Charity calls for retention of secure schools proposals

Plans to turn young offender institutions into secure schools were unveiled in February in an interim report by former head teacher Charlie Taylor as part of his youth justice review.

Despite being endorsed by then Prime Minister David Cameron CYP Now has been told the plans are likely to be dropped. A senior youth justice figure said that the final Taylor report is being rewritten and "will no longer focus on secure schools".

Appearing before a justice select committee earlier this month, Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss confirmed she needed "time to think" about Taylor's initial proposals.

But Rod Clark, chief executive of Prisoners' Education Trust (PET) has called on the government to ensure secure schools "remain a key part of Taylor's recommendations".

He said: "We very much welcomed Charlie Taylor's promotion of small, local secure schools, which would build on good examples of alternative provision in the community.

"If you want to promote learning, inclusion and a sense of community to young people in custody, it makes sense to start with a school and try to make it more secure, rather than start with a prison and try to add classrooms."

Clark's plea to the government comes as the charity launches its Great Expectations report, which recommends a raft of improvements to education for children and young people in custody.

This includes improving pay and conditions for those working with young offenders and making learning more interesting by not focusing only on classroom settings.

The Ministry of Justice also needs to carry out an "urgent review" into the current 30 hours a week education contracts for young offenders in custody. PET's report found they are not being met, with young people receiving just 17 hours of education on average.

Clark added: "There is a worrying gulf between the quality of education in mainstream schools and secure institutions. This, combined with rising levels of violence, means secure institutions risk serving as conveyer belts for adult prisons, when they should be places children can learn, rehabilitate and be directed towards crime-free adulthoods."