ONLINE ALTERNATIVE PROVISION


Five reasons why online alternative provision supports student reintegration


What can be done to assist absent students with reintegration? Here, Academy21 tells us how online alternative provision is helping to bridge the gap and bring pupils back to the classroom


Many schools use provisions like Academy21 for a series of weeks to get a student ready. This is supported by recent research promoting ‘a three-tier alternative provision system’ that prioritises ‘early interventions’ and ‘short, time- limited placements...to assess a child’s needs before they return to school’.


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espite being far above pre-pandemic levels, persistent absence rates have begun to show positive signs of improvement. The focus is now on reintegration, with the updated attendance guidance prioritising a support-first, early- stage approach.


Reintegration refers to supporting students who are absent to, whenever possible, return to their physical learning environment. At Academy21, we see the dedicated work of schools opting for online alternative provision as an early intervention tool. Online alternative provision leverages a flexible provision and live, online classes to help students overcome their barriers (be it anxiety, trauma, medical needs, or any other) and confidently return to a physical classroom.


And it works.


As Academy21’s OFSTED report states: “Teachers establish a positive learning environment, welcoming pupils into class by name and encouraging them throughout lessons. This has a demonstrable impact on improving pupils’ confidence and readiness to learn. Pupils’ attendance improves, and evidence shows that the approaches taken enable pupils to make progress and, in many cases, successfully reintegrate back into their school or other educational placements.”


Feedback from students and professionals in the SENDAP Improvement Plan and from the Education Endowment Foundation supports using time-limited, targeted alternative provision to boost engagement. Online provision offers this high degree of tailored support and has already become a key tool for schools – in Academy21’s case well over 1000 schools in the 23-24 academic year alone.


Here are five reasons why it works:


• Improved student confidence Reintegration starts with the student and their self-belief. Time enrolled in a live, online provision builds self-esteem and establishes routines, so students become more confident about returning to the mainstream classroom.


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In-school attendance can also improve after a period of online intervention – as you can see in our Greenwood School case study. Online teachers build strong relationships with students, based on understanding and daily interaction. This adaptive teaching is the foundation to build student resilience and reduce knowledge gaps.


• Flexibility and connectivity A unique aspect of using online provision for reintegration is that it keeps students connected to their physical school community whilst attending AP, making it easier to deploy a hybrid learning arrangement for a phased return. Schools can access bespoke packages and arrangements that fit around students’ needs or commitments, giving the student (and their school) more control. Time on site is built carefully, and students keep in touch with positive aspects of school life, such as friendships, staff or clubs.


Equally, online providers can offer flexible contracts, so schools use online AP exactly when they need it. Academy21 offers short-term contracts with no waiting lists for this reason, so schools can immediately meet the expectation to provide additional support without significant administrative burden or cost.


• Regular monitoring


Schools want to monitor students placed in AP closely to facilitate discussions around reintegration. Investigative research on alternative provision suggests that: ‘referrals worked best where full information about the circumstances of the referral was disclosed upfront’ and ‘where ‘detailed information on the pupil’s behaviour, wellbeing and academic progress in AP, could assist in the process of reintegrating them’. The AP Quality Toolkit, also promotes ‘robust planning, communication and support that facilitates transitions’.


Online providers support this communication, providing up-to-date information on student placements. At Academy21, this means live attendance updates, lesson-by-lesson reports on student engagement sent direct to our schools; feedback on work viewable online; and regular academic reports. Schools can also discuss each student’s placement to make changes or inform their reintegration efforts. It is a collaborative partnership founded on regular communication. Crucially, DfE-accredited online providers also offer robust safeguarding procedures to ensure student safety. OFSTED recognised this for Academy21 in our recent report, stating that “Staff are kept fully informed of the


vulnerabilities and needs of the pupils they teach in each class. This means they are highly attuned to pupils’ needs, and the provider’s records show they routinely flag any concerns to leaders... responding quickly to the needs of pupils.”


• Capacity now


Genuine reintegration is hampered by long waits for support, and students become more disconnected from the physical classroom. Therefore, the pressure to provide the alternatives students need is significant. Students can join online providers and enjoy a supportive learning environment almost immediately. This ensures students get the attention they need before any issue escalates and creates the time and space for schools to intervene.


Academy21 is the ‘right support, at the right time’, giving schools much needed AP capacity instantly. Once our provision and solutions have made the desired impact, our support can move somewhere else.


Families feel listened to because Academy21 is a high-quality, DfE-accredited provision. It feels like an investment in their child to help them receive excellent teaching regardless of circumstance. Plus, is a genuine break from unavoidable stressors of the school environment.


• Aligned curriculum and pedagogy, enhanced with technology


The scope of the online curriculum also supports reintegration. It needs to be full, aligned to curricula studied in schools and delivered 100% live by subject expert teachers. At Academy21, we know from our 20+ years’ experience and from research that a ‘well planned, broad, ambitious and tailored curriculum’ is fundamental. We offer a range of online courses for Key Stage 3 and 4 aligned with national curriculum and delivered in a flexible format.


We also offer teacher feedback, along with the capacity to review lesson recordings and content, to help teachers in physical schools identify student gaps and recognise progress. Lastly, the ability to use technology such as our InspiredAI platform, digital quizzes or accessibility tools from captioning to voice notes, can really enhance learning. It’s important to have these integrated in every lesson so that every student can participate regardless of their needs and have bespoke activities targeted to them.


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