🔬Alternative Provision: When, Why & How to Use It Well📝

A guide for school deciding whether or not to send a pupil to alternative provision.

👋 Welcome to SEMH Education!

Every week, I share insights, strategies, and tips from my experience working with children and professionals on social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) in education. This week, we’re unpicking alternative provisions (AP). We’ll look at what they are, when they should be used, and the common mistakes schools make when arranging them.

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❗The Reality on the Ground

We all know the stories. A child repeatedly “disrupts” lessons, doesn’t respond to sanctions, and ends up being sent to an alternative provision (AP). But behind the scenes? There’s no SEND assessment. No structured SENCO observations. Just a well-meaning staff team reacting to behaviour without identifying why it’s happening.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t inclusion. This is avoidance, and it can have long-term consequences.

🔒 What Paid Subscribers Get in This Post:

• 🗓️ A deep dive into what, when, why, and how to arrange Alternative Provision (AP)

• ⚠️ Breakdown of common mistakes schools make (e.g. lack of assessments, poor communication)

• 🧠 Trauma-informed insights on the impact of sudden AP placements, especially for CPP, CiN, and CLA pupils

• 🛠️ Actionable steps to implement AP appropriately and legally

• ✨ Benefits of AP done well

• 📜 Staff briefing script (3–4 min) to use in meetings or CPD

• 📋 Quick-Use AP Decision Checklist for SLT and SENCOs