Alternative Provision Courses

Our Offer

We provide schools across South West Hertfordshire with access to high-quality alternative provision. Our partnerships ensure students receive outstanding support and access to accredited courses that help them achieve success at Key Stage 4. For Key Stage 3 students, we offer focused 10–11 week programmes designed to re-focus, motivate, and engage learners through positive and inspiring learning experiences. Students remain on roll at their mainstream schools while participating in our alternative provision. To ensure full transparency and strong collaboration, we give schools access to our AP (MIS), Talaxy. This platform provides 24/7 live data on:

• Attendance

• Achievements and behaviour

• Student timetables
  
  

This means schools can track progress in real time, ensuring clear communication and a joined-up approach to every student’s development. We also continue to report on attendance daily and achievement half-termly, maintaining regular communication and accountability throughout each placement.

For a full overview of our courses and support, please view our brochure via the link below.

Quality Assurance

We ensure all our alternative provision partners meet the highest standards in safeguarding, health and safety, and course quality. We provide annual training for all staff to equip them with the skills and guidance needed to support our students effectively. Our team conducts daily visits to each provision, completing short reports on learning, engagement, and any actions required. This information is shared with schools, keeping them fully informed about each student’s progress, behaviour, and engagement.

Quality Education 

Each half term, our providers complete a detailed report for every student, which is shared with their school. Schools can then provide this information to parents, ensuring everyone is informed about the student’s progress. The reports outline the qualifications each student is working towards and provide clear guidance on how they can improve and progress. At the end of each term, providers recognise outstanding effort by nominating a ‘Student of the Term’. These students are celebrated with a certificate and a reward, highlighting their achievements and dedication.

How to refer a student for Alternative Provision

Schools wishing to refer a student to one of our courses can do so using the online referral form linked below. Alongside this, we require all necessary information, including signed consent from the parent or carer, which can be downloaded via the link below. Once completed, please email all forms to apreferrals@chessbrook.herts.sch.uk

Please note that submission of a referral does not automatically guarantee a place on the provision. Once we receive the referral and all required information, we will process them and confirm a start date with the school. The cut-off for submissions is Wednesday afternoon for the following week, so all forms and information should be provided before this time to secure consideration. Once we have received your referral form and the signed consent form, we'll process this and then confirm a start date with you.

For further information or any questions about the referral process, please contact a member of the Alternative Provision team on 01923 212025. If you wish to discuss a student’s specific needs, you can contact Harry Lock at hlock@chessbrook.herts.sch.uk.

For all AP enquiries and referrals, please email: apreferrals@chessbrook.herts.sch.uk 

Courses cannot be reserved and will only be confirmed on receipt of a fully completed online referral form AND a signed consent form. Please ensure this is completed in full. We can only accept scanned PDF copies of these and will not accept partially completed forms or photographs. 

Virtual Curriculum

At Chessbrook ESC, we also offer a virtual based curriculum through TUTE. This is an online platform in which students can access live lessons taught by a teacher virtually.

To make a referral, please use the link below. For timetables, please refer to the AP brochure. 

For all TUTE enquiries and referrals, please email: tutereferrals@chessbrook.herts.sch.uk