This online conference will look at the next steps for alternative provision in England, as well as for the implementation of proposed reforms to the AP system.

Key stakeholders and policymakers will examine proposals put forward in the SEND and AP green paper to:
• introduce a national combined framework for AP and SEND
• put in place a performance framework to measure quality of provision
• improve transparency in pupil progression and their movements between care services.

It comes with the Department for Education expected to publish a response to its consultation on these measures in January 2023.

The conference will be an opportunity to assess the support that will be needed if the proposed reforms are to be effective in enhancing children’s outcomes, as well as priorities for improving quality and standards across the sector.

Delegates will also discuss strategies for preventing children needing to be excluded from school, as well as how coordination across local services involved in education can be strengthened.

They will look at the way forward for engagement with parents and guardians to identify individual needs and to improve young people’s experiences of alternative provision, including the support and care needed for over-represented groups.

Further sessions look at the sustainability of the AP system. It follows findings in the Ofsted report on alternative provision for primary-age pupils in England, published in November 2022, that many providers struggle to access external support, with children with additional needs often waiting years for a special school place.

Keynote sessions will be with Liz Franey, Deputy Director, Alternative Provision and SAFE/AP Taskforce Division, Department for Education; and Zelpher Ferguson, Behaviour Consultant and Strategist, Aluna Behaviour Consultancy.

Overall, sessions in the agenda look at:
• system reform in England: the review proposals - the Government’s response to consultation - issues for implementation of a single SEND and AP system, and national performance frameworks
• reducing exclusions: addressing the root causes and understanding factors outside school which lead to children being excluded - implementing behaviour management strategies in schools
• support priorities: early intervention - identifying individual needs - coordinating support across services - engaging parents and guardians - helping families to navigate the AP system
• pupil outcomes:
     ◦ improving student attainment and experience of AP
     ◦ evaluating quality and standards of provision - supporting over-represented groups in AP settings
     ◦ transparency on student progress and achievement - improving engagement with the wider education system
• further progression: promoting and supporting opportunities - employer-led schemes for hiring AP leavers - linking with national and local policies for skills and employment
• AP sector sustainability: evaluating local needs and allocation of support - growing capacity - opportunities for national funding frameworks - mitigating the impact of inconsistent placements.