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Firms may educate excluded pupils Private bids for behaviour units
(about 3 hours later)
Private companies and charities could be asked to educate pupils who have been excluded from schools in England. Private companies, voluntary groups and independent schools could educate pupils who have been excluded from schools in England.
The proposal is expected to be included in an overhaul of schooling for disruptive youngsters to be announced by the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls. The name "pupil referral units" is to be scrapped - and new providers will be invited to raise standards.
A government White Paper will focus on improving education standards for pupils removed from mainstream classes. The plan calls for earlier intervention - including making efforts to identify problem children in primary school.
There will be closer monitoring of education in pupil referral units - a name which is being scrapped. Schools Secretary Ed Balls says there must be a "radical transformation" of learning outside mainstream classes.
About 70,000 pupils are currently taught in pupil referral units and other alternative services at any one time. Mr Balls has set out a root and branch reform of provision for excluded and disruptive pupils - in an attempt to raise the low performance of the current system.
Scrutiny 'Studio schools'
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. At present, only 1% of youngsters in pupil referral units achieve the basic level of five good GCSEs.
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. PUPIL REFERRAL UNITS 70,000 pupils at any one time£15,000 per pupil per year75% of pupils have special needs91% pupils aged 11 to1569% pupils are boysLess than half of pupils gain a single GCSE
Let's concentrate on the quality rather than what sort of organisation it is John DunfordAssociation of School and College Leaders 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. These units are also much more expensive than mainstream classes - costing £15,000 per pupil per year, more than three times as much as an ordinary secondary school place.
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. The proposals set out in the White Paper, Back on Track, call for a more innovative range of alternatives, including "studio schools" for vocational training and schemes from the private and voluntary sector.
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. The Prince's Trust has already expressed an interest in taking part in one of 10 pilot schemes, which will receive £26.5m in government funding.
Speaking at a teachers' conference in March, Mr Balls said he was determined to improve the quality of pupil referral units and to offer alternatives, including vocational centres. Mr Balls has not ruled out profit-making companies - pointing to the private companies involved in secure training centres - and said he would be "enthusiastic" to have the participation of independent schools.
An Ofsted report published last autumn had found a range of difficulties with pupil referral units. The proposals would see the closure of failing referral units - and the requirement for a more effective replacement, either from the state, private or voluntary sector.
"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." There will be an emphasis on early intervention, which is likely to mean an increase in the number of children, particularly primary school pupils, passing through these referral units - for shorter periods of time.
Ofsted inspectors had found that one in eight referral units were inadequate. Psychiatric help
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. "Often primary heads and teachers are the best early indicator of thingsgoing wrong," said Mr Balls.
"A child with a special educational need or a sibling who has been involved with crime - those are very substantial risk factors. We can identify all of those risk factors at primary school," he said.
"We would like to be intervening at a much earlier stage and using alternative provision before you get into the world of exclusions at all."
Sir Alan Steer, who has been advising the government on pupil behaviour, says all referral units should have a psychiatric nurse or psychiatric social worker.
There will also be greater scrutiny of standards, with the expectation that pupils' achievement and attendance should be monitored and a guarantee of an adequate curriculum for pupils.
'Quality provision''Quality provision'
But Jerry Glazier from the National Union of Teachers, who teaches at a pupil referral unit in Essex, said the union was opposed to the growing trend of involving private companies in education.But Jerry Glazier from the National Union of Teachers, who teaches at a pupil referral unit in Essex, said the union was opposed to the growing trend of involving private companies in education.
"We think it's absolutely crucial that local authorities work with their own resources, with schools, to provide the best quality provision and I'm unconvinced that a private provider will be able to do that effectively."We think it's absolutely crucial that local authorities work with their own resources, with schools, to provide the best quality provision and I'm unconvinced that a private provider will be able to do that effectively.
"There are some excellent pupils referral units across the country - those need to be extended, that provision needs to be strengthened, local authorities and government need to commit themselves to more resources, and then I think we will see stepped improvements.""There are some excellent pupils referral units across the country - those need to be extended, that provision needs to be strengthened, local authorities and government need to commit themselves to more resources, and then I think we will see stepped improvements."
However, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said it was irrelevant whether the referral centres were run by the public or private sector as quality was the key consideration.However, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said it was irrelevant whether the referral centres were run by the public or private sector as quality was the key consideration.
"What we want is high-quality provision and I don't think there should be any presupposition that either the public sector or the private sector is the only place in which that high-quality provision can be provided," said John Dunford."What we want is high-quality provision and I don't think there should be any presupposition that either the public sector or the private sector is the only place in which that high-quality provision can be provided," said John Dunford.
DisruptionDisruption
But Dr Dunford said permanent exclusion should not be the only way for young people to access alternative provision.But Dr Dunford said permanent exclusion should not be the only way for young people to access alternative provision.
"The goal should be earlier intervention for those in danger of exclusion, with PRUs working with the local school behaviour partnerships to devise family support and educational strategies that match the young person's needs."The goal should be earlier intervention for those in danger of exclusion, with PRUs working with the local school behaviour partnerships to devise family support and educational strategies that match the young person's needs.
"The best chance in life for at risk young people is to gain academic or vocational qualifications to open up job and training opportunities.""The best chance in life for at risk young people is to gain academic or vocational qualifications to open up job and training opportunities."
Alison Johnston of teachers' union Voice said: "Pupils who exhibit disruptive behaviour need to have a quality education and the opportunity to address the issues causing their behaviour. Michael Gove, the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, highlighted that Conservative leader David Cameron had called for more involvement from the voluntary sectory last year.
"Other students need to have the opportunity to complete their education without disruption." “I'm glad that Ed Balls now accepts this is right. However, we should be tackling this problem at the source. Many children suffer because they've not been taught to read properly.
"We need tried and tested reading schemes in primary schools to stop children going off the rails in the first place," said Mr Gove.