The latest data from the Department for Education (DfE) reveals that there were 333 state-funded alternative provision (AP) schools in January 2024, compared to 3,452 mainstream secondary schools.
This disparity suggests that pupils attending AP schools likely travel further than those in mainstream schools.
Dave Thomson of FFT Education Datalab (For more detail on this we highly recommend checking out the original article on FFT Education Datalab!) examined this by seeing how far pupils who go to an AP have to travel. They then examined if there is a relationship between distance travelled and absence.
Distance Travelled
Using data from the 2023 January School Census, FFT Education Datalab analysed the travel distances for secondary-age pupils (11-15 years old) attending AP schools. On average, these pupils travel 9km to AP schools, compared to 3km for mainstream schools. Interestingly, over half of AP pupils live within 5km of their school, but a significant portion (10%) travel 20km or more.
Impact on Absence
Contrary to expectations, distance travelled does not significantly affect absence rates in AP schools. In 2022/23, AP pupils missed 42% of sessions, with 38% being severe absentees. However, absence rates did not vary much based on travel distance.
Dual-Registered Pupils
Pupils with dual registrations at both AP and mainstream schools present an interesting case. These pupils tend to attend AP schools more regularly, with an average absence rate of 41% at AP schools compared to 51% at mainstream schools. They also travel further to AP schools (9km) than to their main schools (3km).
Conclusion
While AP pupils travel further to school, this does not seem to impact their attendance rates significantly. Thomson notes that further research could explore the relationship between local authority transport policies and absence rates, as well as the impact of travel time on attendance.
Want to analyse your Alternative Provision attendance data in a more efficient way?
Click here to have a look at what DCPro Alternative Provision Attendance can do for you.
Sources:
Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2024 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
How far do pupils travel to alternative provision (and does this affect their attendance)? – FFT Education Datalab
