Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost per pupil of running a pupil referral unit was in the last year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss

The Department for Education does not routinely collect data on the average per pupil cost of running a pupil referral unit. Pupil referral units cater for a diverse range of needs and so the actual cost per pupil will vary significantly between institutions.

The Department introduced new funding arrangements in April 2013 that take account of this variation. The new system offers stability for pupil referral units by providing £8,000 for each identified alternative provision place. This funding is supplemented by local authorities or schools when they place pupils into a pupil referral unit. The amount of top-up funding provided is determined locally to reflect the actual costs of educating pupils at that pupil referral unit.