guide for parents on school behaviour and exclusion.
• Department for Education: current suspension, exclusion and pupil movement guidance (effective 26 July 2026; off-site directions and managed moves).
• Department for Education: High needs funding 2026 to 2027 operational guide (updated 14 October 2026; AP funding).
• Department for Education: Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school.
• Department for Education: Non-school alternative provision voluntary national standards.
• Trafford SEND Local Offer · Trafford SENDIASS.

Alternative provision page sources checked 27 October 2026. Guidance and local service details can change; check the linked source for current information. This page gives general information, not advice on an individual case.