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How to monitor your school's use of alternative provision

Your board is accountable for how your school selects and monitors alternative provision (AP). Find out what these duties are, how to review your AP data, what questions to ask school leaders, and what Ofsted will look for.

New
on 3 September 2026
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 47040
Contents
  1. What is alternative provision?
  2. Why your school might use AP
  3. Make sure AP settings are high quality
  4. Make sure AP providers and parents/carers know what to expect
  5. Review how all current placements are going
  6. Keep ongoing oversight of safeguarding
  7. Make sure the school has a reintegration plan in place
  8. Look for patterns in AP use
  9. Ofsted will consider your use of AP

This article is based on the DfE's statutory guidance on alternative provision.

What is alternative provision?

Alternative provision (AP) is an education setting that caters for children who are unable to attend school, whether temporarily or longer term.

AP can take place in a range of settings, including:

  •     Pupil referral units (PRUs)
  •     Alternative provision academies
  •     Hospital schools
  •     Colleges
  •     Independent schools
  •     Vocational and unregistered settings
  •     One-to-one tuition
  •     Accredited online providers

This is set out on pages 8 and 9 of the DfE's AP guidance.

Why your school might use AP

A pupil has reached the 6th day following a suspension or exclusion Your board has directed a pupil off-site to improve their