How to make Appropriate and Effective Internal and External Referrals in the Alternative Provision Setting

Pupils often arrive in alternative provision with a long history and very little paperwork. When you need to refer them on, to CAMHS, an educational psychologist or early help, you can end up piecing their story together from half a dozen places. A referral without that evidence won't get far.

You'll learn to make the right referral at the right time. Set out a tiered provision map so everyone knows what support comes first and when to look outside. Agree a referral pathway with clear roles and regular meetings. Keep an intervention passport for each pupil that follows them from induction to final review.

There's practical help with parents too, because some services only take a referral from the family, and a parent may hear "referral" as "you're kicking my child out". It comes from an AP leader who writes these referrals himself.