Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
To approve arrangements to finance transport
expenditure for pupils attending preventative places at pupil
referral units from September 2020 for an initial trial period of
one year and then subject to review.
*PLEASE NOTE This decision was originally
published on or near the date of the decision and so call in no
longer applies. It has been re-published as part of the change in
committee management system that we use.*
The transformation of the pupil referral services is intended to
encourage secondary schools to utilise preventative places
(potentially on a short-term basis) with the objective being to
prevent / reduce the risk of permanent exclusions. Discussions with
head teachers have suggested that transport costs could prove a
barrier to the ability of schools to use this approach, as schools
are responsible for the payment of transport costs when a child is
accessing alternative provision. Methodologies have been explored
to ensure an appropriate balance of sharing the financial burden
between the local authority and schools. The arrangements will only
be offered to secondary schools based in North Yorkshire and it is
anticipated will be cost neutral against current transport costs
for young people attending PRS due to permanent exclusion.
The proposed approach involves operating a small number of tariff
bands (which define a standard daily rate of transport cost
reimbursement). This rate is then applied to all pupils from that
school attending the alternative provision offer at the PRS.
Publication date: 16/04/2021
Date of decision: 07/04/2020