Our Vision

To improve outcomes for the most disadvantaged children and their families in education communities, based on the foundation stones of love (person centred, empathy, compassion, care), flourishing (high expectations, purpose and fulfilment; pushing forward, emerging, transforming and achieving), social justice (fairness as it manifests in society: that includes fairness in education, healthcare, employment, housing and more.  In a socially-just society, human rights are respected, and diversity is celebrated and affirmed, and the equality journey is achieved by monitoring and intervention) and community (Interest – communities with shared passions, Action – communities bringing about change, Place – communities strengthened in the local areas in which we work).

Our Mission

Alternative Learning Trust (‘the Trust’) came from a thriving community-focused provision (Pupil Referral Unit, now known as Alternative Provision) in South London and was created to provide a home for schools/provisions that did not have a community to belong to; to take its place in a sector that needed advocacy and accountability, to strengthen Alternative Provision and Special Schools/Pupil Referral Units and their collaboration with mainstream schools and the full range of children’s services nationally to improve outcomes for children with SEN, behaviour that communicates challenges and their families.

Benefits for ALT Schools

Alternative Learning Trust was established in June 2019 by an Ofsted “Outstanding” Pupil Referral Unit, The Limes College. The Limes College has for many years supported children who have been excluded from mainstream schools and have Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs, both with and without EHCPs. We have a clear focus on academic attainment through systematic multi-agency work to reduce exclusion and meet the needs of the most vulnerable.  We annually attain 95-100% positive destinations for all our pupils.

Based in Sutton, we are currently working over two authorities in South England, (Sutton and Kent), but are keen to work further afield, and happy to have a discussion about the relevant needs in your region.  We are looking to expand the schools within our trust, so if you feel your school could benefit from our expertise, and are interested in joining our Trust, please contact us through the online form below.

Our inclusive approach has generated exceptional results for pupils, which are consistently above national average for PRU settings.

The Trust has a strong track record in school improvement and developing multi-agency provision for the most vulnerable. Examples of our work include: 

• Supporting local schools with behaviour training, actively working with them on our Vulnerable Pupils’ Panel;

• Participating in a national project on contextual safeguarding (with the University of Bedford);

• Collaboration with the Education Endowment Fund, Mayor’s Office for London and DfE developing trauma informed work (with particular reference to domestic abuse (DA) -95% of our cohort have DA in their background), transition work, parenting, and  restorative approaches;

• Giving evidence (quoted as “Good Practice”) in the Education Select Committee’s report into exclusion and in the Centre for Social Justice report into school exclusion, Making the Difference  to the Parliamentary Select Committee looking at the implementation of the new DA act. Forgotten children : alternative provision. (See links below)

• Participating on the Department for Education’s stakeholder group, looking at Key Performance Indicators for the PRU/AP sector, commissioning and funding, the impact AP and PRUscan have on serious youth violence and how the sector responds to Covid19 to keep the most vulnerable safe and educated.  

We are now looking to expand our trust and develop regional hubs to extend our specialist support, and would be grateful to meet with someone from your team to discuss possible opportunities.