Rising need for AP

Demand is rising rapidly for Alternative Provision across primary, secondary and post-16 – yet limited state-funded capacity forces local authorities to rely on independent or unregistered provision.

Analysis from New Schools Network shows AP free schools outperform other state-funded provision – but uncertainty to the AP free school pipeline risks leaving vulnerable pupils without high-quality places.

The report finds that:

• Demand for Alternative Provision (AP) is up 31.8% in three years
• Fewer than 17,000 pupils are educated in state-funded AP schools
• AP free schools have lower absence and stronger post-16 outcomes than other state-funded AP