In the UK, a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) (previously known as Pupil Re-integration Unit by some Local Education Authorities) is an alternative education provision which is specifically organised to provide education for children who are not able to attend school for a number of reasons.
Reasons for referral might include:[1] Each LEA has a duty under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to provide suitable education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school.
Placing pupils in PRUs is just one of the ways in which local authorities can ensure that they can comply with this duty.
PRUs are a mixture of public units and privately managed companies.
A PRU is treated the same as any other type of school, subject to the same inspections from Ofsted.