The wellbeing of disadvantaged learners has been a crucial issue for me throughout my time as Wales's children's commissioner. All the evidence suggests that if we put a clear focus on supporting pupil wellbeing, and give children and young people opportunities to be listened to, they are more likely to reach their full potential educationally.
Two years ago, Estyn, the Wales inspectorate, published the findings of a survey of the arrangements for those in pupil referral units (PRUs). These are maintained by local authorities and organised to provide education outside a school setting for pupils who might not otherwise receive an education. The findings suggested that systems and measures to support pupil wellbeing through effective behaviour management needed to improve.
The inspectorate's latest annual report highlights how practice in PRUs remains inconsistent. For this reason, I embarked on a piece of work focusing on the views of learners at PRUs, their wellbeing and their right to education.
As a result, I have just published The Right to Learn, which concludes that practice is inconsistent, with PRUs often seen as an afterthought within local and national priorities. Over the past six months, we have examined the provision of education in units where some of Wales' most vulnerable learners are taught.
We discovered an urgent need to change the general attitude towards PRUs, where the young people are labelled the worst of the education system. We found too many children with additional needs arrive at the PRU at a point where their issues have gone unsupported and have escalated to a point where engaging in education is particularly difficult. And we found that meeting the range and depth of learners' additional needs in PRUs is challenging, in the context of staff capacity and access to appropriate training.
Dumping ground for learners
Encouragingly, 53 per cent of learners rated the help they have had at their PRU as excellent. But staff told me they feel isolated from new initiatives and good practice, and believe they are seen as a dumping ground for disadvantaged learners. They say there is poor dissemination of information about curriculum development, difficulties in recruiting teaching staff, and difficulties in securing quality alternative and vocational provision to deliver the 14-19 Learning Pathway (the Welsh government's commitment to transforming 14-19 provision). The last national guidance on pupil referral units was issued more than eight years ago.
PRUs that focus on pupil wellbeing, work in partnership with other agencies and have committed staff are the best - they provide individualised packages of learning to help pupils achieve. I've seen this first hand. To get more consistently good practice, the status of PRUs must rise from being a "Cinderella service" to one that recognises its contribution to ensure all children meet their full potential.
The report also carries some vital recommendations. It calls on the Welsh government to issue new guidance on the provision and purpose of PRUs; and to introduce measures supporting delivery in PRUs of the new curriculum, which comes into force in September 2015.
The 570 pupils currently educated in our PRUs are some of our most vulnerable learners. They have often had a poor experience of mainstream education and may be struggling with complex personal circumstances. But they all have a right to education and to reach their potential. We need to see positive leadership from the Welsh government and a clear programme of improvement.
Keith Towler is the children's commissioner for Wales
