Friday 14 Sep 2007 @ 10:41
Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
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Successful pupil referral units can offer pupils a ‘second chance’
But schools and local authorities need to do more to help PRUs reintegrate pupils into mainstream education
The most successful pupil referral units (PRUs) are offering pupils a ‘second chance’ in mainstream education by setting them high expectations, offering them an interesting and relevant curriculum and focusing on improving their academic and personal development and confidence.
In 2005/06 over half of the PRUs inspected nationally were judged good or outstanding. However in 2005/06 one in eight units was judged to be inadequate. Inspectors visited 28 good or outstanding PRUs for today’s report, Pupil referral units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities, to identify effective practice in the most successful units.
The report found that a clear sense of purpose and a strong working relationship with the local authority were key features of successful PRUs. Partnerships with a wide range of agencies also supported pupils and enriched their experiences.
Many PRUs face common problems that can affect their ability to provide children and young people with a good education. These include inadequate accommodation, pupils of different ages with diverse needs arriving in an unplanned way, limited numbers of specialist staff and difficulties in reintegrating pupils into mainstream schools. Inspectors found that the success of PRUs depends on their responses to these challenges and the support they receive from their local authority.
Inspectors found that most of the PRUs visited received sparse information about pupils’ academic progress from their previous schools, even though fourteen of the local authorities had clear policies about what should be provided. This hampered the PRUs in establishing pupils’ attainment levels on admission and finding the right starting point for learning.
Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills, said:
“Too many Pupil Referral Units are inadequate but they could offer a second chance to children if they followed the example of the best units we have reported on today. The best units have a strong focus on pupils’ progress, both their academic and personal development, they set high expectations and respond positively to the unique challenges they face.”
“Local authorities and schools need to make sure they assist Pupil Referral Units in their vital work, for example by providing them with all the information about a pupil’s prior attainment and working with them when it comes to reintegrating pupils into mainstream education.”
The most effective PRUs offered pupils a curriculum that varied according to their needs. They focussed on building pupils’ academic, social, emotional and behavioural skills as well as their confidence to help them prepare for a return to mainstream schooling or the next stage of their lives. All the PRUs visited knew pupils’ social and behavioural needs well and regularly monitored their progress in these vital areas.
All the PRUs visited had developed partnerships with schools and colleges that supported their curriculum and staff development. The best partnerships were mutually beneficial: the staff of the PRU shared their expertise with the mainstream schools, trying to prevent exclusions or helping with strategies to support vulnerable pupils.
However, the PRUs visited generally found that, despite these partnerships, schools did not readily offer places to PRU pupils. Occasionally, individual partnerships eased reintegration, but generally reintegration was effective and efficient only when the local authority had good strategic arrangements in place and pursued these determinedly.
Placements in PRUs seldom had end dates. Local authorities encourage PRUs to reintegrate pupils, especially younger ones, into mainstream schools but when the onus was on the PRU to find and secure a school place, this was often very difficult to achieve.
Local authority support for PRU managers was at least satisfactory and sometimes very good. They helped them to develop links with partners, supported leaders and contributed to staff development. Sixteen of the authorities thought it was important to establish positive relationships with parents and had effective and appropriate procedures for this.
All the authorities visited could describe how the PRU contributed to provision for pupils with social, emotional, behavioural and medical difficulties. However, in some authorities there was a gap between intention and practice, and children and young people often stayed in a PRU for an indefinite period.
It was common for pupils with statements of educational need to be admitted to PRUs without appropriate decisions being taken about long-term placement. In four of the PRUs, some pupils’ statements named the PRU as the school that would provide support rather than a special school, which doesn’t fully comply with DCSF guidance.
Today’s report makes a number of recommendations to local authorities, including that they actively encourage mainstream schools to provide data about the attainment, attendance and behavioural, emotional and social needs of pupils admitted to PRUs. They should ensure that PRU accommodation is suitable and improvements are made urgently where necessary.
The report recommends that PRUs should use information about pupils’ prior attainment effectively to ensure a smooth transition and to match work to pupils’ needs.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Pupil referral units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities can be found on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk
2. PRUs are short stay centres for pupils who are educated other than at maintained or special schools. They admit pupils with behavioural difficulties and others who can be identified as vulnerable because of their health or social and emotional difficulties. Some PRUs educate and support school-aged mothers.
3. Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools (HMI) visited 28 PRUs in 22 local authorities for this report. They also held discussions with the local authorities to identify factors which contributed to success. The survey took place between October 2006 and March 2007.
4. The 28 PRUs were selected from those whose overall effectiveness had been judged by Ofsted to be good or outstanding in the previous two years. The majority of them provided for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Others made provision for those with medical needs and one was for young mothers. Several catered on the same site for pupils with different needs.
5. From 1 April 2007 a new single inspectorate for children and learners came into being. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has the responsibility for the inspection of adult learning and training - work formerly undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate; the regulation and inspection of children's social care - work formerly undertaken by the Commission for Social Care Inspection; the inspection of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - work formerly undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration; and the existing regulatory and inspection activities of Ofsted.
