Academy freedoms for Pupil Referral Units 27 Feb 2012 DfE
The Government’s Behaviour Advisor Charlie Taylor has called on the best Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) to take advantage of academy freedoms, to drive up quality of education and develop closer relationships with schools in their area.
Charlie Taylor said today:
We currently have a flawed system that fails to provide for some of the most vulnerable children in the country. If we fail to give them a first-class education then, as the events of this summer showed, we will all pay a heavy price.
It is no coincidence that with great leadership and with more independence, mainstream academies flourish and improve faster than the national average. Heads of the best PRUs tell me that they want the same freedoms to improve education for the most vulnerable children. There is no reason why they should be denied this.
Gove: Truancy push to tackle 'educational underclass' 1 Sep 2011 BBC News
The education secretary has announced a review of truancy sanctions in England to help tackle an "educational underclass" of "lost souls".
He also said the government was reviewing pupil referral units (PRUs) and other "alternative provision" for pupils excluded from mainstream education.
"Far too few" such institutions met the required standards, he said.
He questioned whether it was right that there was no statutory minimum amount of teaching hours in such institutions and that "so much" of their provision was not subject to proper inspections.
Michael Gove unveils sweeping school reforms Guardian 24 Nov 2010
The education secretary, Michael Gove, has outlined plans to transform teacher training and recruitment, shake up school league tables to focus more on children's performance in academic subjects, and make it easier for headteachers to remove poor teachers and exclude disruptive children.
The coalition will legislate to reform the appeals process against pupil exclusions. There will still be an independent review of headteachers' decisions but this will not be able to compel reinstatement of a pupil.
Schools will be free to exclude pupils, but will then be responsible for finding and funding alternative provision themselves.
There will be legislation to enable pupil referral units, where excluded pupils are currently taught, to become academies. Free schools focusing on offering a high-quality education for disruptive and excluded children will also be encouraged.
Michael Gove - Education Bill The Guardian January 27 2010
Again The Secretary of State scorns PRUs and more than hints at privatisation
Gove said he wanted to encourage new organisations to run pupil referral units, including one that recruited army veterans.
"Most local authority-run pupil referral units are not up to snuff... and we know that there are organisations which have done a fantastic job in meeting some of the needs that these young people have. There's an organisation called Skillforce that takes ex-army veterans and helps them deal with children that are at risk of disengagement, and I know they're interested too, in playing a part in helping."
Reply from the Secretary of State's Office December 2010
This is the reply recieved from the Secretary of State's Office to our letter to Mr Gove
Michael Gove - Interview with the Guardian October 1st 2010
Gove said he wants voluntary groups and city academies such as Ark schools to take over local authority-controlled pupil referral units for excluded children. He described them as "the weak link in the chain, without an accountable person responsible for making sure these children progress
Following this interview Jacky Mackenzie, on behalf of the organisation, wrote to Mr Gove
PRUs Name-change 2 August 2010
The DfE have now brought out an Explanatory Statement.
Although, on the the 20 July, Nick Gibb said "We have decided to delay commencement and plan to introduce provisions in Parliament in due course to repeal the name change." the DfE says that no definite decision has been made.
No decision has yet been made on when to change the name of pupil referral units, the commencement of section 249(1) of ASCLA 2009 has simply been delayed. These Regulations simply make transitional provision.
Is this a case of changing their minds again, playing for time or just dithering?
PRUs Name-change 30 July 2010
A Statutory Insturument has now been laid before Parliament to make amendments to the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. It makes the following modifications:
- references to a "short stay school" or "short stay schools" wherever they occur are to be read as references to a "pupil referral unit" or "pupil referral units" respectively;
- in regulation 7, references to "the school" are to be read as references to "the unit".
PRUs Name-change 20 July 2010
In answer to a question from Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole, Liberal Democrat) Nick Gibb (Minister of State (Schools), Education; Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Conservative) gave this written answer.
The legislative provision which changed the name of pupil referral units to short stay schools was to be commenced on 1 September 2010. We have decided to delay commencement and plan to introduce provisions in Parliament in due course to repeal the name change. In the meantime pupil referral units will continue to be called by that name.