A Strategic Approach to Alternative Provision in Wiltshire
Contents
Priorities
The priorities of the AP Strategy are:
- to create a shared understanding with parents/carers, schools and providers about when alternative provision may be appropriate, what is available in Wiltshire, and how it can be accessed
- to ensure all pupils experience consistent and inclusive education that is sufficiently informed to meet needs through equitable access to inclusive pathways
- to work with providers and schools ensure a sufficiently broad-ranging, needs-led alternative provision that is fit for purpose in improving outcomes and post-16 rates of young people in education employment or training (EET)
- to provide high quality alternative provision locally, operating alongside mainstream and special schools to meet the needs of Wiltshire pupils for some or all their education
- ensure all pupils provided with AP are offered their entitlement to suitable full-time education
To create a shared understanding with parents/carers, schools and providers about when alternative provision may be appropriate, what is available in Wiltshire, and how it can be accessed.
What has been achieved so far?
- development of the Local Offer - Every local authority is responsible for publishing a Local Offer and making sure it is clear, comprehensive and available for everyone to see. The Local Offer provides information on the services available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) aged between 0 to 25, in Wiltshire and how to access them
- alternative provision guide for schools and providers - The AP guide is published on Right Choice and free to view and use by all schools and providers. It is based on statutory guidance and provides a set of principles that Wiltshire schools and other commissioners should follow to ensure that pupils benefit from high quality provision that is safe, secure, and appropriate to their individual needs
- network meetings for providers every term and regular newsletters
What more do we need to do?
- encourage and support stronger collaboration between schools and alternative providers
- what has been achieved so far
- opportunities for marketplace events to take place where schools can explore what is available and providers can hear from and better understand the needs of schools and other commissioners and pupils
- create opportunities to listen and respond to the voice of children and families who access alternative provision and to use their experiences as we seek to improve outcomes
To ensure all pupils experience consistent and inclusive education that is sufficiently informed to meet needs through equitable access to inclusive pathways (including a SEN graduated response).
What has been achieved so far?
Help for schools to deliver 'mainstream', 'mainstream plus', and 'targeted' support:
- OPAL - ordinarily available provision for all learners; a resource co- produced with schools
- five to Thrive' training rolled out to schools to provide a whole school trauma informed approach
- school effectiveness support for schools to secure quality first teaching and a well-structured, effective and ambitious curriculum offer
- behaviour support service support for primary schools to build teaching and leadership capacity to meet the social and emotional needs of all pupils
- monitoring of the SLA spend by secondary schools
- targeted funding support for primary schools for inclusion projects including AP planned and overseen by behaviour support service
What more do we need to do?
- develop support for schools using alternative provision to support the needs of pupils with an EHCP
- improve monitoring arrangements for schools' use of alternative provision and pupil outcomes
To work with providers and schools ensure a sufficiently broad-ranging, needs-led alternative provision that is fit for purpose in improving outcomes and post-16 rates of young people in education employment or training (EET).
What has been achieved so far?
- development of the Wiltshire Approved Alternative Provision directory
- work with schools to monitor outcomes for post 16 pupils who accessed AP in their final year of schooling
What more do we need to do?
- increase the sufficiency of flexible and specialist support provided by alternative providers
- to reduce suspensions and maintain low rates of permanent exclusion
- to work with pupils and families and employers on transition plans to suitable further education employment or training
- to reduce suspensions of pupils with an EHCP
- ensure sufficient places available to meet statutory requirement to make day 6 provision for any permanently excluded pupil resident in Wiltshire
- commissioned places with current or new providers within Wiltshire
- work with alternative providers to develop their offer in line with the SEND/AP Improvement Plan proposed outcomes, within a national performance framework
- effective outreach support
- improved attendance
- successful return to mainstream lessons
- academic attainment, with a focus on English and maths
- successful post-16 transitions
- further develop monitoring arrangements for schools' use of alternative provision
- SLA monitoring group
- primary inclusion group - overview of inclusion funding for in school support or resources as well as AP for pupils
- with SEND
- undergoing EHCNA
- with no SEN - to prevent increase in pupil needs
To provide high quality alternative provision locally, operating alongside mainstream and special schools to meet the needs of Wiltshire pupils for some or all their education.
What has been achieved so far?
- directory of Wiltshire Approved Alternative provision
- safeguarding
- health and safety
- teaching and learning
What more do we need to do?
- Develop mechanisms to create a map of the current pathways into AP for pupils with SEND
- encourage and support stronger collaboration between schools, Wiltshire Council and alternative providers for pupils
- with SEND those with SEN support EHCNA and EHCP
- with a social worker
- with pupil premium
- on a reduced education provision plan (REP)
- increase the sufficiency of flexible and specialist support provided by alternative providers to reduce suspensions and maintain rate of permanent exclusion
- ensure sufficient places are available to meet statutory requirement to make day 6 provision for any permanently excluded pupil resident in Wiltshire
- work with alternative providers to ensure sufficiency within the sector to meet identified need for schools and the council, including an AP free school application and increasing the DfE registered provision available in Wiltshire
- work with alternative providers to develop their offer in line with the SEND and AP Improvement Plan
- improve monitoring arrangements for schools' use of alternative provision
Ensure all pupils provided with AP are offered their entitlement to suitable full-time education.
What has been achieved so far?
- Children Absent From Education (CAFE) reviews of pupils who are or at risk of missing out in education In Wiltshire. The CAFE group reviews the education provision of pupils who are identified as not accessing or are at risk of not accessing full-time education provision. The group will consider the education provision being made and may make recommendations/actions to support the inclusion of the pupil into full-time suitable provision
- schools reporting of off-site direction to AP and managed move arrangements is in place
What more do we need to do?
- Develop communication with schools and providers to promote understanding about pupils right to full-time education:
- what full time education means
- commissioners' additional responsibilities around safeguarding for any pupil whose timetable does not cover the usual school hours 9am to 3pm
- developing a mechanism to regularly understand parent and pupil voice in relation to AP
- encourage and support stronger collaboration between schools and alternative providers
- increase the sufficiency of flexible and specialist support provided by alternative providers to reduce suspensions and maintain low rate of permanent exclusion
- ensure sufficient places available to meet statutory requirement to make day 6 provision for any permanently excluded pupil resident in Wiltshire
- work with alternative providers to ensure sufficiency within the sector to meet identified need for schools and the council
- work with alternative providers to develop their offer in line with SEND and AP Improvement Plan proposed outcomes, within a national performance framework:
- effective outreach support
- improved attendance
- reintegration
- academic attainment, with a focus on English and maths
- successful post-16 transitions
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