Alternative Provision - Best practice and development session: September 2023

In May 2023 a survey was sent to all North West local authorities to gather information on the numbers and cohorts accessing AP, alongside the procurement process, quality assurance and specific challenges.  Following this initial scoping exercise, an 'Alternative Provision - Best practice and development' session was held in September 2023.

The session was held to start initial discussion around Alternative Provision and featured presentations from Ofsted and DfE, and shared good practice from colleagues in Bolton, Cheshire West and Chester, and Westmorland and Furness. There was also an introduction to the IntegratEd QA toolkit, which has been adapted for NW local authorities, and is available below. 

Agenda: 

Ofsted: What can local authorities do to assure themselves of high quality Alternative Provision?

DfE: Strategic update from DfE on Alternative Provision policy including an update on Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces

Westmorland and Furness: Partnership working with providers and schools

Bolton: Alternative Provision commissioning and inclusive practice

Cheshire West and Chester: Facilitating quality through strategy, templates and guidance

NWADCS: Quality Assurance Toolkit (IntegratED)

You can access further Alternative Provision resources here.