6. The Ofsted Press Office can be contacted on 08456 4040404 between 8am – 6pm Monday – Friday. During evenings and weekends we can be reached on 07919 057359.
The most successful pupil referral units (PRUs) are offering pupils a ‘second chance’ in mainstream education by setting them high expectations, offering them an interesting and relevant curriculum and focusing on improving their academic and personal development and confidence.
In 2005/06 over half of the PRUs inspected nationally were judged good or outstanding. However in 2005/06 one in eight units was judged to be inadequate. Inspectors visited 28 good or outstanding PRUs for today’s report, Pupil referral units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities, to identify effective practice in the most successful units.
The report found that a clear sense of purpose and a strong working relationship with the local authority were key features of successful PRUs. Partnerships with a wide range of agencies also supported pupils and enriched their experiences.
Many PRUs face common problems that can affect their ability to provide children and young people with a good education. These include inadequate accommodation, pupils of different ages with diverse needs arriving in an unplanned way, limited numbers of specialist staff and difficulties in reintegrating pupils into mainstream schools. Inspectors found that the success of PRUs depends on their responses to these challenges and the support they receive from their local authority.
Inspectors found that most of the PRUs visited received sparse information about pupils’ academic progress from their previous schools, even though fourteen of the local authorities had clear policies about what should be provided. This hampered the PRUs in establishing pupils’ attainment levels on admission and finding the right starting point for learning.
Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills, said:
“Too many Pupil Referral Units are inadequate but they could offer a second chance to children if they followed the example of the best units we have reported on today. The best units have a strong focus on pupils’ progress, both their academic and personal development, they set high expectations and respond positively to the unique challenges they face.”
“Local authorities and schools need to make sure they assist Pupil Referral Units in their vital work, for example by providing them with all the information about a pupil’s prior attainment and working with them when it comes to reintegrating pupils into mainstream education.”
The most effective PRUs offered pupils a curriculum that varied according to their needs. They focussed on building pupils’ academic, social, emotional and behavioural skills as well as their confidence to help them prepare for a return to mainstream schooling or the next stage of their lives. All the PRUs visited knew pupils’ social and behavioural needs well and regularly monitored their progress in these vital areas.
All the PRUs visited had developed partnerships with schools and colleges that supported their curriculum and staff development. The best partnerships were mutually beneficial: the staff of the PRU shared their expertise with the mainstream schools, trying to prevent exclusions or helping with strategies to support vulnerable pupils.
However, the PRUs visited generally found that, despite these partnerships, schools did not readily offer places to PRU pupils. Occasionally, individual partnerships eased reintegration, but generally reintegration was effective and efficient only when the local authority had good strategic arrangements in place and pursued these determinedly.
Placements in PRUs seldom had end dates. Local authorities encourage PRUs to reintegrate pupils, especially younger ones, into mainstream schools but when the onus was on the PRU to find and secure a school place, this was often very difficult to achieve.
Local authority support for PRU managers was at least satisfactory and sometimes very good. They helped them to develop links with partners, supported leaders and contributed to staff development. Sixteen of the authorities thought it was important to establish positive relationships with parents and had effective and appropriate procedures for this.
All the authorities visited could describe how the PRU contributed to provision for pupils with social, emotional, behavioural and medical difficulties. However, in some authorities there was a gap between intention and practice, and children and young people often stayed in a PRU for an indefinite period.
It was common for pupils with statements of educational need to be admitted to PRUs without appropriate decisions being taken about long-term placement. In four of the PRUs, some pupils’ statements named the PRU as the school that would provide support rather than a special school, which doesn’t fully comply with DCSF guidance.
Today’s report makes a number of recommendations to local authorities, including that they actively encourage mainstream schools to provide data about the attainment, attendance and behavioural, emotional and social needs of pupils admitted to PRUs. They should ensure that PRU accommodation is suitable and improvements are made urgently where necessary.
The report recommends that PRUs should use information about pupils’ prior attainment effectively to ensure a smooth transition and to match work to pupils’ needs.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Pupil referral units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities can be found on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk
2. PRUs are short stay centres for pupils who are educated other than at maintained or special schools. They admit pupils with behavioural difficulties and others who can be identified as vulnerable because of their health or social and emotional difficulties. Some PRUs educate and support school-aged mothers.
3. Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools (HMI) visited 28 PRUs in 22 local authorities for this report. They also held discussions with the local authorities to identify factors which contributed to success. The survey took place between October 2006 and March 2007.
4. The 28 PRUs were selected from those whose overall effectiveness had been judged by Ofsted to be good or outstanding in the previous two years. The majority of them provided for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Others made provision for those with medical needs and one was for young mothers. Several catered on the same site for pupils with different needs.
5. From 1 April 2007 a new single inspectorate for children and learners came into being. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has the responsibility for the inspection of adult learning and training - work formerly undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate; the regulation and inspection of children's social care - work formerly undertaken by the Commission for Social Care Inspection; the inspection of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - work formerly undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration; and the existing regulatory and inspection activities of Ofsted.
6. The Ofsted Press Office can be contacted on 08456 4040404 between 8am – 6pm Monday – Friday. During evenings and weekends we can be reached on 07919 057359.
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