Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) HM Inspectors and (b) Ofsted Inspectors on recording in individual school reports (i), the names of the specific providers of Alternative Provision used by the school, (ii) current Ofsted judgements of the overall effectiveness of the specific providers of Alternative Provision used by the school and (iii) the steps taken by inspectors to assess the quality and understand the use of Alternative Provision by the school in each of the last five years; and if she will place a copy of this information in the Library of the House.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. member, and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The department publishes statutory guidance for local authorities and schools on arranging and commissioning suitable alternative provision for children and young people. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/942014/alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf.