July 2026
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This conference considered next steps for alternative provision in England.
It brought 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 were explored, as well as key measures in the forthcoming Education for All Bill recently announced in the King’s Speech. Sessions examined the future application of AP within the wider school system, pathways for improving quality of education and oversight, strategies for raising standards in school, reducing exclusions and supporting inclusion in mainstream settings, and supporting positive educational and post‑16 outcomes for pupils educated outside mainstream settings.
Commissioning, oversight & quality of provision
Discussion considered 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 were 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. This conference took place alongside the announcement of new Experts at Hands service, which will support local authorities expand access to specialists, supporting earlier intervention and support from September 2026. Areas for discussion included 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, as well as the role of mainstream schools and trusts in reducing avoidable exclusions and supporting earlier intervention.
Access to provision, reintegration pathways & joined-up services
The agenda also included 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 were examined, including early intervention, shared resources, and collaboration between settings. Areas for discussion included 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 was given to how to define successful reintegration in practical terms, including educational progress, consistent attendance, and sustained return to mainstream settings over time, as well as the role of youth services, social care, and community groups in supporting successful reintegration and preventing future disengagement from education.
Accountability, workforce development & post-16 progression
Further sessions assessed 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 considered how accountability frameworks can better reflect pupil engagement and reintegration outcomes, alongside academic attainment.
Priorities for workforce development were 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 were also considered.
Delegates examined 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 was also discussed, as well as developing transition support, alignment with local skills priorities and the role of employers, colleges and training providers in supporting work experience, supported internships, apprenticeships and progression into employment.
As well as key stakeholders, those attending included officials from the Department for Education; Department of Health and Social Care; Government Legal Department; Ofsted; Skills England; and UK Health Security Agency.
