A massive change of fortunes has been revealed for the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Powys, with a move to have two separate PRUs rather than one run from two sites.

For most of the year the spectre of closing one site hung over the PRU.

Budget proposals to close a unit were part of this year’s budget which was agreed last February in a bid to save more than £600,000 for the council over two years.

Remodelling the PRUs, which are based in Brecon and Newtown, was estimated to save the council £325,555 this year and £251,285 next year.

But due to a shakeup of staff in the education department the proposal to close a unit was dropped last month.

North Powys PRU in Newtown
North Powys PRU in Newtown (Google Street View)

At a joint meeting of the Learning and Skill and Health and Care scrutiny committee’s on Wednesday, November 13 councillors and independent lay members were presented with the new draft Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and Inclusion strategic plan.

Amongst plan documents is detail of the change of thinking about the PRU.

The changes also follow a damning report on the PRU by education watchdog, Estyn.

They said following their inspection last May that the PRU needed “significant improvement”.

The strategic plan said: “The intention is to de-register the PRU and re-register as two separate entities.

“This means that each individual PRU can create a learning environment specific to the needs of the learners within their community.

“This will enable a management of change process to be carried out to ensure that there is appropriate staffing of both PRUs.”

At the moment the council is renting the unit sites in Newtown and Brecon.

At the meeting, inclusion ALN and inclusion service manager Simon Anderson was asked to explain the changes.

Mr Anderson told the joint committee that the PRU sites currently has to work in lockstep - but deals with children from very different communities and needs.

Mr Anderson said: “If approval is given for the de-registration, we’re looking to move that forward from January.

“Pupils that Brecon PRU support have very different needs to the ones being supported in Newtown.”

He explained that the needs being dealt with in Brecon were around anxiety and school avoidance while Newtown dealt with behaviour issues.

He added that secondary schools in both areas were also “very different”.

Mr Anderson said: “On a practical note it’s looking at the children that are in front of them, and it allows the schools to make decisions on a specific basis for their needs.”

The report adds that for the time being the PRUs will remain in their current sites while “further exploration” of alternatives in council owned sites will take place.

PRUs are small specialist schools that deal with children who need greater support than mainstream schools can provide.

Pupils attend PRUs for a range of reasons including exclusion from mainstream school due to behavioural issues, mental health issues and illness.

Comments on the strategy from the scrutiny committees will be added to the report by the time it goes before the Liberal Democrat/Labour cabinet for a decision at a meeting on Tuesday, November 26.