Alternative provision offer

Alternative Provision (AP), is arranged for pupils who, for reasons such as exclusion, illness, or other circumstances, would otherwise not receive suitable education. This also includes education arranged by schools for pupils on fixed-period exclusions, or when schools direct pupils to off-site provision to improve their behaviour.

Schools can arrange Alternative Provision (AP) when a child faces permanent exclusion or requires support beyond the school setting. 

Alternative Provisions include Pupil Referral Units and medical needs/tuition services.

Alternative Provision encompasses non-mainstream, academy, special, or private/independent educational establishments. 

Waltham Forest’s Access Participation and Inclusion Service works in collaboration with the Waltham Forest Admissions team and local schools to support primary and secondary aged children in Waltham Forest who may require an AP placement. AP provisions take a trauma-informed approach to learning, and our providers are dedicated to support children who are struggling in mainstream settings and may be at risk of permanent exclusion, as well as those who have been permanently excluded. The AP provision academic offer includes opportunities for gaining qualifications in Functional Skills, and BTECs in some vocational subjects alongside the national GCSE curriculum. 

Waltham Forest’s alternative educational provision comprises of five schools and two satellite provisions, catering to a range of academic and Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The settings are as follows:

• Hawkswood Primary PRU  
• Hawkswood Secondary Therapeutic PRU
• Burnside Secondary PRU
• North Birkbeck Secondary PRU
• Big Creative Independent School
• The Oak provision
• St Raphael provision

Find out more about the application process.

For queries around AP please email BACME-Referral@walthamforest.gov.uk