Pupil Referral Units Research Articles

Pupil referral units (PRUs) and alternative education provision; a think piece on making a case for parental choice for children with SEND

AbstractParental choice remains a central theme in education policy in England. Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated. For some families this choice is surrendered, with volition and intention, to their local authority which allocates school places after parents, statutory guardians and families have made their decisions. Where applicable, after parents have selected mainstream education for children with SEND, their child might be evaluated, and a recommendation made for their child to undergo a managed move; typically to join a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) or Alternative Provision (AP). In this think piece, we advocate for PRUs and APs to sit alongside mainstream and special education schools to offer a more balanced first choice for parents. This means PRUs and APs are not ‘othered’ in this choice offer for parents. There are academic, psycho‐social, emotional, well‐being and self‐affirming complexities which could, and quite frankly, tend to result in the pupils and students accessing settings such as these which appear to be othered in this way.

Educator perceptions of the complex needs of young people in Pupil Referral Units: An exploratory qualitative analysis

Background Alternative education provision such as Pupil Referral Units support young people who have been excluded from mainstream school settings and often from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, there is limited research to date exploring educators’ perceptions of the complex needs of young people in PRUs, and the extent to which PRUs as currently configured can meet such needs. Methods Between March 2019 and October 2020 twenty-two participants holding various educational roles from five different Pupil Referral Units across London and Southeast England were interviewed. The interviews aimed to explore the participants’ experiences of working with students in PRU’s and examine some of the challenges that they might encounter. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using Reflexive thematic analysis. Results The three identified themes and their sub-themes highlighted the complex needs of these young people and identified significant barriers to effective service provision. The first theme ‘Complexities of PRU population’ highlighted the challenges that young people in PRUs face and perceived systemic short falls in addressing such complexity. The second theme ‘Challenges of the PRU environment’ highlights the frustrations that educators experience when it comes to providing adequate support to young people in PRU’s, the absence of agency support, and the uncertainty that these educational settings can bring. The third theme ‘Peer Group Influences’ highlights the impact of peer groups from beyond the classroom on engagement within the classroom. Conclusions Despite the clear complex needs of young people in PRUs, staff reported feeling ill-equipped to support these individuals and lacked access to effective inter-agency support. Participants reported that pupils’ mental health difficulties were exacerbated by exclusion and reintegration practices, an over-zealous focus on educational outcomes and the impact of gang influences on their school lives. Implications include more specific mental health training for staff working in PRU’s, improved inter-agency working and the incorporation of trauma-informed approaches in educational practice.

Who deserves help and who is bad? Race and class in ‘doing’ school exclusion

ABSTRACT This article presents findings from qualitative research on school exclusion. The study was conducted in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), part of alternative education provision, in England. Mixed methods used included ethnographic approaches, drama-based group work, focus group discussions and interviews. Research participants were teenage boys (age 14–16) and professionals including Teachers and Teaching Assistants (TAs). Data were analysed in multiple ways within a post structural framework, this included a participatory Data Sharing workshop with boys at the PRU and psycho social approaches. Intersectionality and post structural theories provide conceptual resources for the study. Key themes are as follows: Situated context, boys’ creative practices through rap music and the phenomenon of parents sending their sons ‘back home’ outside the UK. The article highlights school exclusion as part of a wider global context of inequity and punishment in education. It offers nuanced insights from the raced and classed experience of exclusion.

Emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) intervention: medium-term impact on pupils’ emotional literacy in one local authority in Wales

ABSTRACT The medium-term impact of emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) intervention is unknown. Therefore, emotional literacy (EL) data were collected through intervention assessment records (IAR) and social and emotional support assessment (SESA) questionnaires from 18 children and young people (CYP) and 18 ELSAs and class teachers (CTs) jointly measuring the effect of a six-week intervention, employing a within-subjects design. Twelve primary schools, four secondary schools, one special school and one pupil referral unit (PRU) participated. A series of t-tests (95% CI) showed a significant positive impact on CYP’s EL following six weeks of ELSA intervention with CYP, p < .001 (g = 0.57) and CT and ELSA perspective, p < .001, (g = 0.45), with no improvements for the control group. EL gains were maintained 10 weeks post intervention with CYP p < .001 (g = 0.57) and CT and ELSA perspective p < .001, (g = 0.35), thus providing tentative evidence for the impact of ELSA intervention in supporting CYP’s EL that extends beyond a six-week interval time phase. Further research is suggested to build on the evidence base.

