Alternative provision transformation

The Alternative Provision Transformation Project was launched in June 2020 to improve the consistency of education quality, focus on earlier intervention, and improve the facilities in alternative provision.

Bringing our schools together

In September 2022, Gloucestershire County Council and the management committees of the two alternative provision schools - Gloucester and Forest Alternative Provision School (GFAPS) and Severn Valley School (SVS) - made a joint proposal to bring the two schools together into a single enhanced county-wide school from September 2023. This joint proposal was:

to improve the consistency and quality of provision across the county;
to consider how the existing sites can be best used to support the increasingly complex needs of children and young people;
for staff, through an increased investment in professional development;
to create efficiencies and reduce workload on staff, through a reduction in the duplication of core activities; and
to strengthen and scale up the focus on early intervention through structured partnership and outreach working.

Following a period of engagement with parents, pupils and staff, this proposal was approved in February 2023.

Alternative provision staff and pupils were involved in choosing a name for the new school, which comes into place from 1 September 2023.

The Altus School. Altus means ‘to nourish, grow or rise above’.

Developing the vision

Over a 12-week period, we ran 10 face-to-face interactive events and an online survey to develop a vision for The Altus School. We received contributions from over 150 people, from staff and leaders in alternative provision and mainstream schools, children and young people and their families, as well as wider agencies, such as third sector community and alternative provision providers, social care, the police and health.

This has helped us to develop a clear vision, founded on the key messages that people told us were important and needed to transform alternative provision.

A high-quality alternative education where everyone thrives in a flexible, dynamic child-centred environment that champions inclusion and accountability across Gloucestershire.

- A welcoming, inclusive, purposeful learning environment that enables everyone to be successful.

- An ambitious, aspirational offer that ensures children's holistic needs are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity to equip them with the skills and qualifications for next step in their education journey.

- Outstanding relationships with families, partner agencies and communities to ensure children and young people receive the best support in a solution focused, timely and comprehensive approach.

- Effective multi-agency working where communication and collaboration are at the heart of successful interventions and transition pathways for all.

Executive Leadership

We are delighted to announce the recent recruitment of a Director to be in role from 1 September 2023. Emma Gundry, currently Principal at the Voyage Learning Campus in North Somerset, will lead on the transformation needed to create a consistent, county-wide provision.

This role will be supported by a Deputy Director, who will be responsible for the quality of provision and education; bringing together the different sites to deliver a high quality, needs-led service.

Emma said: "I am delighted to join Gloucestershire at this exciting time of transformation of alternative provision across the county. I look forward to working with the staff, pupils, families and wider community to deliver change that will be impactful for all of our young people."

Once in place, the management committee will work with the executive leadership team to shape the future structure of the service.

What is the transformation project trying to achieve?

The project’s purpose is to bring the two schools together into a single school model with a single management committee (like school governors) and leadership structure. This will mean all of the centres and staff operate under the same policies and procedures, and offer the same high quality service and improved outcomes for children and young people in Gloucestershire who have been, or are at risk of permanent exclusion.

Why do we need a new school name?

Bringing together the two schools means they will operate under one existing Department for Education (DfE) number. It does not automatically follow that there needs to be a change of name. However, as part of our stakeholder engagement many people said they would like ‘alternative provision’ and references to geographical locations removed from the school name. A name change can also help to mark a positive ‘new chapter’ in the history and evolution of these schools.

Will the schools’ facilities change?

The existing centres will be kept.
Rutherford House and an outreach hub at Dean Academy have been acquired only relatively recently, and the council has been working with GFAPS and Severn Valley to make improvements to the longer established bases that they run from.
There is a longer-term goal to improve the centres at The Raikes Centre and Russet House in Gloucester to be more tailored to children’s needs, as well as increasing the space for pupils at Belle Vue and Ryeleaze in Stroud. However, these goals pre-date (and are separate to) this specific project to bring the two schools together as a single institution.
The leadership of the school will, in due course and following consultation, review the function of the different centres and will consider the types of need and ages catered for at the different bases and whether the facilities need to change.

What will this mean for the pupils and their families?

In practice and on a day-to-day basis, things will change very little for the majority of the children and young people who are educated at GFAPS and Severn Valley School, and pupils are likely to experience the same continuity of teaching and support staff.
The age range will continue to be 5-16 yrs.
Class sizes will continue to remain small and the different centres and sites the schools run will remain operational with a strong focus on supporting pupils to transition to their next, longer term school placement or to return to the school they are registered at.
Where pupils are registered at another school, this dual registration arrangement will continue.

What will it mean for the alternative provision school staff?

The school will continue to be a local authority maintained and staff will continue to be employed by Gloucestershire County Council.
Terms and conditions of employment will not be affected. As is the practice now, staff may be deployed across any of the school sites. The larger staff base will provide greater opportunities for staff development, progression and collaboration.
On a day-to-day basis over the next 12 months very little is likely to change for current staff.
The leadership team will, in due course, review the staffing structure and requirements of a single county-wide provision.

What will it mean for the management committees?

There will be one management committee rather than the existing two, the reconstituted management committee will be established and in post from 1 September 2023.

What will it mean for the schools in Gloucestershire who commission places at the schools?

Schools in Gloucestershire will continue to be able to enter into the same partnership arrangements as are currently available. Gloucestershire County Council will still commission places at these settings for children and young people who live in Gloucestershire who have been permanently excluded from school.