Management Information Sheet
Local First Inclusion - Alternative Provision in the Secondary Phase
The aim of this MI Sheet is to share information about our plans to engage with CEOs and secondary school leaders on our ambitions to create additional alternative provision in the secondary phase. This will be complementary to our current provision through our partnership with the Short Stay School for Norfolk, and will build upon the investment already shared for the primary SRB programme through the significant expansion of the SEMH Bases.
Last week Sara Tough shared Transforming the Norfolk Landscape which outlines the principles for a Norfolk Learning Strategy and the Local First Inclusion programme.
Within the Local First Inclusion programme, there is an ambition to develop and expand the offer of alternative provision to avoid preventable exclusions for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
New provision will build on the local and national evidence base for alternative provision, in line with the DfE's SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan.
We are seeking to create clearer pathways for pupils who would benefit from accessing high quality alternative provision and we would like to explore and develop our planning with CEOs and secondary school leaders during this term.
In order to progress and facilitate these discussions please look out for:
- A letter to CEOs of Norfolk secondary schools later this week
- Opportunities for exploring this ambition with CEOs and trust leads
- Opportunities for school leaders to engage with and contribute to this work
- Some practical workshops to reflect on the details of these plans as they develop
We want to ensure future solutions enable young people to successfully remain in mainstream provision, therefore we are inviting school leaders to play a pivotal and active role in helping to shape this work.
We would like to hear from schools who:
- Have already developed practice and / or provision which is making a significant difference to the inclusion of pupils with SEMH needs, or
- Are interested in developing provision and would like to explore this within the aims of the Local First inclusion programme, or
- Would like to know more about opportunities to join a stakeholder alternative provision group to help inform the programme.
To follow up any of the points in this MI Sheet, or if you have any questions, please email alternativeprovision@norfolk.gov.uk.