School to prison pipelines: Associations between school exclusion, neurodisability and age of first conviction in male prisoners

Both school exclusion and neurodisability are prospective markers for increased risk of subsequent contact with criminal justice system in general and justice-involved samples. However, relationships between school exclusion, neurodisability, and age at first conviction have received minimal attention. Age at first conviction is an important outcome, as justice system contact is criminogenic, so people convicted at a younger age are at risk of becoming entrenched in the system. This issue was addressed with data collected from 3035 convicted male adults, who completed the Do-IT Profiler screening assessment in HMP Parc (Wales, UK). Multiple school exclusions were associated with earlier first convictions, with those excluded once, 2–3 times, and 4 or more times being first convicted 3, 5, and 6 years earlier on average than the never-excluded cohort. Of the excluded cohort, 45% were sent to a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) (a facility for children excluded from mainstream school). They were first convicted an average of 2 years younger than those who were excluded but never sent to a PRU, and an average of 6 years younger than those who were never excluded. This suggests that being sent to a PRU is associated with earlier first convictions than exclusion alone. Each standard deviation increase in neurodisability (indexed by lower scores on a functional skills screener, used here as a proxy for neurodisability) was associated with being 0.5 years younger at first conviction. Finally, school exclusion was correlated with scores on the functional skills screener, suggesting that school exclusion could be a potential mechanism for the criminalisation of children with neurodisability. These findings elucidate associations between school exclusion (including PRU referral), poor functional skills indicative of neurodisability, and criminalisation at a younger age in prison populations.

Leaving a Pupil Referral Unit in Wales: Care Experienced Young People and their Post-16 Transitions

Care experienced young people are more likely to leave compulsory schooling with fewer qualifications than their non-care experienced peers. They continue to be over-represented in school exclusion figures and are more likely to attend alternative provision such as pupil referral units (PRUs). Transitions at 16 can be difficult, particularly when support systems are lost. As such, these young people are at greater risk of homelessness, criminality and suicide, on leaving compulsory education. The risks associated with these transitions are heightened even more for those leaving alternative provision. Exploring what factors can support the transitions of PRU learners into post-16 destinations is an important line of enquiry. This article discusses qualitative findings from the first year of a three-year mixed methods study involving research with 14 PRU learners. It explores young people&rsquo;s reflections on their educational journeys so far and their expectations for life after the PRU. The findings highlight how experiences of school exclusion can impact negatively on future trajectories. Despite this, the participants were still able to foresee and describe ambitious plans, supported in part by caring PRU professionals and positive role models in their lives. The article concludes by considering the factors that may facilitate or create barriers to sustainable transitions for this cohort of young people, as they begin to leave the PRUs.

Exploring perspectives of whole‐school attachment and trauma aware approaches in a specialist provision

A recent focus on attachment and trauma awareness (ATA) in schools has led to whole‐school training programmes and evaluations. The outcomes have been positive; however, the dominant focus of research is on the implementation of whole‐school ATA in mainstream settings. This project adopted a case study to explore how the training and approaches had been implemented in a school community, including a special school and pupil referral units. Data were collected from three semi‐structured interviews with staff in varying roles, and the views of 11 pupils were obtained via a classroom activity as supplementary data. Thematic analysis highlighted five key themes which directly answered the three research questions, namely: strategies and approaches used; pupil outcomes; facilitators to implementation; barriers to implementation; and training and improvements. It is hoped that this study will help further professional understanding and implementation of ATA in non‐mainstream settings. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Looked after children in prison as adults: life adversity and neurodisability

