Alternative Provision (AP) is a bespoke education for young people facing challenges that hinder their participation in mainstream school. Alternative provision caters to diverse needs, including behavioural issues, medical conditions, and mental health challenges. Best Foot Forward adopt a flexible approach, with 1:1 personalised support to address individual learning needs. Unlike mainstream education, Alternative Provision provides specialised assistance for a broader range of challenges.

Misconceptions about Alternative Provision (AP) often revolve around stereotypes and misunderstandings. One common misconception is that Alternative Provision is exclusively for “naughty” or troubled young people. In reality, Alternative Provision caters to a wide range of young people facing various challenges, such as learning disabilities, mental health issues, or medical conditions. It is not solely a disciplinary measure but rather a tailored educational approach aiming to meet individual needs. By providing personalised 1:1 support and flexible teaching methods, Best Foot Forward seeks to create an environment where students can thrive despite their unique circumstances.

Another misconception concerns the nature of delivery in Alternative Provision. Some may assume that alternative provision lacks academic rigor or follows a one-size-fits-all approach. On the contrary, Best Foot Forward employs innovative and flexible teaching methods, adapting to the learning styles and needs of individual students. The focus is on providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages success. Best Foot Forward also offer a range of recognised qualifications for our young people to undertake.

Yes, by attending Best Foot Forward, young people are still given the opportunity to gain recognised qualifications. At Best Foot Forward, we think it’s important that you can study a range of subjects. Our young people follow a carefully, curated curriculum including a mix of lesson based and practical learning. We provide our students with the tools to complete Functional Skills qualifications in English and Maths. However, we also support a range of experiences from Sport to Art to PSHE to Digital Skills and much much more.

Many students are placed with Best Foot Forward because they have been out of education for an extended period of time or because they have struggled in a mainstream setting. Each Alternative Provision differs in the support they offer as each has a goal to provide individualised support to their students which is dependent on their needs.

At Best Foot Forward, when a young person first joins us, they take part in an induction period allowing them to build positive relationships with our staff. This also allows our staff to find out more about the student, both academically and personally, to give an idea on how to best support them.

We provide each young person with a wide range of educational and mentoring  opportunities to allow them to access a diverse curriculum. Through our community-based sessions and "treat trips", we can positively reinforce their strengths throughout their time with us. We aim to provide consistency and predictability when we assign staff to work with a young person. This allows for a deeper relationship to be built, giving each young person a support system that they are comfortable with and trust. We also work with external partners, including the team around the family, to aid our young people in overcoming the many hurdles that they can face. By implementing a number of support techniques, we can ensure that each young person receives the help they need to excel on their educational and personal journey.

Best Foot Forward are an exclusively remote organisation, so we do not have a premises. All sessions take place in either the young person's home (providing a responsible adult can be present), in the local community, or in the young person's educational setting. This gives our tutors and mentors a great deal of freedom to meet the needs of the young person whilst, at the same time, being able to plan engaging sessions that will enable a young person to make progress within an environment where the young person is comfortable. 

All of our tutors hold a recognised UK teaching qualification. Our mentors will not necessarily be qualified teachers but will possess qualifications and experience pertinent to their respective roles. We recognise that the staff that work with our young people are the business and so we invest heavily in CPD and training within areas relating to safeguarding, GDPR, SEND, Prevent and a wealth of additional in-house training.