There is a change this year in Ofsted's annual list of 25 highly effective special schools: the inclusion for the first time of three pupil referral units.

"They all demonstrate the best in this highly diverse and important sector of education," says the chief inspector, Chris Woodhead.

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The Pendlebury Centre pupil referral unit, Edgeley. LEA: Stockport

The Pendlebury Centre caters for children with a range of emotional difficulties.

When they arrive, pupils might be suffering from problems including depression, low self-esteem and school phobia, and are often on the verge of dropping out of the education system completely.

But with the help of dedicated staff at the centre, most of them are eventually re-integrated into their secondary schools.

Those that are not - some of the oldest pupils - leave the centre with GCSEs, and move on into post-16 education or training.

The unit has 40 pupils, aged between 11 and 16, and a five-strong teaching staff.

Headteacher Janice Cahill said: "When children come to us they have social anxieties of numerous kinds - they may have been bullied, they may be depressed, they may have suffered bereavement, they may have difficulties mixing with their peer group.

"What we aim to do is give pupils the same academic opportunities as they would have at their mainstream schools, while helping to address their problems, whatever they may be.

'Little bit of magic'

"I think there are three main differences between us and the schools where our pupils come from. We're not large, we haven't got that big a building to walk round, and pupils don't have as much peer group pressure.

"Pupils remain on the register at their mainstream schools, and all those at Key Stage 3 have to attend at least one session a week at their schools.

"We re-establish a pattern of attendance and achievement, and gradually get them back into mainstream education, where they are then monitored."

Mrs Cahill said she was delighted with Ofsted's commendation, but that it was difficult to identify what made the unit so special.

"There is a little bit of magic about it, it just works," she said. "We have a very dedicated, enthusiastic staff, and strong support from the local authority."

Name	LEA
Ash Field School, Leicester	Leicester City
Elms School, Blackpool Road	Lancashire
Hedgewood School, Hayes	Hillingdon
Leyland School, Nuneaton	Warwickshire
Linwood School, Bournemouth	Bournemouth
Lister Lane School, Bradford	Bradford
Marjorie McClure School, Chislehurst	Bromley
Marshfields School, Dogsthorpe	Peterborough, City of
Mary Hare Grammar School, Snelsmore Common	West Berkshire
Netherlands Avenue School and Community Nursery, Odsal	Bradford
Newfield School, Crosby	Sefton
Phil Edwards Centre PRU, Upper Norwood	Croydon
Ravenscliffe High School, Halifax	Calderdale
Redgate School, Mansfield	Nottinghamshire
Rosehill School, St Ann's	Nottingham, City of
Selly Oak Special School, Selly Oak	Birmingham
Southlands School, North Shields	North Tyneside
The Children’s Hospital School, Infirmary Square	Leicester City
The Foreland School, Broadstairs	Kent
The Pendlebury Centre PRU, St Lesmo Road	Stockport
West Cumbria Learning Centre PRU, Distington	Cumbria
Westlands School, Thornaby	Stockton-on-Tees
Woodlands Special School, Blackpool	Blackpool
Woodlawn School, Whitley Bay	North Tyneside
Woolgrove School, Letchworth	Hertfordshire