PurposeLooked after children (LAC) are criminalised at five times the rate of children in the general population. Children in contact with both child welfare and child justice systems have higher rates of neurodisability and substance use problems, and LAC in general have high rates of school exclusion, homelessness and unemployment. This study aims to understand whether these factors persist in LAC who are in prison as adults.Design/methodology/approachAdministrative data collected by the Do-IT profiler screening tool in a prison in Wales, UK, were analysed to compare sentenced prisoners who were LAC (n = 631) to sentenced prisoners who were not LAC (n = 2,201). The sample comprised all prisoners who were screened on entry to prison in a two-year period.FindingsPrisoners who were LAC scored more poorly on a functional screener for neurodisability (effect size = 0.24), and on four self-report measures capturing traits of dyslexia (0.22), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (0.40), autism spectrum disorders (0.34) and developmental co-ordination disorder (0.33). Prisoners who were LAC were more likely to have been to a pupil referral unit (0.24), have substance use problems (0.16), be homeless or marginally housed (0.18) and be unemployed or unable to work due to disability (0.13).Originality/valueThis study uniquely contributes to our understanding of prisoners who were LAC as a target group for intervention and support with re-integration into the community upon release. LAC in prison as adults may require additional interventions to help with employment, housing and substance use. Education programmes in prison should screen for neurodisability, to develop strategies to support engagement.

Working with trauma; finding new ports of entry1

ABSTRACT This paper describes how, in the wake of a spate of fatal knife crime in one London borough, the council, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) got together to think about how to improve outcomes for their young people. Starting with schools and pupil referral units, the CAMHS and educational psychology service were commissioned to work with whole staff groups, from senior leadership to lunchtime monitors and playground staff, to embed trauma informed policy and practice. The aim was to spread understanding about complex developmental trauma; what it is, how it affects the behaviour and experience of children and families, and how to work with it. Given how widespread trauma is, the objective was also to think about what might need to change in the environment and ethos of the borough’s schools as a result. Following the project’s initial success, its scope and remit were expanded to support services on a policy level, while also working with their staff to think about the impact of trauma, and how best to support children and families who have been affected by it. As well as teaching about trauma, the project is primarily an experiential one. This paper explores the impact on staff who were involved in the project; what came out of it for them personally in terms of changes to their thinking and outlook, and what they saw as the changes for the children and families they worked with.

Group sleep intervention with adolescents attending a pupil referral unit using youth participation methodology: A report of the development of an intervention in practice

AbstractThis report of the development of an intervention in practice outlines the design, delivery, and evaluation of a tailored, school‐based, group adolescent sleep intervention utilising youth participation methodology and an intervention mapping protocol as a framework. The intervention also included supplementary video support. The intervention was delivered to 5‐year 11 students attending a pupil referral unit. This alternative education provision is organised to provide education for young people who cannot participate in school and may not otherwise receive suitable education in Britain. Through co‐formulation and cooperative design, the voice of the young people was sought throughout the design, implementation, and evaluation process. The behavioural objectives of the intervention were to increase stress management techniques and reduce technology usage. These were chosen to align with the overall outcomes: improving sleep behaviours and reducing negative sleep hygiene practices. Improvements in sleep behaviour and decreases in negative sleep hygiene practices were achieved post‐intervention and at 4‐month follow‐up. Strengths of the intervention, future intervention optimisation, and implications for practice are considered.

A sports-based intervention for pupils excluded from mainstream education: A systems approach to intervention acceptability and feasibility

Pupil referral units educate young people excluded from mainstream education within England, UK. Exclusion is related to reduced continuation with education and training, unemployment, and an increased likelihood of entrance into the criminal justice system. Sport has been consistently used to improve reintegration into education. However, evidence surrounding sports interventions in this setting is sparse and/or lacks detail surrounding acceptability and feasibility. Systems-based approaches highlight the complexity of multi-component interventions. The current study aimed to independently evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a co-produced sport-based intervention. The intervention used sport, mentorship, education, reflection, and role models to promote health, pro-social, behavioural, and educational outcomes. Conducted in one local authority pupil referral unit within the midlands, England, a sample of 38 pupils (n = 3 females), five support staff, eight teachers, eight mentors and three stakeholders participated in the evaluation. The intervention was evaluated through a multi-method approach which incorporated observation, interviews, visual methods, a pre-experimental study, and examination of school-level data. Data were analysed through an iterative process framed through inductive reasoning, and descriptive statistics. Layers of data were triangulated to produce a systems-map. Within a complex system of social networks and individual differences, the intervention components interacted to influence pupil health and behaviour. Findings suggested that sport is an acceptable and feasible conduit to support mentorship. Participation in sport can mitigate some challenges to engaging in reflection, education, and identifying role models. Challenges relating to acceptability and feasibility could be improved through adopting a robust co-production process beyond simple design centred ‘co-creation’, consideration of emotional and health literacy of pupil cohorts, and deliberation of the factors which shape long-term implementation and sustainability. Research should understand the extent to which our systems-map is replicable in a range of settings.

