Decision details

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.