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What is a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)?

What is a Pupil Referral Unit?

A PRU is a type of school that caters for children who aren’t able to attend a mainstream school. Pupils are often referred there if they need greater care and support than their school can provide.

Children who attend a PRU might be:
* permanently excluded from their mainstream school for behaviour reasons, or at risk of permanent exclusion.
* experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties, including problems with anger, mental health issues, and school phobia/refusal.
* experiencing severe bullying
* diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN) or in the process of getting a diagnosis.
* suffering from a short- or long-term illness that makes mainstream school unsuitable.
* pregnant or young mothers.

Some pupils will have all their lessons at a PRU, while others split their time between the mainstream school where they’re registered and a PRU.
(source - The School Run)

Any local authority who feels there is valid reason to have a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) can set one up. They do not have to ask permission to instigate the setting up of a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) but they should have it registered with OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) so that they can be inspected to ensure that what they do aim to educate their pupils in is done so to the highest standard possible.

Before a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) can be allowed to teach students it must first register not only with OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) but also with the DfE (Department for Education).
See the latest vacancies in PRUs