Alternative provision placements arranged by schools
These data items are mandatory in the school census.
For schools, this module captures school arranged alternative provision and includes any AP placements arranged by mainstream schools and special schools.
Definition of alternative provision
For census purposes, the DfE define AP as full or part-time education arranged by:
- local authorities, either directly or working with schools, for pupils who, because of permanent exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education
- schools for pupils to improve their behaviour off-site, or during a suspension
AP is not an out of school activity arranged in addition to a full-time education, including activities arranged primarily for recreational purposes or for SEN support. Nor is it educational home learning resources provided by a school for the pupils at home.
AP settings provide education for pupils who do not go to a mainstream school or special school full time. The education often takes place at a PRU, AP academy or free school, but placements can also be arranged in another mainstream or independent school that provides AP, or in an educational setting that is not registered with DfE.
Who submits the data – alternative provision common scenarios
The commissioning / arranging school should record and return these data items, rather than the placement provider. Where alternative provision has been arranged by the local authority, for example for children with medical conditions, but the pupil also remains dual registered with the mainstream school and the PRU / AP school, then the mainstream school should complete the data items.
The following examples indicate who should submit information;
- If a pupil is at a mainstream school and at any AP setting, the mainstream school should record and return the data items for this placement. If the same pupil receives additional off-site alternative provision at another AP setting (for example, with an independent or unregistered provider) then the mainstream school should also complete the information for any additional placement.
- If the local authority has arranged an AP placement at a state-funded AP school (PRU, AP Academy, AP Free school) and the pupil remains on the roll of mainstream school, then the mainstream school should submit the placement information as this data cannot be returned by the local authority.
Collection periods for census
Placements are returned ‘as at census day’ and cover the period from the day after the previous census to the current census day – inclusive.
Data should be submitted for both on and off roll pupils who have attended AP placements within the census period, as indicated below;
| Census Term | Collection Period |
|---|---|
| Autumn 2024 | All open placements and those that ended between 16/05/24 and 03/10/24 (inclusive) |
| Spring 2025 | All open placements and those that ended between 03/10/24 and 16/01/25 (inclusive) |
| Summer 2025 | All open placements and those that ended between 16/01/25 and 15/05/25 (inclusive) |
- any current AP placements (taking place on census day) and
- any previous placements, where the pupil has left the AP placement within the census period
Where pupils have attended more than one AP placement within the census period, including multiple placements with the same AP provider, schools should record and submit information on each placement separately. If the pattern of part-time sessions changes during the placement, schools should only submit details of most recent placement.
| Data collected | Explanation |
|---|---|
| AP placement URN * | the URN, where available, of the establishment within which the pupil has taken up an AP placement (available via Get Information About Schools) |
| AP placement UKPRN * | If the establishment does not have a URN, submit the UKPRN of the establishment within which the pupil has taken up an AP placement (available via UK Register of Learning Providers) |
| AP placement setting type * | where neither the URN nor UKPRN are available, for example because it’s not a school or registered FE institution, submit the type of setting within which the pupil has taken up an AP placement;
|
| AP placement Companies House company number * | This data item should be provided where neither a URN nor UKPRN are available and the ‘AP setting type’ has been recorded instead. In these instances the Companies House number for the setting should be provided where available. |
| AP placement postcode * | This data item should be provided where neither a URN nor UKPRN are available and the ‘AP setting type’ has been recorded instead. |
| Placement reason | the main or primary reason why the AP was arranged;
for example, an AP placement arranged for a pupil who has a mental or physical health need but has also been suspended, the primary reason for the placement would be the suspension which led to the arrangement for the placement. |
| Date of entry | the date the pupil began their AP placement. As pupils may enter into alternative provision more than once within a census period, either with the same provider or different providers, each placement is recorded individually and returned in the census. |
| SEN provision on entry | the pupil’s SEN provision on the date the placement began. |
| Date of leaving | the date the pupil left their AP placement (where applicable). As pupils may leave alternative provision more than once within a census period, each placement is recorded individually and returned in the census. If the placement is still taking place on census day this should be left blank. |
| SEN provision on leaving | the pupil’s SEN provision on the date the placement ended. |
| AP attendance pattern | the pupil’s planned attendance pattern at the alternative provision provider; full time or part time. If the attendance pattern has changed during the placement, only submit information on the most recent placement. This data relates to the pupil’s attendance pattern in the alternative provision setting, it doesn’t indicate whether the pupil is part-time in education. If a pupil is attending fewer than 10 sessions a week at the AP placement they should be recorded as part-time. |
| AP sessions per week | where the pupil’s attendance pattern is part time (attending fewer than 10 sessions a week in the AP placement) submit the number of sessions the pupil’s expected to attend each week (a session is either a morning or afternoon in school). |
* Please note: The URN and UKPRN are mutually exclusive. Where one is returned, the other is not. If there is no URN nor UKPRN the ‘AP type of setting’ must be completed.
How to record the information in sims
This can be found in a panel in the Registration details of a pupil’s record. Go to Focus | Pupil | Pupil Details. In the ‘School Arranged Alternative Provision Placements’ panel click on New and the following window will appear when you can enter all the information;
