Ofsted calls for more action on maintaining safety of alternative school pupils

Ofsted has called for clearer guidance on how to safeguard pupils being educated in schools that are operated by ‘alternative providers.

The report, entitled ‘Alternative school provision: findings of a three year survey’, based on visits to 165 schools and 448 alternative providers, found that a number of alternative providers contravened the regulations concerning registration.

The report said: "This is a very worrying situation, particularly considering that the schools were sending some of their most vulnerable pupils to these placements, sometimes for five days a week.”

It said such alternative providers were not well informed enough about aspects such as child protection, the use of social media by pupils and general e-safety. The report questioned the safety of pupils and expressed concerns over the lack of sufficient qualifications and narrow range of subjects.

The report did note that, since 2011, there had been an improvement in the way schools are considering the use of off-site alternative provision.

It concluded: ”Schools are responsible for ensuring the quality of the placements to which they send their pupils. Most of the schools in this latest survey did assure the quality of the provision reasonably well, but there are risks involved in this situation, particularly as many of the pupils who attend alternative provision are the most vulnerable and disenfranchised in our education system."

Sean Harford, Ofsted's national director for education, said: "Schools are voting with their feet when it comes to poor providers. More and more often we see schools working together to identify and commission better alternative provision.

"However, it is vitally important that schools recognise their responsibility for each and every pupil sent to an external provider. These are some of the most vulnerable children in the education system and the school is responsible for ensuring their personal and online safety while they are off site, as well as the quality of the education provided."

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) union, said it was ‘heartening’ to see that many schools are evaluating the suitability of local alternative provision settings.

But she added: “Alternative provision caters for students with the most complex and challenging learning needs, and in many instances is the final safety net that keeps the most vulnerable in education. Ofsted have missed a vital opportunity to recommend how the future of alternative provision can be secured in the longer term.”

In the report, Ofsted sets out a series of recommendations include the call for schools to carefully check the registration status of alternative providers, and to issue such providers good quality information, in writing, concerning the school’s expectations on child protection.

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