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These initiatives were driven by Lord Davies of Brixton, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Davies of Brixton has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Davies of Brixton has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Unregistered alternative provision are settings that provide alternative provision, but don’t meet the threshold to register as independent schools. Unregistered schools are required to register as an independent school if they offer full time education for:
Ofsted publish statistics on their activity investigating suspected unregistered schools. Since 2016, 956 settings have been investigated. Of these, 33% are classed as alternative provision providers. This information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unregistered-schools-management-information.
The government is not planning to publish individual responses submitted to the call for evidence into the use of unregistered alternative provision. A full breakdown of responses received will be published as part of the final analysis report. The report will include the key findings from submitted responses and it will be published later this year.
Since the 2022/23 academic year, the department has started to collect data from all schools, via the school census, about the alternative provision they arrange, including in unregistered settings. The first mandatory collection is currently being carried out within the spring census and so the information requested is not yet available.
The department stopped maintaining a central voluntary register of unregistered alternative provision providers in 2012. This followed a recommendation by the department’s Behaviour Adviser, in the report, Improving Alternative Provision. This report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/180581/DFE-00035-2012.pdf and is attached.
Any education setting which provides full-time provision to five or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is looked after or has an education, health and care (EHC) plan), is not maintained by a local authority and is not a non-maintained special school, is required to register with the department as an independent school. It is a criminal offence to conduct an independent school that is not registered.
Any unregistered alternative provider which provided full-time education of over 18 hours per week to five or more children (or one or more children who are looked after or who have an EHC plan), may be operating unlawfully as an unregistered independent school.
Since those conducting such a setting are committing a criminal offence, they do not generally inform the department about the school’s operation. It is not therefore possible to accurately estimate the number of unregistered alternative providers in England which are providing full-time education to school-age pupils.
It is possible that some unregistered alternative providers are providing more than 18 hours per week to school-age pupils in ways which mean the setting is not operating as an unregistered independent school because, for instance, it caters for fewer than five pupils of compulsory school age. The department does not collect data at a provider level about unregistered providers.
The department does not collect data on the number of unregistered alternative education providers. Data is collected in the alternative provision census on the placement of pupils by local authorities and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools. This data is collected via the schools census, including where a placement is with an unregistered alternative education provider. However, information on the provider is not collected and the number of unique providers cannot be derived.
The department does not collect data on the number of unregistered alternative education providers. Data is collected in the alternative provision census on the placement of pupils by local authorities and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools. This data is collected via the schools census, including where a placement is with an unregistered alternative education provider. However, information on the provider is not collected and the number of unique providers cannot be derived.
The department does not collect data on the number of unregistered alternative education providers. Data is collected in the alternative provision census on the placement of pupils by local authorities and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools. This data is collected via the schools census, including where a placement is with an unregistered alternative education provider. However, information on the provider is not collected and the number of unique providers cannot be derived.
The department recognises the need to strengthen protections for children and young people in unregistered alternative provision settings, so that every placement is safe and has clear oversight.
To find the right solution, the department launched a call for evidence on the use of unregistered alternative provision. The call for evidence closed on 30 September 2022.
The department has commissioned independent analysis of responses to this consultation, which will be published later this year.
HMRC estimates that fewer than 1,000 individuals currently pay the married women’s reduced rate of National Insurance.
HMRC has a statutory duty of confidentiality regarding taxpayer information, which prohibits officers of HMRC from releasing specifics on individual taxpayers. As a result, the Government cannot provide the information requested on the youngest person currently paying the reduced rate of National Insurance contributions for married women and widows.
HMRC estimates that fewer than 1,000 individuals currently pay the married women’s reduced rate of National Insurance.
HMRC has a statutory duty of confidentiality regarding taxpayer information, which prohibits officers of HMRC from releasing specifics on individual taxpayers. As a result, the Government cannot provide the information requested on the youngest person currently paying the reduced rate of National Insurance contributions for married women and widows.