Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to (a) expand alternative provision and (b) ensure that alternative provision provides education at a (a) Good or (b) Outstanding by OFSTED.

The Department is committed to reforming alternative provision (AP) including expanding and attracting high quality AP as an integral part of the free schools programme. We will announce the successful applicants of the current wave of AP and special Free Schools in early 2020.

As of December 2019, 81% of pupil referral units, AP academies and AP free schools were rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. The Department’s reforms will continue to improve the quality of the sector, building on the good practice being tested in our £4 million AP Innovation Fund projects and learning from the effective approaches my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has seen in a number of his visits to AP institutions.