The Positive Choices trial: study protocol for a Phase-III RCT trial of a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities

BackgroundPositive Choices is a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health among secondary school students. Intervention comprises school health promotion council involving staff and students coordinating delivery; student survey to inform local tailoring; teacher-delivered classroom curriculum; student-run campaigns; parent information; and review of sexual/reproductive health services to inform improvements. This trial builds on an optimisation/pilot RCT study which met progression criteria, plus findings from another pilot RCT of the Project Respect school-based intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence which concluded such work should be integrated within Positive Choices. Young people carry a disproportionate burden of adverse sexual health; most do not report competence at first sex. Relationships and sex education in schools can contribute to promoting sexual health but effects are small, inconsistent and not sustained. Such work needs to be supplemented by ‘whole-school’ (e.g. student campaigns, sexual health services) and ‘social marketing’ (harnessing commercial marketing to social ends) approaches for which there is good review-level evidence but not from the UK.MethodsWe will conduct a cluster RCT across 50 schools (minimum 6440, maximum 8500 students) allocated 1:1 to intervention/control assessing outcomes at 33 months. Our primary outcome is non-competent first sex. Secondary outcomes are non-competent last sex, age at sexual debut, non-use of contraception at first and last sex among those reporting heterosexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, dating and relationship violence, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy and unintended pregnancy for girls and initiation of pregnancy for boys. We will recruit 50 school and undertake baseline surveys by March 2022; implement the intervention over the 2022–2024 school years and conduct the economic and process evaluations by July 2024; undertake follow-up surveys by December 2024; complete analyses, all patient and policy involvement and draft the study report by March 2025; and engage in knowledge exchange from December 2024.DiscussionThis trial is one of a growing number focused on whole-school approaches to public health in schools. The key scientific output will be evidence about the effectiveness, costs and potential scalability and transferability of Positive Choices.Trial registrationISRCTN No: ISRCTN16723909. Trial registration summary: Date:. Funded by: National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme (NIHR131487). Sponsor: LSHTM. Public/scientific contact: Chris Bonell. Public title: Positive Choices trial. Scientific title: Phase-III RCT of Positive Choices: a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities. Countries of recruitment: UK. Intervention: Positive Choices. Inclusion criteria: Students in year 8 (age 12–13 years) at baseline deemed competent by schools to participate in secondary schools excluding pupil referral units, schools for those with special educational needs and disabilities, and schools with ‘inadequate’ Ofsted inspections. Study type: interventional study with superiority phase III cluster RCT design. Enrollment: 1/9/21-31/3/22. Sample size: 50 schools and 6440–8500 students. Recruitment status: pending. Primary outcome: binary measure of non-competent first sex. Secondary outcomes: non-competent last sex; age at sexual debut; non-use of contraception at first and last sex; number of sexual partners; dating and relationship violence (DRV) victimisation; sexually transmitted infections; pregnancy and unintended pregnancy for girls and initiation of pregnancy for boys using adapted versions of the RIPPLE measures. Ethics review: LSHTM research ethics committee (reference 26411). Completion data: 1/3/25. Sharing statement: Data will be made available after the main trial analyses have been completed on reasonable request from researchers with ethics approval and a clear protocol. Amendments to the protocol will be communicated to the investigators, sponsor, funder, research ethics committee, trial registration and the journal publishing the protocol. Amendments affecting participants’ experience of the intervention or important amendments affecting the overall design and conduct of the trial will be communicated to participants.

