Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)

What is a PRU?

A Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) is a school specially organised to offer short-term alternative provision for children who are out of school or who are not gaining qualifications. There are 15 PRUs in Kent.

List of Kent PRUs

Many pupils in PRUs will have special educational needs and a significant number will have statements, usually for emotional and behavioural difficulties. If a mainstream setting is best, a short-term placement within a PRU to tackle immediate problems may aid smooth reintegration into another mainstream school. For pupils at stages 1-3 of the SEN Code, a period in a PRU might enable that assessment to continue.

Read the legislation regarding PRUs

Admission Criteria for PRUs

• Pupils should be admitted to a PRU based on clear criteria and each pupil should have targets for reintegration into mainstream or special schooling, further education or employment
• If a pupil's long-term needs cannot be met in a mainstream school, a special school rather than a PRU should be named on a statement of SEN
• Attendance at a PRU is not appropriate for pupils excluded from EBD special schools.

For further information about admission criteria for PRUs please visit the Teachernet website (this link opens in a new browser window)

The Role of a PRU

• To provide short-term education for pupils who are excluded or who, for other reasons, are not able to attend a mainstream or special school
• To have high expectations of the potential of their pupils, many of whom will have had negative experiences of education. Building on the LA's initial assessment, plan and consultation with the pupil, to further assess each pupil's needs and draw up a plan to address them by setting realistic challenges and academic targets
• To work in real partnership with parents and carers to help them support their child
• To offer provision directly or to organise packages of educational provision for pupils of compulsory secondary school age involving other providers e.g. Further Education (FE) Colleges, employers and work-based trainers and programmes offered by the voluntary and community sector and by other statutory agencies
• To support a pupil's smooth reintegration into a mainstream or special school. This includes reviewing pupil progress regularly to determine and trigger the optimum timing for reintegration, working with receiving schools to prepare for transfer and continuing to provide support after transfer
• To work jointly with mainstream schools to support vulnerable pupils and pupils at risk of exclusion. This may be through out-reach support to individual pupils in their mainstream school by PRU staff, or through dual registration of pupils who may attend a PRU for 'time-out' on a part-time or full-time basis
• To be active participants in the Cluster's planning for inclusion
• To be, within the Cluster, a resource of expertise on excellent teaching and learning for the whole child.

The key differences between PRUs and schools are:

• The management committee
• Pupils can be dually registered in both PRUs and schools
• Staffing and the relative duties of LAs and teachers in charge
• The curriculum, which need not be the full National Curriculum
• Premises requirements.