Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of the pupil premium when a pupil is placed in alternative provision.

As is the case for headteachers in mainstream schools, headteachers in alternative provision settings are free to spend the pupil premium grant in any way they wish to benefit their pupils. They are required to publish on their website details about the use and impact of the funding. The Department for Education has made no assessment of pupil premium use for pupils placed in alternative provision. Disadvantaged pupil progress and achievement are assessed by Ofsted when an alternative provision setting is inspected, and disadvantaged pupil outcomes are published in performance tables.

Our statutory guidance makes it clear that alternative provision should be good quality which appropriately meets the needs of pupils. This guidance is attached. Responsibility for the alternative provision used rests with the commissioner, who should assure themselves that the setting is registered where appropriate and provision is delivered by high quality staff.