To not believe my friend about this

[Worried61]

Friends ds goes to a pru. They had been issues with drug use within the pru. Friend has told they now what to do a drugs tests on all their
Pupils. Surely they can only test the ones they suspect are using drugs.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

Maybe they suspect them all?

Sorry, I have no idea what the rules are.

[ChuckSnowballs]

Pupil referral unit.

[ChuckSnowballs]

I'd be more surprised if there was a kid not on drugs at a PRU. Having taught in several.

[Rhayader]

I would imagine they will need parents permission.

[SequinsOnEverything]

I'd be more surprised if there was a kid not on drugs at a PRU. Having taught in several

Yep, me too

[sleepy16]

My son goes to a pru and I can honestly say he is not on bloody drugs!
It's not just for naughty kids, he has hfa and has extreme anxiety hence why he goes to it!

[BlueClearSkies]

My son is at college, it is a sort of industrial placement type of college. They do regular drug tests and anyone found to have taken drugs will be dismissed. It is in their contract.

As long as it is in their drugs policy they can do them, I expect there is a policy for refusal too.

I imagine it is easier to do everyone as a blanket rule.

[dataandspot]

There are different types of PRU. My child went to one. They have not taken drugs.

[LotsOfAxolotlsAndOcelots]

Thanks for the enlightenment. I thought The Prudential had slipped somewhat in it's standards of late

[Worried61]

I shall ask her if these a policy

[manicinsomniac]

My son goes to a pru and I can honestly say he is not on bloody drugs!
It's not just for naughty kids, he has hfa and has extreme anxiety hence why he goes to it!

Drugs aren't just for 'naughty kids' either! Many start taking them because they feel out of control, have massive issues with anxiety, depression, undiagnosed SN, abuse, feel isolated and/or bullied or several other reasons. Same as many kids turn to alcohol, self harm or eating disorders.

I'm not surprised to hear drug use is sky high in PRUs and it's not just because the children there are 'naughty' !

Not saying your kid is on drugs! Just that it's not fair to stereotype drug users as 'naughty'.

[SpiritedLondon]

I work I an organisation that does random drugs testing and I've been tested. I have no doubt that the pru will publish their drugs testing policy somewhere so it shouldn't be difficult to understand their rationale. My query would be why anyone would have an objection to it? It presumably is only testing for illegal substances (like opiates). The test I did was a urine sample but some are mouth swabs so completely non invasive. I would have no problems with my DD being tested ( although currently only 4!!)

[LotsOfAxolotlsAndOcelots]

Worried

[PlymouthMaid1]

Hmm the kids in the PRUs aimed at ' naughty' kids have already been excluded from mainstream school so I wonder what they intend to do if it is a positive result as when I worked in a PRU, they were all taking drugs and would all have been thrilled to be banned from the place.

[Chilli1]

I think if there's a problem, they get PCSOs to do bag checks on all the pupils, but I havent experienced them insisting everyone is drug tested without good reason.

There are so many reasons why a pupil might attend a Pupil Referral Unit, only someone with no experience of one would ever state that they're all drug users. The calibre of teaching staff in a PRU is exceptionally high, and those not up to the job don't last long. I expect that was your experience Chuck Snowballs.

[ChuckSnowballs]

they were all taking drugs and would all have been thrilled to be banned from the place

Absolutely.

There are so many reasons why a pupil might attend a Pupil Referral Unit, only someone with no experience of one would ever state that they're all drug users. The calibre of teaching staff in a PRU is exceptionally high, and those not up to the job don't last long. I expect that was your experience Chuck Snowballs.

Yes, it was all me. Those poor PRU kids. One wonders then why they scrambled to get their kids sent to us when we started our own alternative provision facility.

[AlexanderBerry]

There's a programme about PRUs on Radio 4 at 8 tomorrow
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bzpb7

[sleepy16]

I didn't say all 'naughty' children are drug users.
Just stated that not all children that go to a pru are naughty as it did come across that some poster were implying.

[Birdsgottaf1y]

My eldest DD went to a PRU because she missed so much school after seeing her friend killed, that she couldn't catch up, because of her severe dyslexia.

There wasn't the flexibility in her High School to knock off part of the curriculum.

My Middle DD went to one, in between changing schools because of bullying.

They might vary from LEA, so to brand all children in them, to me, means that you need to get out of teaching, especially when you can use phrases such as "Those poor PRU kids."

I've known teens with SEN, who've had use them as a go between.