Follow on request from WBCIR:19686

1. Does the council have a policy to only use online school providers that are accredited under the Department of Education's Online Education Accreditation scheme?
The Council does not have a specific policy but does note and refer to statutory guidance:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a1ee367da1f1ac64e5fe2c/Arranging_Alternative_Provision_-_A_Guide_for_Local_Authorities_and_Schools.pdf

2. Does the council have a policy to only use accredited providers?
Yes, see above.

3. Would the council know/hold the data if individual schools were funding unaccredited online providers? I.e. does the council’s response definitively mean no unaccredited online schools have been/are publicly funded within the local authority? Or might schools be funding providers without the council’s knowledge, because it does not hold/collect this data from schools?
We do not hold this information. The Council cannot say whether schools have directly sourced unaccredited online providers from within their own resources.