Tap into national-level AP expertise whenever you need it. Our work across dozens of provisions all across the country gives us an expert picture of the sector. Through one-off consultations or an ongoing retainer, we can act as a sounding board and critical friend. We can help you think through tricky decisions, stay ahead of new guidance and turn ideas into a realistic plan for your setting. Retainers start at £100 per month and Individual consultations are £100 per hour. Book here.

Whether you are responding to an Ofsted visit, managing rapid growth or simply know your provision could be stronger, we can walk alongside you through the improvement journey. We have experience of AP school improvement across maintained schools, independent schools, part-time and internal provisions, and our background includes helping move schools from Special Measures to a Good at Ofsted. Our work is never a tick-box review: we help you understand your context, co-write a focused action plan and then support you to deliver sustainable change that improves outcomes for young people. Prices vary with the work though you can expect around £450 per day for one of our consultants.

If you are planning a new alternative provision, our start-up support gives you a clear roadmap from idea to opening. Building on our widely-used free guide to opening an AP, our AP Start-Up Support package adds a more detailed step-by-step guide plus over 35 editable policies, templates, planning tools, Gantt charts and checklists, alongside an in-depth consultation and continued access to a support email inbox. You get a tried-and-tested planning process that covers compliance, safeguarding, curriculum, premises and commissioning so you can focus on designing the right provision for your pupils.

Before you commit to opening or expanding an AP, our feasibility studies help you test how viable your plans really are. We research the local market and commissioning landscape, analyse key data, and connect you with relevant local authorities and schools so you can see where your offer fits and where the risks lie. The outcome is a clear, practical report you can share with trustees, investors or partners to support robust decision-making and refine your model before you invest further. Feasibility studies start at £500. See here for more details.

Are you are thinking of moving from non-school AP into a registered independent school status or setting up a registered AP? We can guide you through each stage of the journey. We help you decide if registration is the right step. Interpret and meet the Independent School Standards, prepare for pre‑registration and first Ofsted visits and make sure your policies, premises, records and curriculum stand up to inspection. Support can include on-site visits, document reviews and coaching for leaders, all focused on giving you confidence that your provision is both compliant and true to your ethos with safeguarding and quality at its heart.

Robust external quality assurance is essential if you want commissioners, families and regulators to have confidence in your provision. We carry out independent audits against both the DfE Non-School Alternative Provision voluntary standards and the Independent School Standards, using tools we have developed and refined for schools, LAs and commissioners. A QA visit typically includes a full policy and website review, safeguarding and compliance checks, time with leaders and staff, and a clear, prioritised action plan with a follow-up coaching conversation. Many APs then use our AP Quality Assurance Tool and Non-School AP Standards Compliance Pack to structure their ongoing self-evaluation and evidence their impact between visits. A full audit costs from £550.

Running a small alternative provision often means you carry a lot of responsibility in a very small team. Our accountability support package gives you a named external professional you can include in your safeguarding and complaints policy, regular half‑termly coaching conversations, and access to an experienced safeguarding lead who can investigate incidents or complaints without compromising internal relationships. This adds an extra, independent layer of assurance so commissioners, trustees and regulators can see that your decisions are well‑supported, transparent and properly scrutinised. Cover is dependent on size and starts at £100 a month.

Our safeguarding work goes beyond a quick checklist. We offer full safeguarding audits that include a site visit, surveys of pupils and staff and a detailed written report, followed by support to turn findings into a clear, achievable action plan. We can also review and rewrite your safeguarding policies and processes and provide ongoing advice, so your practice is aligned with the latest guidance and the DfE’s non‑school AP standards rather than leaving you to interpret them alone. For many provisions we act as a long‑term safeguarding partner, offering casework support, training and an extra layer of accountability when decisions are complex. Audits start from £450

We provide CPD that is rooted in real experience of working with vulnerable young people in both AP and mainstream schools. Our established programmes cover trauma‑informed practice, non‑confrontational behaviour management, responding to challenging behaviour, understanding poverty, safeguarding and outstanding learning support, with options tailored specifically to internal provisions and alternative provision settings. Training is always practical, we equip staff with concrete strategies for de‑escalation, regulation and creating a greater sense of safety, so day‑to‑day practice changes and the most vulnerable pupils are better able to engage in learning.