Alternative education Provision Framework Contract

Tender description

Plymouth City Council are working with the Plymouth Schools to establish a framework of providers of Alternative Education Provision. Some learners may find themselves marginalised from conventional schools because of their behaviour or other challenges and they may be permanently excluded or have simply disengaged from education. Many have special educational needs (SEN), including social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) and often have challenging home circumstances. Schools may commission a service from an independent alternative education provider to provide support for these young people as well as to re-engage them in their education. Alternative Education refers to learning and support offered primarily outside of school that is deemed to be an intervention aimed at helping ‘turn around pupils before they become disengaged with their education’ and will ‘deliver appropriate educational progress’. Alternative education provision will differ from pupil to pupil, but DfE say provision should: • Have a clear purpose with a focus on education and achievement as well as meeting the pupils needs and rigorous assessment of progress • Offer appropriate and challenging teaching in English, mathematics and science (including IT) on par with mainstream education - unless this is being provided elsewhere within a package of provision • Be suited to the pupil’s capabilities, give pupils the opportunity to take appropriate qualifications and involve suitably qualified staff who can help pupils make excellent progress; and • Have good arrangements for working with other relevant services such as social care, education psychology, child and adolescent mental health services, youth offending teams, and drug support services, etc. By establishing a provider framework of alternative provision the Local Authority and schools will ensure that all necessary due diligence checks will have been made prior to placing any pupils in the provision. The Provider Framework will be subject to a refresh process at 6 monthly intervals to allow new providers to join the framework and widen the range of alternative education provision available. Keywords: Alternative Education