TO BE PUBLISHED July 2026
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This conference will consider next steps for alternative provision in England.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss implementation of proposals set out in the Every child achieving and thriving white paper, including approaches to improving quality, accountability, and data collection across the AP system, as well as further discussion on responsibilities, funding pressures, and expectations on schools and local authorities.
Early findings from the Government’s consultation on special educational needs and disabilities reform will be explored, as well as key measures in the forthcoming Education for All Bill recently announced in the Kings Speech. Sessions will examine the future application of AP within the wider school system, pathways for improving quality of education and oversight, strategies for raising standards in school, and supporting positive educational and post‑16 outcomes for pupils educated outside mainstream settings.
Commissioning, oversight & quality of provision
Discussion will consider the sustainability of current funding models in the context of rising demand for specialist placements and increasing complexity of need, including the balance between preventative investment in mainstream settings and reactive AP provision.
Practical questions will be explored around commissioning, system oversight, and collaboration between schools, local authorities, and other services in supporting timely access to high‑quality provision for pupils with complex needs. Areas for discussion include thresholds for placement, decision-making processes, approaches to managing demand, the role of AP free schools in enabling access and inclusion, effective approaches to regional commissioning, and options for regional co-ordination of budgets and placements.
Access to provision, reintegration pathways & joined-up services
The agenda also includes a focus on improving access to provision and addressing regional disparities, with discussion on waiting times, thresholds for access, consistency of decision-making, approaches to embedding short-term placements within the system, and continuity of education across settings.
Approaches to the development of effective reintegration pathways between AP and mainstream schools will be examined, including early intervention, shared resources, and collaboration between settings. Areas for discussion include accountability for reintegration outcomes, timescales, and expectations on schools, the rollout of expert-at-hand services, specialist taskforces, and co-ordinated interventions across education, health, and care services. Consideration will be given to how to define successful reintegration in practical terms, including educational progress, consistent attendance, and sustained return to mainstream settings over time.
Accountability, workforce development & post-16 progression
Further sessions assess ways to improve pupil outcomes, including approaches to monitoring attendance and attainment, developing clearer standards for inclusion and performance across both AP and mainstream settings, and tracking movement across different types of provision. Attendees will consider how accountability frameworks can better reflect pupil engagement and reintegration outcomes, alongside academic attainment.
Priorities for workforce development will be discussed, including latest thinking on recruitment and retention, as well as strategies for supporting collaboration and the development of expertise, such as workforce capacity in mainstream schools to meet increasing expectations for earlier identification of behaviour support, and delivery of inclusive provision within schools. The effect of workload pressures on collaborative working between mainstream schools and alternative provision, specialist skills gaps, and the sustainability of current staffing models across both sectors will also be considered.
Delegates will examine post-16 pathways, including those into further education, training, and employment, and the role of initiatives such as the Youth Guarantee and Jobs Guarantee in supporting progression and driving positive outcomes. Consistency of access to qualifications will also be discussed, as well as developing transition support, and alignment with local skills priorities.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Education; Department of Health and Social Care; Government Legal Department; and Ofsted.
