Tens of thousands of children are being taught in unregistered settings, some of which do not meet basic safeguarding standards and one of which had an unsecured firearm on site, new research by the Centre for Social Justice has revealed.

The think tank’s investigation discovered that at least 20,000 children, many of whom had been excluded from mainstream schools, were being educated in unregistered Alternative Provision units.

The CSJ said that neither national nor local government has accurate data on where these children are being taught, how many there are, whether they are receiving a quality education, or if they are safe.

Alternative Provision (AP) is where children are educated outside of a mainstream school, typically arranged by councils or schools. Many AP providers are regulated, but some AP education is delivered in unregistered settings and cost up to £49,000 per full time placement.

Beth Prescott, senior AP Researcher for the CSJ, said: ‘While some providers do a fantastic job offering bespoke support to children, without knowing which children are in these settings and where all the settings are, it is impossible to ensure that proper standards of teaching, learning and safeguarding are being maintained.’

The CSJ’s investigation found examples of unregistered AP providers employing staff that have not had any form of DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check and operating without meeting the safeguarding standards required in mainstream schools.

In one case discovered by the think tank, a firearm was found in an unlocked room at a provider delivering agricultural education. A police investigation resulted in the removal of the firearm, but the provider has continued to operate.

Lord Storey CBE, co-chair of the APPG on School Exclusions and Alternative Provision, commented: ‘It is our most vulnerable children who are more likely to end up in unregistered alternative provision. These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and they need all the support and protection that we can possibly give them.

‘It is time to bring these children back into view. The government urgently need to implement both a Children Not in School register and a new statutory registration framework for unregistered providers.’