An examination of educational practitioner perspectives towards reintegration in a rural Welsh local authority setting: from Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) to mainstream education

 

This study explores the perspectives of education practitioners toward the

process of reintegrating pupils (many of whom display Emotional and

Behavioural Difficulties), from a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) to mainstream

educational provision in a rural Welsh education authority and, examines the

barriers and facilitators that they identified as evident within their individual

schools and the catchment areas they serve, with regard to reintegrating pupils

and their families. The study locates the process within the geographical context

of the education authority to discuss whether there are specific reintegration

barriers and facilitators inherent within the rural Welsh setting.

Patterns of pupil referral to, and reintegration from, the PRU and mainstream

schools were first examined and analysed from 'pupil tracking data' which

records and tracks pupils throughout an academic year from their arrival at the

PRU. The perspectives of educational practitioners regarding the possible

influence of these variables were gathered first through an expert sample postal

questionnaire followed by a landscape sample postal questionnaire.

Interviews were subsequently conducted with respondents from Primary,

Secondary and PRU settings to drill down into specific variables identified as

influencing reintegration moves.

This study suggests that although there may be generic reintegration barriers

and facilitators evident in all settings, there were specific variables inherent within

the rural Welsh context which, were largely identified as barriers. For example, a

lack of aspiration and narrow world views of many county residents.

Educational practitioners across mainstream and alternative settings provided

feedback on difficulties inherent within the reintegration process and how these

might be overcome to increase the rate of successful reintegration. The results of

this study will be fed back into the professional practice community and to the

Behaviour Support Service in the county where the research took place.