Mentors in pupil referral units to get major funding boost from mayor
Mentors are set to play a key role in the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s, new initiative, as his Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) invests £2.3 million to expand dedicated mentoring support across pupil referral units in every London borough. These mentors work closely with young people vulnerable to exploitation and violence, helping them to re-engage with education and find a safer path.
The VRU’s programme provides one-to-one and group mentoring for those aged 11-18 who have been excluded from mainstream schools or are at risk of exclusion, forming a crucial part of the Mayor’s strategy to tackle violence.
Between September 2022 and July 2024, more than 1,500 young people across 22 boroughs were supported by mentors funded by the VRU.
Over these two academic years, 82 per cent of pupil referral units and alternative provision settings reported improved attendance in young people mentored. All schools with a mentor reported that young people developed improved relationships with peers and teaching staff, whilst 86 per cent of PRUs saw reductions in reported behavioural incidents.
To build on this impact, the VRU, which was set up and is majority funded by the Mayor of London, has invested a further £2.3m to expand the mentoring programme to cover all 32 boroughs for the next two years. It delivers on the Mayor’s manifesto commitment to invest in mentors in pupil referral units and means a further 2,200 young people will get mentoring support to boost engagement and attendance in school in order to be safe and away from violence.
The announcement also forms a key part of London’s Inclusion Charter, established by the VRU in February this year to tackle rising suspensions, exclusions and persistent absenteeism. Almost all London boroughs have now signed up to the principles of the Charter, joined by 20 national charities including Barnardo’s, Mission44, The Difference and The Children’s Society. Backed up by the Mayor’s £1.4m investment in a partnership with UNICEF UK, more than 500 schools are now embedding inclusive practices and children’s rights for 94,000 young Londoners.
Since Sadiq’s election as Mayor in 2016, City Hall has invested more than £100m in London’s youth sector, and provided more than 500,000 positive opportunities for young Londoners, to help divert them from crime, including 350,000 through the VRU. Since the VRU was established in 2019, there has been a 23% reduction in homicides, a 25% reduction in knife crime with injury where victims were aged under 25, and a 25% reduction in gun crime.
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