Heads of alternative provision: committed to realising young peoples' potential in an unregulated marketAlternative provision caters for pupils who are marginalised and excluded from mainstream schooling. In England it is generally conceptualised in policy terms as providing education to support behavioural improvements (pupils are directed off site to improve behaviour). There is very limited research on the experiences of those who work in alternative provision settings. That which does exist tends to report the commitment of these professionals to the young people with whom they work. Young people who attend these schools almost without fail talk about the relationships they experience there and the positive impact they have on them. As such there is a need to better understand the choices and motivations of those working with these young people if we are to understand the key relationships that make alternative provision work. This article fills a gap by focusing on the experiences of those managing AP settings across a geographical area and was undertaken as part of the author's professional doctorate. The findings are based on three interviews and 20 surveys and develop significantly our understanding of the motivations of those working in and managing alternative provision settings. Interesting divergences in practice are highlighted across settings and evidence is presented which shows that managers both see and work to realise the potential of the young people who attend alternative provision. Indeed, these findings suggest staff commitment should be conceptualised as belief in the potential of the young people who attend alternative provision.

young people who attend Alternative Provision settings report positive relationships and experiences of learning. There is however very little research which explores the longer term outcomes of attending this sort of provision. Retrospective life history interviews were undertaken with 18 young adults in their early to mid-20s who had attended Alternative Provision in England. Interviews focused on schooling, exclusion, attending Alternative Provision and the impact of this on what they had done since leaving school up to their present situation. Analysis showed that the experience of attending Alternative Provision frequently constituted a turning point in a young person's life story. This was due to the qualitatively different kind of social space experienced there.

Sustaining Post-16 destinations from Alternative Provision: a review of the data and the perspectives of heads from low, mid and high performing schoolsThis study set out to explore which practices in alternative provision (AP) settings in England made a difference to post-16 transition success into further education, training or employment. APs provide education for pupils who have been permanently excluded from mainstream schools and those directed there to improve their behaviour. In 2016 56% of young people transitioning from alternative provision maintained a stable placement in the following year. This study took an approach which combined the analysis of official statistics, freedom of information requests and targeted semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that practices which increased sustained transitions included; effective and ongoing tracking of ex-students; a high quality, core academic offer; and opportunities for students to increase their independence by taking well measured steps outside of their main placement.Additionally, the views of staff and their involvement in, or awareness of, the broader context within which they worked were found to be important. This study evidences the value of comparing outcomes across similar types of setting to improve our understanding of effective practice. Keywords: alternative provision; exclusion; transitions; post-16 destinations 'Other Educational Destinations' (where post-16 AP would be accounted for) rather than mainstream college, sixth form, apprenticeship or work destinations (DfE, 2019a). The term ex-students will be used throughout this article to refer to students who attended an AP setting and have now transitioned to a post-16 destination.In England, AP denotes the schooling in place for pupils who have been marginalised and excluded from mainstream school. It includes pupil referral units (PRUs), AP free schools, and AP academies which all receive core funding from the government and which exist alongside a range of other AP which may or may not be registered as independent schools (Mills and Thomson, 2018). In March 2018 the Department for Education (DfE) published its vision for alternative provision entitled 'Creating opportunity for all' (DfE, 2018). As part of this, an innovation fund was launched to fund projects supporting successful post-16 transitions, the reintegration of pupils into mainstream (or special) placements, and increased engagement from parents or carers. This research explores the first of these themes presenting evidence from an analysis of existing practice in relation to post-16 transitions and providing a robust and in-depth study of these issues which are also explored by the recently published innovation fund evaluation documents (DfE, 2021a, DfE, 2021b.The Department for Education (DfE) publishes annual data on the outcomes of Key Stage 4 (KS4) pupils (DfE, 2021c). This tracks young people for two terms after leaving school at the age of 16 and identifies those who have been in stable education or employment ...

This article makes the case for clearer reporting of alternative provision. The main body of this paper consists of an analysis of available data on permanent exclusions and attendance at alternative provision. Findings show a greater number of young people attending alternative provision compared to those permanently excluded and concerning patterns of over representation among children in care and those with a special educational need or disability. This raises issues of children's rights, particularly equality of educational experience and of fair access to the schooling system. It is argued that annual reporting on exclusions should be developed to include a section of in depth reporting on alternative provision.