DfE ALTERNATIVE PROVISION GUIDANCE 2026: WHAT SCHOOLS NEED TO KNOW
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 9
The Department for Education updated their Alternative Provision guidance in February 2025. First major update since 2013.
If you're a head of department, SENCO, or anyone dealing with students at risk of exclusion, this matters. Here's why.
WHAT'S CHANGED?
Three big shifts:
1. Reintegration is now the default expectation
Every AP placement needs a clear plan for getting students back into mainstream or successfully into post-16. No more parking difficult students somewhere and hoping for the best.
2. Schools are accountable from day six
If you suspend a student, you're responsible for arranging full-time education from the sixth day. Not the LA. You.
3. AP can't be a substitute for SEND provision
The guidance explicitly states that AP shouldn't be used just because there's a shortage of SEND places. That means schools need interventions that actually work for neurodiverse learners, not just somewhere to send them.
THE PROBLEM SCHOOLS ARE FACING
Alternative provision is expensive. Average placement costs hover around £18,000 per year. Some schools report daily rates of £95+ per student.
And demand is rising. Pupil numbers in AP have grown 29% since 2012, while overall pupil population only grew 7%.
Budgets are stretched. Off-site AP is often distant, hard to monitor, and doesn't guarantee outcomes. Meanwhile, you've still got the DfE breathing down your neck about attendance, Progress 8, and safeguarding.
THE ALTERNATIVE
Here's the thing most schools miss: you don't have to send students away to re-engage them.
STEM On Track keeps students on-site, gives them hands-on engineering work, and costs a fraction of traditional AP placements.
We're already doing this. 25% of our year one cohort were Alternative Provision or SEN schools. Not individual students scattered across mainstream. Entire specialist settings running STEM On Track as core provision.
We know what it takes to engage students who've been excluded, who struggle in traditional classrooms, who need something different.
WHY IT WORKS
STEM On Track re-engages hard-to-reach learners because it gives them something tangible to work on. Not worksheets. Not behaviour contracts. Actual engineering, with real tools, leading to real competition.
Students build racing karts. They work through 113 curriculum-linked modules on our Race Academy platform. They compete at National Finals. They see their work come to life on the track.
It's hands-on STEM that actually sticks. And it works for the students traditional approaches leave behind.
THE STATS
Let's be blunt about the cost comparison:
Off-site AP placement: £18,000 per student per year average
STEM On Track programme: £7,500 (full kart-kit, 12-month programme, 2 school trips, track time) for up to 30 students
Even with as little as a five student cohort you save up to £83,000. And they stay on your roll.
Better attendance. Lower exclusion risk. Improved engagement with STEM subjects. All while meeting the DfE's new emphasis on early intervention and reintegration.
WHO THIS WORKS FOR
STEM On Track isn't just for AP settings. We work across mainstream schools, academies, and trusts with students who are:
Chronically absent
Disengaged from traditional STEM lessons
At risk of exclusion
Struggling with behavioural or motivational challenges
Neurodiverse and not thriving in standard classroom environments
If you're looking at a student and thinking "we might need to send them to AP", try STEM On Track first.
WHAT THE NEW GUIDANCE MEANS FOR YOU
The DfE wants provision that:
Keeps students on-site where possible
Has clear reintegration pathways
Works for students with SEND and behavioural challenges
Demonstrates educational impact
Costs less than shipping students off-site
STEM On Track ticks every box.
We're backed by BWT Alpine F1 Team. Used by over 115 school teams across the UK and with a proven track record with AP and SEN settings. This isn't a pilot programme. It's working provision, right now, for students who need it most.
NEXT STEPS
The new DfE guidance puts more responsibility on schools to arrange suitable education quickly and cost-effectively.
You can either:
Pay £18,000 per year to send students off-site and hope they come back
Invest £7,500 in on-site provision that keeps students engaged, on your roll, and improving their STEM outcomes
We know which one makes sense.
Book a call with our team and we'll walk you through how STEM On Track works, show you the data, and help you work out if it's the right fit for your students. Because keeping students engaged and on-site isn't just better for them. It's better for your budget, your Ofsted report, and your sanity.
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