Schoolchildren who need to be taught out of of mainstream schools will receive their education at an ‘outstanding’ new base from September.

The Harrow Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), which caters for youngsters excluded or at threat of exclusion from school or cannot attend school for some other reason, is to be relocated from Harrow Teachers’ Centre in Tudor Road, Wealdstone, to the empty former Bentley Day Centre in Uxbridge Road, Harrow Weald.

Harrow Council's cabinet committee approved the move on Thursday in order to allow for the demolition of the teachers centre to make way for a new building for an expanding Whitefriars Community School.

Councilor Simon Brown (Labour), the council’s portfolio holder for children, schools and young people, said: “Bentley Day Care Centre will be an outstanding home for the Pupil Referral Unit.

“The dedicated buildings, green open spaces and the scope for development are the perfect setting for teaching some of Harrow’s most vulnerable students.

“The next step is full consultation with the local community, which will include a public event in July.

“Being careful with money is not all about cutting back and selling our assets.

“We deliver the best value and the most benefit for Harrow when we make the cleverest and most creative uses of our buildings and resources.

“I can think of no better example than this new home for the PRU.”

The former day centre will need to undergo renovations over seven weeks in July and August costing an estimated £654,000 - paid for out of the £12.4million Government funds provided for the new Whitefriars Community School.

The PRU is run by Harrow Council’s Harrow Tuition Service and currently has around 30 children - although this fluctuates on a daily basis.

Its new home will be able to accommodate a maximum of 50 secondary age pupils and 10 primary age youngsters.

The new base will also provide classroom and support space for Harrow Tuition Service’s other services such as Home Tuition Service and The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Education Unit.