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| Firms may educate excluded pupils | Firms may educate excluded pupils |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Private companies and charities could be asked to educate pupils who have been excluded from schools in England. | Private companies and charities could be asked to educate pupils who have been excluded from schools in England. |
| The proposal is expected to be included in an overhaul of schooling for very disruptive youngsters to be announced by the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls. | The proposal is expected to be included in an overhaul of schooling for very disruptive youngsters to be announced by the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls. |
| A government White Paper will focus on improving education standards for pupils removed from mainstream classes. | |
| The education in pupil referral units, where just 1% of pupils gain five good GCSEs, will be more closely monitored. | |
| About 70,000 pupils are taught in pupil referral units and other alternative services at any one time. | About 70,000 pupils are taught in pupil referral units and other alternative services at any one time. |
| Scrutiny | Scrutiny |
| The government wants to improve the quality of education for these pupils - both through early intervention and greater scrutiny of how referral units are performing. | The government wants to improve the quality of education for these pupils - both through early intervention and greater scrutiny of how referral units are performing. |
| There is also expected to be an opening up of the services for disruptive and excluded pupils - with charities, private firms and community groups invited to offer alternatives. | There is also expected to be an opening up of the services for disruptive and excluded pupils - with charities, private firms and community groups invited to offer alternatives. |
| Technology, in terms of "virtual classrooms", could also offer another way of sustaining lessons for a group of difficult youngsters who were no longer in their own classrooms. | Technology, in terms of "virtual classrooms", could also offer another way of sustaining lessons for a group of difficult youngsters who were no longer in their own classrooms. |
| For the first time, detailed data would be published on the performance of students, mostly in the 11 to 15 age group, who were taught in such units. This might include attendance and exam achievement. | For the first time, detailed data would be published on the performance of students, mostly in the 11 to 15 age group, who were taught in such units. This might include attendance and exam achievement. |
| It has also been suggested that there will be a more clearly defined curriculum for such pupils, ensuring that they are taught the basic skills needed when they leave school. | It has also been suggested that there will be a more clearly defined curriculum for such pupils, ensuring that they are taught the basic skills needed when they leave school. |
| Speaking at a teachers' conference in March, Schools Secretary Ed Balls said he was determined to improve the quality of pupil referral units and to offer alternatives, including vocational centres. | Speaking at a teachers' conference in March, Schools Secretary Ed Balls said he was determined to improve the quality of pupil referral units and to offer alternatives, including vocational centres. |
| An Ofsted report published last autumn had found a range of difficulties with pupil referral units. | An Ofsted report published last autumn had found a range of difficulties with pupil referral units. |
| "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." | "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." |
| Ofsted inspectors had found that one in eight referral units were inadequate. | Ofsted inspectors had found that one in eight referral units were inadequate. |
| Conservative leader David Cameron has previously called for a wider use of the voluntary sector with such disruptive youngsters - arguing that referral units were expensive and ineffective. | Conservative leader David Cameron has previously called for a wider use of the voluntary sector with such disruptive youngsters - arguing that referral units were expensive and ineffective. |