Newtown PRU 'saved' from closure

The Newtown Pupil Referral Unit, which was earmarked for closure as part of a savings exercise, has been halted and will now be retained says a county councillor.

In a question from Newtown West councillor, Cllr Peter Lewington to the Cabinet Member for Learning Powys, Cllr Pete Roberts, Cllr Roberts has confirmed that new leadership in the Education Service has "carefully reflected on the proposed changes and savings and do not believe that consolidating the PRU into one county wide provider is the best course of action for the learners of Powys".

The news comes as Wales’s education watchdog, Estyn said that the PRU required: “significant improvement" back in July.

The original proposals to close a unit in Powys to save £600,000 over two years were part of this year’s budget which was agreed last February.

Remodelling the PRUs which are based in Brecon and Newtown is estimated to save the council £325,555 this year and £251,285 next year.

Cllr Roberts in his full response to Cllr Lewington said:

"Following the change of leadership within the education service, the new Director (Richard Jones) and Heads of Service (Anwen Orrells and Marianne Evans) have carefully reflected on the proposed changes and savings and do not believe that consolidating the PRU into one county wide provider is the best course of action for the learners of Powys."

"As a result of the increasing demand for wellbeing and behavioural support across the authority and nationally, the service is currently re-developing an Inclusion Strategy for Powys, which should be ready for initial comments and scrutiny later this autumn term."

"This strategy will consider the recent recommendations made by Estyn following the core inspection of both pupil referral units."

"In the meantime, the service has communicated with the staff at the PRU that there will be no closure of either PRU (North or South) and it is the intention that two PRUs will remain to serve the needs of all Powys learners, regardless of locality within the county."

"With regard the identified savings, the service are addressing these through different methods from the revised Inclusion Strategy as identified within the FRM for 2025 and beyond."

Commenting on the news, Cllr Lewington said:

“I really don’t know where to begin."

"The liberal democrat cabinet member for learning Powys – Cllr Pete Roberts-was the one who signed off on this back in February 2024 as part of the budget proposals for this year and he really should stand up and take responsibility for this shambles of uncertainty and financial juggling which has ultimate resulted in  a failed attempt to balance the books."

"The staff have been left in a limbo of concern and anxiety about their future until now – that’s 8 months without any certainty for their futures; 8 months of promising a business case in response to my other questions to him."

"Why was Cllr Roberts so sure this was the right thing to do in February only for the folly of his thinking to be pointed out to him following the change of leadership within the education service. What other decisions has he made that will subsequently be proven to be errors of judgement and plainly wrong? Closure of Treowen school perhaps when the latest local development plan talks about the potential for 2,000 homes on that side of our town?"

"At least the staff now have certainty over their futures, but this should never have taken so long to address or even have been suggested in the first place bearing in mind its potential impact on the learners of Powys – it appears to be an error of judgement from the cabinet member."

"I remain to be convinced on how the forecast savings of £600k will now be achieved in order to balance the books and with not many months left in this financial year the “different methods” the portfolio holder talks about really must be delivered – one must ask if he is the right person to be leading this”