Choice and diversity in governance in the English alternative provision sector: Implications for educational equity

Despite the continued global prevalence of discourses of educational inclusion, young people
across local, national and international contexts continue to be educated outside of mainstream schools.
In England, a diverse market of providers—known
as alternative provision (AP)—cater for many of
these young people. Unlike the mainstream school
sector, where diversity of provision has been positioned as a key facilitator of parental choice and improved standards, there is limited evidence on how
diversity and choice operate in the AP sector. This
paper contributes to addressing this gap by analysing the range of organisations operating under the
auspices of AP and their associated governance
and regulatory mechanisms. Document analysis
of the approved list of AP in a case study local authority demonstrates a diverse set of organisation
types and associated governance arrangements,
with a common focus on compliance and a lack of
accessible publicly available information. We argue
that as a result, the most disadvantaged children
and families may be underserved in relation to diversity and choice policy imperatives. We conclude
by highlighting potential consequences of poorly understood governance in AP for the achievement of
equity goals—consequences which are of relevance
across international educational contexts.