We've listened to feedback and agreed 4 of 5 changes to Home to School Transport policies
Wednesday, 11 September 2024
At a meeting held on Tuesday (10 September) our Executive Committee agreed 4 out of the proposed 5 changes to 2 of our Home to School Transport policies.
This follows an 8-week consultation that ran earlier this year.
Almost 500 people, including representatives from a number of schools, responded to the consultation in which we put forward 5 proposed changes to the 2 policies. The changes were proposed to reduce the cost of school transport to the taxpayer. School transport costs have risen from £9 million to £19 million and the current school transport provision is over and above what we are obliged to provide by law.
At the meeting (watch the recording), our Executive agreed to implement a voluntary independent travel training scheme for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), helping them become more independent and confident using public transport.
Further changes will affect students over 16, including an amendment which now means they may be provided with seats on home to school transport but only where there is a surplus, although this is not guaranteed. Low-income families will be asked to apply for a discretionary bursary which can be used to contribute to the cost of their transport. Where this doesn't cover the full cost, we will make up the difference so low-income families will still get transport for free.
Additionally, students with SEND attending college will be provided transport at the start and end of the college day, regardless of lesson times.
After listening to feedback from the consultation, councillors rejected the change for us to transport children from their home to their ‘nearest school’ only rather than the school in their ‘catchment area’.
Councillor Steve Owen, our Executive Member for Children's Services, said:
The Executive carefully considered all feedback from those who took part in the consultation. The whole point of a consultation is to ensure people can influence council decisions and that we can make decisions fully informed about the impact a change might have. That’s exactly what has happened, and I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to talk to us about the changes. There was a lot of feedback about the potential impact of the proposal to only transport children to their ‘nearest school’ on families and the longer-term viability of some schools. Following some careful consideration, we agreed not to make this proposal forward.
It's crucial that we provide a school transport service that meets the needs of our community while also managing our resources effectively.
The changes that were agreed will deliver some savings without a detrimental impact on residents or schools. It’s important to note that the changes that were agreed will only affect new applications for school transport; we will honour existing commitments. Our school transport team will continue to ensure that people receive the support they need, including guidance on how to apply for bursaries.
Every day we transport around 6,500 children to and from school across Central Bedfordshire, on around 750 routes.