Education options

Parents have a duty to make sure that their children receive education during the compulsory school age years. 

Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the mainstream school system doesn’t work for all children and young people and for some that are experiencing difficulties they may be better placed in an alternative provision..

Alternative Provisions

Children and young people educated in alternative provision (AP) include pupils who have been excluded or who cannot attend mainstream school for other reasons: for example, children with behaviour issues, those who have short- or long-term illness, school phobics, teenage mothers, pregnant teenagers, or pupils without a school place.

Local authorities are responsible for arranging suitable education for permanently excluded pupils, and for other pupils who – because of illness or other reasons – would not receive suitable education without such arrangements being made.

Governing bodies of schools are responsible for arranging suitable full-time education from the sixth day of a fixed period exclusion.

Schools may also direct pupils off-site for education, to help improve their behaviour.

Statutory guidance sets out the Government’s expectations of local authorities and maintained schools who commission alternative provision and pupil referral units. The Government expects those who are not legally required to have regard to the statutory guidance to still use it as a guide to good practice.

AP includes Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), AP academies and free schools, and hospital schools, as well as a variety of independent, registered, unregistered and further education settings.

Elective Home Education

Elective or Home Education is the term used to describe parents’ decisions to provide education for their children at home instead of sending them to school. Education is compulsory, school is not.

As a parent, you must make sure your child receives a full-time education from the age of 5 but you don’t have to follow the national curriculum. You can teach your child at home, full or part-time (‘home schooling’) – but tell the school and your local council if you’re taking them out of school.

You must tell the council if you’re taking your child out of a special school.              

The council can make an ‘informal enquiry’ if you’re educating your child at home, to make sure they’re getting a suitable education. If the council thinks your child isn’t receiving a suitable education, they might serve a school attendance order.

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Post 16 options for young people with SEND

The support that young people with special educational needs or disabilities receive from age 16 will encourage young people to make decisions, and develop skills and qualifications that will enable them to achieve their aspirations and move into adulthood with confidence. Young people who have an EHC plan will be supported to move out of their plan and access the adult services they need.

When a young person leaves school at 16 to 19 years old, they are likely to have some or all of the following options available to them, depending on their ability, independence and support needs:

Full-time education at college
Training or apprenticeships – either work-based or foundation learning
Employment – open, supported or voluntary
Social Care options – community based day activities – this could include day centres, part-time college, social firms, community leisure or sport/fitness activities and supported living/specialist residential care for those who are eligible for services.

Post-16 education and employment | West Northamptonshire Council (westnorthants.gov.uk)