Hopes name change will remove 'stigma' of Hartlepool centre helping children with difficulties

The site is to be renamed The Horizon School Hartlepool, as agreed by councillors on the children’s services committee.

The town’s Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) is based at the Centre for Excellence, Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Brierton Lane and provides education for pupils such as those who would not receive suitable teaching elsewhere due to issues such as illness or having been permanently excluded.

It comes as part of plans to reflect the ongoing development of the PRU and councillors were unanimous in their support for the move, adding it should have a positive impact on the school.

Cllr Jim Lindridge said: “I welcome the new name, it’s a long time coming.

“I think it also takes away any potential stigma in the name, the Pupil Referral Unit doesn’t sound very good in the public’s eyes.

“It’s the wrong perception, people go there for lots of different reasons and I think this is the ideal opportunity, it’s a long time coming.”

Cllr Brenda Harrison also noted it is a positive move for the school and should benefit the area.

She said: “I think it’s a great idea to change the name. It completely takes away the whole kind of idea of what it is and gives it a fresh face completely.

“I think it’s a very, very good move, very positive.”

Cllr Lesley Hamilton added she ‘hated’ the name of the PRU and hoped the change to The Horizon School Hartlepool will have the desired positive impact.

She said: “I absolutely hate ‘Pupil Referral Unit’.

“I’m hoping that it does have the desired effect and that it will not be viewed in a negative light, and the children that go there will want to go there and not feel embarrassed having to tell people where they are educated.”

Along with the name change, councillors also backed a review of the current constitution of the management committee for the school and the existing responsibilities of the committee.

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