The way we place learners into alternative provision is inefficient, inconsistent, and for the children at the centre of it, often too slow.
There is no reason why every local authority shouldn’t have a clear process sitting behind every placement decision. No more hidden spreadsheets. No more post-it notes. No more going with what’s familiar because there isn’t time to find what’s right. (And you can stop asking that one person in your team who knows all the local AP… you know who they are!)
Waypaths is the platform that makes matching learners to the right provision more efficient and more effective. Built for local authorities, schools, MATs and AP providers who know the system needs to change.
What changes in practice
For local authorities
A structured, auditable process behind every placement decision. Visibility of what’s available, what’s compliant and what fits the learner’s need, without the manual legwork.
For schools and MATs
Referrals that carry complete information from the start, and a shared record that follows the learner so nothing gets rebuilt from scratch.
For AP providers
Better qualified referrals, compliance documentation uploaded once, and clear visibility of what you’ve been commissioned to deliver and for whom.
For families
A clear picture of what’s been agreed, who’s responsible for each part of it, and where things are up to.
Tell me more, I’m a…
Where the process breaks down
Information is held across schools, local authorities and providers, and there is rarely a single reliable view of the child. Placement decisions get made on availability rather than need. Funding is slow to approve and difficult to track once it’s in place. When a placement breaks down, the whole process starts again from scratch.
Across the system, people are working hard to support children. The problem isn’t effort. It’s that the infrastructure holding everything together was never built for this.
How Waypaths works
Upload a learner profile and tell us about their needs. Our matching engine pulls a list of provision that fits at a service level, not just a provider level, so you’re making a higher quality match from the start. Access compliance documentation in one place. Track onboarding, session feedback and finances as the placement progresses. Every stakeholder, one shared picture.
What’s in the platform
Digital Passport
A structured learner record that follows the child across schools and provision settings, so nothing gets rebuilt from scratch
Matching and Placement
Service-level matching against learner need, not just provider availability, so the right fit is based on evidence not familiarity
Financial Tracking
Real-time visibility of placement funding from request through to payment, for every stakeholder
Compliance Vault
AP providers upload policies and compliance documentation once. LAs and MATs can verify instantly, with built-in reminders for updates and reviews
Specialist Portal
A secure space for therapists, psychologists and specialists to log assessments and coordinate input around the learner
Secure Access
Role-based access for every stakeholder, so each organisation sees exactly what they need and nothing they shouldn’t
Be part of it early
We’re opening our first pilot cohort in September 2026. If you know the system needs to change and you want to help shape what comes next, we’d like to hear from you.
Founding partner rate: £499 per organisation for 12 months. One rate for local authorities, schools, MATs and AP providers.
Pilots open September 2026.