A special unit for excluded pupils has won praise from a watchdog for its success in getting them back to school.

The Jesse Street Pupil Referral Unit in Allerton, Bradford, takes youngsters who have been thrown out of school, usually for assaulting a classmate or member of staff, and has the task of 're-integrating' them into another one.

It has now won credit from Ofsted for its good results.

Pupils attend the centre for a few weeks, and benefit from one-to-one teaching. This cooling off period is also a chance for the youngsters to reflect on what has gone wrong and receive counselling. The evidence from Jesse Street is that this is effective, as pupils usually settle well in their new school placements. The PRU is also used as a preventative measure, and works with young people in danger of exclusion.

A report completed on the centre, run by acting head teacher Karen Royston, described it as "an effective unit which offers a good standard of education to pupils." Teaching is described as "consistently good with some very good features" and the pupils' behaviour is well managed in a "calm and orderly" atmosphere. There are places for 39 students and eight members of staff.

Mrs Royston said: "We are the last hope, in a way, for these pupils. We are always positive with them and tell them we will give them every opportunity we can and support them and their parents."

She said staff were pleased with Ofsted's verdict as the unit normally keeps a low profile. "This is an opportunity to celebrate the success we've had," she said.

She said recent success stories included a teenager who had been thrown out of Rhodesway School but had achieved well at the centre and was now happy at a new school and representing classmates on a School Council.

And a Year 10 girl had been one of the quickest cases they had dealt with. After losing her school place through assaulting another pupil, the promising student, who was predicted to gain a clutch of GCSEs, had quickly been offered another place. She was settled there within five weeks."

Students learn part-time at the unit, off Thornton Road, and also attend a training agency, CJ's, which is a charity based in Great Horton.

One teenage boy said: "This place has helped me get a lot more work done than I did at school. I have made a couple of new friends." And a 13-year-old added: "I also spend some of the time at CJ's which is a sort of caf and youth club as well. You can do things like construction work and baking. It's more practical stuff."

The report mentions four things which could be improved, including attendance and punctuality at CJ's and the way the work and effectiveness of the unit are monitored.