Monitoring and quality assurance of alternative provision placements
The Department for Education (DfE) provides statutory guidance set out in
Arranging Alternative Provision A Guide for Local Authorities and Schools’ dated February 2025 details that responsibility for the alternative provision used rests with the commissioner.
As soon as a suitable placement is identified, the commissioner and alternative provision setting should agree the nature of the intervention, its objectives, reintegration and the timeline to achieve these objectives. The provider should set this out in
a personalised plan for the child.
Regular review dates (at least half-termly) between the commissioner and the provider should be built in to monitor the child’s progress against objectives and to consider any changes that may be necessary to ensure the placement is successful. The provider
should be responsible for advising commissioners on any necessary changes and next steps to support transitions.
Responsibility for the oversight of the alternative provision used always rests with the local authority or school that commissioned the placement.
Schools should always inform the local authority when they commission a placement in alternative provision for a child to ensure the local authority maintains oversight of sufficiency and safeguarding.
Commissioners should maintain regular contact with the provider and child, with clear procedures in place to exchange information, monitor progress and provide pastoral support. A child should not be removed from the home school’s admission register, with
the school making every effort to ensure that the child continues to feel that they belong and are part of the school.
The commissioner and alternative provider should discuss and agree a proposed maximum period of time as part of the planning phase for an off-site direction. The commissioner and alternative provider should agree on appropriate reporting mechanisms, including
how the provider can report any issues or concerns and how the provider keeps records on and reports back information about a child’s attendance and progress in the provision.
Bradford schools, in conjunction with Local Authority partners, have developed a Quality Assurance template to support those using alternative provision placements in their monitoring and quality assurance duties.
Quality Assurance Checklist - Template for schools