Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:21 pm on 14 May 2024.
Diolch. Only last week we were talking about the huge number of school absences in Wales, which is frankly quite shocking. Now, according to Estyn’s latest annual report, there are 22 pupil referral units in Wales providing support to 969 students. During the 2022-23 academic year, 2,396 pupils accessed some kind of education otherwise than at school provision. The most commonly used settings were PRUs, having nearly 50 per cent of all enrolments. According to Estyn, too, since the pandemic local authorities have reported increases in referral rates. However, in Aberconwy, we have reached the point now where all provision is full. I know of a school where the local authority is unable to provide any waiting times; it’s indefinite if you have a child that needs to go to a pupil referral unit. The head himself, now, is trying to look at establishing their own PRU, and I’ll be writing to the education Minister to support this. First Minister, there is an urgent need to create more capacity in our PRUs, not just serving Aberconwy, but across Wales. How will you work with schools and the local authorities to ensure that children and young people are not left feeling disenfranchised from the Welsh education system, and make sure that, where those children need a pupil referral unit, to help them to get the basic knowledge and learning that they require, they can do so in Wales? Diolch yn fawr.