The latest Department for Education statistics reveal that only 1% of pupils in ‘alternative provision’ and PRUs (pupil referral units) achieved five good GCSEs in 2013-14. Furthermore, of those entered for a GCSE in Maths or English, only one in ten achieved a C or above.
This report, co-authored for Inclusion Trust with my colleague Loic Menzies at LKMco, focuses on these pupils and those that sit on the margins within mainstream schools. We argue these young people are entitled to a high quality education designed around their needs, and that alternative provision is a crucial element of our education system that should be valued and invested in.
In the report, we argue there are three broad but overlapping approaches to catering for the needs of ‘pushed out’ learners:
- Bringing ‘pushed out’ learners into the mainstream structure
- Innovating within the mainstream structure
- Working outside of the mainstream structure
The launch of the report was covered by the TES and the BBC. You can read and download the report here.