School programmes located off-site
Not all students enrolled at a school are educated on the school's physical site.
A board can authorise a student to undertake courses of education; or obtain work experience; or make visits; outside the school premises. Where this happens, the student is deemed to be attending the school.
The role of the board is to ensure that all students enrolled in a school, including in programmes which are located off-site, are:
- receiving the curriculum, in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe;
and that the programmes are:
- meeting administrative obligations including those of resourcing, annual reporting, property planning, disciplinary procedures of students, and employment of staff.
Teen Parent Units (TPU), Activity Centres (AC) and Alternative Education (AE) programmes and satellite units are examples of such educational provision which may be located away from the school site.
- A Teen Parent Unit is attached to a host secondary school, providing educational programmes for teenagers who are pregnant or who have prime responsibility for their children's care.
- An Activity Centre is attached to a host school, and caters for secondary students whose learning and behaviour needs are not met within their mainstream school.
- Alternative Education is for students between 13 and 16 who have become alienated from mainstream schooling. The school (or a managing school on behalf of a consortium) may contract a community provider to deliver an education programme for the students.
- Satellite units – classes that operate at a different site from the main school site.
Please note
There are often specific criteria for entry into Teen Parent Units, Activity Centres or Alternative Education Programmes that students must meet.