Long-term outcomes for students who attend alternative provision schools: analysis of a national dataset at national, regional, local and institutional levels

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the long-term outcomes of students who attend alternative provision (AP) settings. This study set out to analyse data published by the Department for Education which presents long-term education and employment outcomes for school pupils in England. After making comparisons by type of setting at the national level, this analysis focused on alternative provision at regional, local and institutional levels. Findings identify considerable differences in rates of sustained education and employment destinations for students who have attended AP. This suggests an AP setting with over four in 10 of their ex-students in stable education or employment after three years is performing well. Findings also suggest an important role for expectations, extended transitions and local coordination. This study presents a benchmark against which future studies of AP can measure long-term outcomes and providers of AP can judge their work.

KEYWORDS:

• Alternative provision
• long-term outcomes
• alternative education
• flexible learning
• alternative schools
• second chance schooling

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Ofsted are the official inspectorate for educational institutions in England.

2. In England SEN are categorised as either SEN support or EHCP (previously known as a statement of SEN). SEN support represents needs which can be met within the school environment. Where an ECHP is agreed, more extensive support is provided up to the age of 25. The SEN in England 2020/21 data records 58.7% of pupils in AP as SEN support and 24.0% as having more significant needs and thus an EHCP (DfE, 2021c). The overall figure of around 80% of students in AP having a record of SEN is stable back to the 2012–13 edition of SEN in England which reports an overall rate of 81.4% of pupils in AP recorded as SEN (DfE, 2013).

3. This is an administrative code, unique to the individual, used for tax and social security purposes in the UK.