FEATURE FOCUS: ALTERNATIVE PROVISION
For example, where a school knows its context, the student, and that student’s challenges deeply, we can combine that with our understanding of implementing flexible, quality online education to bring about greater success.
Moreover, when this combined effort is focused on developing confidence and providing direction and skills for transition in young people, it creates a partnership based on trust and shared vision. Capacity requires partnership, and collaboration builds capacity - that is what great online AP does.
At Academy21, our OFSTED report underlines this motivation: “Pupils attend Academy21 for varied periods. For some pupils, this is for a short period, for example, due to an exclusion; for others, it is longer. This is often because pupils’ mental health needs mean they are unable to attend a physical school. Academy21’s core aim is to act as an educational bridge, supporting pupils to transition back into mainstream schooling or college.”
Flexibility
Physical interventions are often hindered by the inflexibility of space, timetables, staffing, even transport options - all of which can delay support. Schools have developed innovative programmes to address these realities, utilising available teaching and support staff to provide academic and pastoral care. For example, they turn to Academy21 to give their students a consistent education that allows them to deliver other intensive interventions that in combination shift a young person’s outlook and trajectory. This is one of the most interesting aspects of online alternative provision.
In our provision, flexibility is built in by design. Our teaching is live and we make sure it can occur at different times for students at home or in a physical setting. There is the possibility of hybrid learning approaches where students bring their online learning onto the site to reintegrate with their school community. Where students
have different needs, their lessons can be timed to fit around whatever other support they have or indeed just their needs.
By having lessons throughout the day students can learn when they are most receptive and focused. All sessions are recorded, and each child’s work is personalised and catalogued. Moreover, the worry of not having specialist teachers is dissipated. The online provision is constant, with a qualified teacher for every lesson trained in inclusive practice following a shared curriculum, adapted by the teacher for each of their classes.
Online alternative provision integrates seamlessly with the support offered by schools, trusts, or LAs. It adapts to various needs, from targeted interventions to broader student commitments. This is happening now in hundreds of schools and using our live online lessons for thousands of students. It works.
Whether young people are learning in hybrid settings that blend Academy21 classes with school timetables, receiving early intervention to de-escalate an intense situation, or studying at home to reconnect with learning before a phased return to school - online AP offers a versatile solution. It is a new way to learn, a level of flexibility delivered in tandem with the school or local authority.
Adaptive
Online AP’s greatest strength is its relational and adaptive nature. Adaptive teaching isn’t exclusive to online providers; like physical settings, we rely on research-informed practices that foster effective, knowledge-rich, relationship-driven teaching. Our approach prioritises academic development, psychological safety, and personal development - interconnected elements essential for a young person to thrive.
What works so well in Academy21 is the choice to run live teaching - a bedrock for relationships to grow, teachers to assess for learning, motivate and ultimately adapt delivery
to enable progress. This is a cornerstone of excellent AP and is deliverable online. We know from research that an effective teacher remains the most powerful determinant of a young person’s outcomes (Hattie 2018). And indeed that, “the best available evidence indicates that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for their pupils.” (Education Endowment Foundation). That’s why we offer more than a video stream or anything short of live, adaptive teaching, recorded for those who need it.
We see further benefits in EdTech, as digital solutions offer unique adaptability. Our bespoke platform ensures fluid access to small class sizes, quality resources and more - the net effect being the feeling of safety and predictability. By integrating AI tools, online provision can give every child a constantly updated learning pathway based on their strengths and weaknesses.
Our collaborative tools, from polls to quizzes, enable real interaction and assessment for learning online. Online students are not limited to one means of participation. They can contribute in various ways, ensuring those with different needs can share their ideas and over time become more confident.
In that vein, assistive technologies, such as text- to-speech software and digital note-taking aids, help students with specific learning challenges. While the options are not limitless, they are constantly evolving, making it possible to customise the learning experience for each child. Personalisation, considered a ‘holy grail’ in instruction, is now a tangible reality. Improvement comes from collaboration. With over a decade of delivering online alternative provision, we’ve repeatedly seen how the right approach and tools, in partnership with schools, can move the dial on the challenges and begin to tackle the complexity of supporting vulnerable students.
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www.education-today.co.uk
January 2025
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