APs and AIPs

Alternative provisions (APs) and area inclusion partnerships (AIPs).

Alternative Provision (APs)

Schools can organise and fund alternative provision for children and young people where it is felt that some learning outside the mainstream school setting would be helpful. Alternative provision, is usually a short-term measure that offers intensive support to both the learner and their mainstream school (or a new mainstream school for the learner, in some cases). From the start, the expectation is that the learner will be going back into school (‘re-inclusion’) and regularly attend school.

The learner may need to learn new skills to manage their SEMH needs and help to catch up, if they are behind in their learning. The family may need help to support their child to develop these skills and enable their attendance at school. The school may need help to make some changes in how they support the learner, or the learning environment they provide. High quality alternative provision will support all these things, with the goal being long-term re-inclusion in mainstream school, and regular attendance.

Not attending school regularly means that children miss out not only on academic learning, but also other benefits, like access to health and well-being services that work around schools, opportunities to make friends, and opportunities to develop skills, like work experience or volunteering in the community.

Alternative provision can be offered in a number of different settings. Some of these are managed by local schools (see AIP information below), others are offered by independent providers – some who are registered with Ofsted as independent schools or alternative provision academies, and others where they only provide limited hours for learners as part of their overall learning offer.

If your child’s school thinks it would be a good idea for them to access support from an
alternative provision, they will always talk about this with you first. If this hasn’t been suggested, but you think it might be a good idea, you can talk about it with any of the staff in their school who you feel comfortable talking to.

You could show them this information to help start the conversation.

Below are a list of Alternative Provisions that have been registered formally with Ofsted. 

Area Inclusion Partnerships (AIPs)

These are partnerships of schools in different areas of the city, who work together to support learners who need extra help when they are vulnerable to exclusion from school, or missing time in learning. The local authority (Leeds City Council) works with these partnerships of schools, providing funding to support them to meet their aims. This is an innovative approach unique to Leeds, and has helped us achieve very low levels of permanent exclusion from Leeds schools.

Almost every school in Leeds belongs to an AIP. AIPs have outreach workers who can go into a mainstream school to support the staff where a child or young person is struggling
with their learning due to social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. They may work with the child or young person, their family, and the school. Many AIPs have also developed local inclusion bases, which is a place where learning can be offered, often on a temporary

basis, outside the mainstream school setting. These bases are always led by a mainstream school and the provision is usually based at, or close to, that school.

If your child’s school thinks it would be a good idea for them to access support from their AIP, they will always talk about this with you first. If this hasn’t been suggested, but you think it might be a good idea, you can talk about it with any of the staff in their school who you feel comfortable talking to.

You could show them this information to help start the conversation.