The PRU: The Solution for Whom?

In Sweden, pupil referral units (PRUs) have been recommended by the government, suggesting that “inclusion has gone too far”. This governmental recommendation is not based on research focusing on PRUs, as such research is sparse. Furthermore, there has been a lack of evaluations of the efficacy of PRUs, and no national evaluations of such provision have been undertaken. Furthermore, more attention must be paid to PRU students’ own perspectives and experiences as we lack knowledge of their needs and situation. This study aimed to investigate how educational needs have been and should be addressed in one PRU according to nine stakeholder groups, for example, current students, former students, parents, school staff, and various groups of people who, in their work, were responsible for deciding about the PRU (e.g., chief education officers or politicians) or supporting the PRU (e.g., school healthcare unit staff). Comparative analysis of all groups’ perceptions considered similarities and differences of views of this topic. Preliminary results indicate substantial between- and within-group variation concerning the purpose of the PRU and uncertainty about educational quality, partly due to insufficient documentation. Some students described a “Catch-22”: having been told to catch up educationally with peers and that PRU placement would help in this, they were disappointed, as the emphasis on non-educational practices impeded catching up.

School experiences of Children in Need: Learning and support

Children in Need (CIN) have received little attention in education circles. These are children who are usually living at home but where there are concerns over their health or development due to abuse or neglect, or they are disabled. Like Children in Care (CIC, who mostly live away), educational attainments for CIN are lower than for the general pupil population, with higher levels of special educational needs. This article draws on additional analysis from a recently completed, mixed methods study into this educational attainment gap for CIN and CIC. The overall research involved quantitative analysis from official statistics of a whole‐birth cohort of children (n = 471,688) born in 2000/2001 and tracked through to their General Certificate of Secondary Education exams in 2017. This was complemented by semi‐structured interviews with 18 CIN and 23 CIC, parents and associated professionals. This article focuses on interviews with CIN, their parents and professionals. Two main themes emerged from this further analysis of the qualitative data. One concerned children’s problems with learning. Children said that they often struggled with their schoolwork and received insufficient classroom support to help. The second theme was that pupils and parents reported more positive experiences of learning and support in Pupil Referral Units compared with secondary schools. The overall conclusion is that attention should rightly address the social, emotional and mental health difficulties of CIN, but this should be coupled with adequate support for classroom learning.

The Storymaker Wheel: An investigation into how teachers and pupils can use a counter‐culture assessment tool to evaluate creative writing in the classroom

AbstractThis paper outlines the processes of creating a ‘Storymaker Wheel’, a creativity evaluation tool conceptualised with input from a children's book author, a children's book illustrator, academics and teachers, for teachers and pupils to use to support and develop their creative writing. It documents the ways in which teachers and pupils engaged with the Wheel in three schools in England: a primary pupil referral unit, a primary school and a secondary school. Interviews with teachers and pupils about the Storymaker Wheel, and classroom observations of the Wheel in use, expose some challenges of teaching creative writing within the current English educational context, which we discuss.

School refusal and isolation: The perspectives of five adolescent school refusers in London, UK

Research has identified a subset of young people who feel unable to engage in mainstream education. Given the hard-to-reach nature of this group, their views on what has caused their isolation from others have received little focus in previous literature. The present study aimed to explore the experiences and views of a subset of young people seen within an inner London Pupil Referral Unit who were extremely socially withdrawn and unable to attend mainstream education. They were asked what they believe led them to their current situation, the impact of isolation, how their life is going and what they value. Key themes identified were the role of anxiety in withdrawal from education and the protective capacity of social contact, even via social media, in preventing negative outcomes of withdrawal. Sleep, health, education, family and social contact were identified as risk and protective factors and were also things participants identified as values. This research provides insight into potential ways to support young people in returning to mainstream education as well as ideas for preventative measures that may protect future generations from such extreme isolation. This research was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, but lessons learned bear relevance in current times.

How do we progress racial justice in education?

How do we progress racial justice in education?

