Pupil referral units (PRUs) are a type of school, established and maintained by the local authority, that provide education for children who require alternative educational provision.
Local authorities have a duty to provide suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness or exclusion from school for example, will not receive a suitable education without these arrangements.
Many children attending PRUs have been permanently excluded and some are at risk of exclusion. The focus of units are to get pupils back into a mainstream school.
Sandwell has seven Pupil Referral Units, 5 Behaviour Units and 2 Specialist Units.