“Alternative considerations” will be needed to find school spaces for young children in Bradford who are at risk of being expelled.

There are currently a number of behaviour centres across the district that provide education for children that are at risk of permanent exclusion, but have not yet been excluded.

But school heads have been told that due to pressures in school budgets, these facilities will have to drastically change how they are funded from next year, or face the prospect of closing.

Members of the Bradford Schools Forum, made up of school leaders from across the district, were told of the pressures at their latest meeting.

The District Pupil Referral Unit and a number of Primary Behaviour Centres are currently funded by the “High Needs Block” - which provides the cash needed for children with special educational needs, who have been permanently excluded or who are unfit to attend school.

The Schools Forum was told that funding the behaviour centres “fell outside the remit” of the High Needs Block.

And with a rising number of children with special educational needs in the district, the pot of cash was no longer able to be used for the behaviour centres.

The Council is aiming to create over 340 SEND places across the district, using High Needs Block funding, by September.

A report to the Forum said: “Hence alternative considerations need to be made regarding the future of these (behaviour centre) provisions.” Funding from the High Needs Block will end in September 2020.

The forum was told that for the primary behaviour centres, based at certain primary schools, the options would include altering how the behaviour centres operate, introduce a “buy back” model, where schools would pay for pupils to attend, or that the centres close.

The meeting heard that the High Needs Block currently funds 80 places at the District PRU, costing £10,000 per place. This funding will remain until the end of the 2019/20 academic year. Bradford Council is currently looking at “potential options” for how the unit will operate in the future.

This could include creating a “buy back” model.

A report to the forum added: “If a financially viable position is not developed then the local authority will need to consider the future viability of the District PRU.”

Ian Mirrell, head of Titus Salt School in Baildon, said: “These centres have helped meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable children across our district.

“If these provisions had not been in place, then the rates of permanent exclusion in the district would potentially be much higher.”

Trevor Loft, Head of the Bradford Central PRU, said: “There will be a big increase in permanent exclusions if this goes forward.”

Nicky Kilvington, head of Stocks Lane Primary, said: “We really don’t want to see permanent exclusions going up, there is a fear these children could be swept to the side.”