The relational work of compassion and toxicity at a pupil referral unit

This article contributes to the literature on compassion in organisations by exploring, through the sociology of relational work, how compassion emerges against the backdrop of what is described as structural toxicity; that is, structures, policies and practices that create the material stage upon which compassion may, or may not, materialise. Underfunding, social deprivation and draconian performance measures are all examples of structural toxicities that may trigger relational toxicity, that is conflict, suffering and disconnection at work but also where compassion may emerge in various forms. It is against this backdrop that we seek to address the conceptual and empirical gap in current understandings of compassion in organisations. Theorising from the empirical field, a case is presented in which compassion emerges as a product of the ongoing relational work of teachers in response to structural toxicities that trigger repeated instances of emotional pain and suffering but also joy and engagement with their work and each other.

Impact of a transdiagnostic prevention protocol for targeting adolescent anxiety and depression

The present study examined the benefit of a transdiagnostic prevention program, Super Skills for Life (SSL), among adolescents with internalizing and/or externalizing problems in two types of school settings (mainstream school and pupil referral unit) using a randomized waitlist-controlled trial (RCT). The main aims were to examine the effects of the SSL-A in reducing internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents, and to identify the moderating role of gender, age, and school type on the intervention outcome. The RCT involved 112 adolescents aged 11 to 14 years old, randomly allocated to either an SSL intervention group or a waitlist-control group (WLC). Adolescents in the intervention group participated immediately in the SSL-A, whereas adolescents in the WLC group received the intervention after the intervention group completed the 6 months follow-up assessment. Results showed that internalizing and externalizing problems were significantly reduced from pre-test to follow-up assessments. Gender, age and school setting moderated the intervention outcome. Specifically, males, younger adolescents and adolescents from mainstream schools showed a significant reduction over time on both internalizing and externalizing problems.&#x0D; This study provides evidence for the benefits of a transdiagnostic prevention program for internalizing and externalizing problems in two types of school settings.

Using an Instructional Fluency Approach to Teach Addition Skills in a Pupil Referral Unit: A Pilot Study

Mae unedau cyfeirio disgyblion (UCD) yng Nghymru yn cynnig lle i blant sy'n arddangos amrywiaeth o anawsterau na ellir eu rheoli o fewn lleoliad prif ffrwd. Nid yw llawer o'r plant sy'n mynychu UCD yng Nghymru yn datblygu'r sgiliau rhifedd sydd eu hangen arnynt i gefnogi eu dysgu ar draws y cwricwlwm. Er mwyn ceisio addysgu ac asesu sgiliau adio, asesodd yr awduron effeithiau defnyddio cyfuniad o gyfarwyddyd uniongyrchol (CU) ac addysgu manwl (AM) mewn UCD. Dros chwe wythnos ysgol, buom yn gweithio gyda phump o blant (rhwng 7 a 10 oed) ar sail 1:1 drwy'r cwricwlwm adio Corrective Mathematics (Engelmann a Carnine, 2005). Yn dilyn pob gwers, cwblhaodd y plant asesiad rhuglder unigol, a oedd wedi'i deilwra i'w hanghenion gan ddefnyddio dulliau AM. Aethom ati i gasglu data llinell sylfaen a dilynol gan ddefnyddio'r Prawf Gallu Mathemategol Cynnar (TEMA-3), y Prawf Cyflawniad Amrediad Eang (WRAT-4) a'r prawf lleoliad Corrective Mathematics. Cyfwelwyd â'r plant ar ôl yr ymyrraeth hefyd er mwyn cael syniad o'u profiad o'r dull. Mae'r canlyniadau'n darparu tystiolaeth i gefnogi'r defnydd o ddull rhuglder cyfarwyddiadol mewn lleoliad UCD i helpu plant i ddatblygu sgiliau mathemateg cynnar, yn enwedig ar gyfer plant oedd yn ymgysylltu â'r sesiynau'n rheolaidd. Oherwydd maint bach y sampl, mae canlyniadau'r astudiaeth hon yn gyfyngedig o ran y gallu i'w cyffredinoli ond gallant helpu i lywio ymchwil yn y dyfodol sy'n ymchwilio i strategaethau effeithiol ar gyfer addysgu mathemateg mewn UCD.