Content

The report of the Executive
Director, Place and Economy was received in relation to seek a
decision on potential changes to the current Home to School
Transport arrangements Policy.
 
Rachel Mawson, Transport
Delivery Manager, presented further details of the current scheme
and policy, along with the findings of a recent
consultation.
 
The Executive Director, Graeme
Kane, presented the report to committee and explained that the
council is required to arrange free, suitable, home to school
transport for children of compulsory school age, who are eligible,
to their nearest suitable qualifying school in accordance with
section 508B of the Education Act 1996 and the Government’s
statutory guidance.
 
The arrangements must be
published in an annual policy by mid-September each year, to enable
parents applying for places at secondary school to consider any
transport related matters prior to making their school
choice.
 
A public consultation exercise
was undertaken to enable the council to consider changes to the
discretionary elements of the policy. The outcome of the
consultation was appended to the report, along with the Home to
School Transport mainstream demand for 2023, the current Home to
School Policy and the Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance
2014.
 
Transport is currently provided
for 4133 mainstream students to and from 54 schools daily
throughout the school term.  This is made up of 3989 students
of statutory age, 3694 students who are entitled to free home to
school transport and 295 students who purchase a discretionary
seat. In additional 173 students use the Home to School transport
service under the post 16 policy. The arrangements offered must be
free of charge to the parent of an eligible child.
 
If a child is not eligible for
free transport, the council may use discretionary powers to provide
transport. The council may charge for transport provided under
these powers.
 
The consultation survey was to
seek opinion on potential changes to the Home to School Transport
Policy for students and pupils of statutory school age (5 to 16)
and primarily considered the discretionary element of home to
school transport, which costs the council in excess of
£538,000 per year.  Some of the cost is recouped by
charging up to £600 for each available seat, around
£265,00 per annum.
 
The changes put forward
included:
 
1.    The format and language used in the policy document;
2.    Substantive changes to the entitlement to free and discretionary
transport
(a)  Ceasing to
provide free transport to linked schools unless it is the nearest
suitable school with places. This would comply with
legislation.
(b)  Making
changes to the provision of discretionary transport with options to
include:
·        
The withdrawal of all discretionary transport (all
age groups);
·        
The withdrawal of all discretionary transport for
post 16 only;
·        
Ceasing the guarantee of a ‘spare seat’
for those applying early;
·        
Increasing fares to recoup more of the expenditure
and cease the undercutting of the commercial market.
 
The changes consulted on were
focused on mainstream provision where entitlement is primarily
based upon walking distance to the nearest suitable school and the
road safety issues affecting any walking routes.
 
The three proposals to limit
availability of discretionary transport would have a significant
impact upon families in the former East Northants District,
particularly families with students attending or wishing to attend,
Prince William School in Oundle.  
 
Depending on the decision of
the committee the Home to School Team would work with colleagues
from the council’s transport team, service operators and the
affected schools to consider appropriate mitigations.
 
No changes were proposed to be
made to the current entitlement arrangements for pupils with
Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND).
 
The report also detailed the
reasons for the review which was the first in many years and needed
to address the overspend and subsidy provided.
 
Member discussed the options
before them.
 
Clarification was sought that
any changes would come into force from the school year commencing
in September 2024 but that any changes would need to be published
by September 2023. This was confirmed, with the Executive being
presented with the recommendations in July 2023. The team had been
working on the review since December 2022 and were following a
statutory timescale.
 
Comments were made regarding
the links between primary schools and secondary schools, where
students would move to a ‘linked’ school. This may not
necessarily be the nearest school to the student’s home.
 It was considered that a charge should be levied for the
difference in mileage.
 
Parents also had the option to
choose a school that wasn’t the nearest option and it was
considered that transport should not be provided as an
option.  Whilst this would not be popular with parents, due to
the additional cost they would incur, it was considered that the
tax payer should not fund parental choice. It was also considered
that a gradual increase could be made over several years, though
this would not result in the required savings.
 
There was concern that the fees
and charges had not been reviewed for many years.   The
Executive Director was not aware of the reasons why and it appeared
to be an anomaly and was something that his team had been
reviewing.
 
It was suggested that a task
and finish group be established to investigate the subject further,
however, the timescales involved would not enable this to
happen.
 
A question was also raised
about the type of vehicles that were used and whether they were
electric vehicles, suitably sized for the relevant journeys and
whether there were alternative options to that currently provided.
It was also noted that many parents chose to drive their children
to school and that this would have an impact on the
environment.
 
Reference was also made to
Academy Schools, who could choose their feeder schools, which would
often not be the nearest.  In such cases the academy should be
encouraged to consider transport options.
 
There would also be a need to
consider special circumstances, such as siblings, and those
students who were in their exam years.  There was also concern
about whether the nearest schools would cope with an influx of
students from a previous linked school of choice. An example of
this would be if students from Thrapston would travel to Raunds, and whether the school would cope with the
additional students.  It was considered that if this happened
and the school was full, then the next nearest available School
would be in Oundle and this would be funded.
 
A lengthy debate
ensued.
 
It was proposed by Councillor
Wilkes and seconded by Councillor Anslow that:
 
‘All special
considerations for linked schools be stopped so free transport to
linked schools would cease for new applications, unless the school
is the nearest suitable school with places, with effect from
September 2024’.
 
The chair put this to the vote,
and the motion was declared carried, with one
abstention. 
 
It was further proposed by
Councillor Wilkes and seconded by Councillor Pengelly
that:
 
‘New applicants pay the
full cost of the fare for those not eligible for free transport,
but those pupils currently within the system pay a suggested fare
of £760, rising potentially over a three year period from
September 2024, with a caveat that consideration be given to the
cost implications on older pupils undertaking examinations
and to multiple children travelling from
the same household’
 
 
The chair put this proposal to
the vote, and it was declared carried.
 
Regarding the guaranteed seat,
further concerns were raised over the type of transport used. 
Officers clarified that best endeavours were made to use
appropriate vehicles for the journey with efficiency and safety
being key.
 
Councillor Wilkes proposed
that:
 
‘the guaranteed seat
option be removed with offers being made on a first come, first
served basis’.
 
This was seconded by Councillor
Anslow and on being put to the vote declared carried with one
abstention.
 
The chair clarified that the
motion would be recommended to the Executive.
 
Executive member for highways,
Councillor Lawman, thanked the committee for the detailed
discussion and debate which would be reported to the
Executive.
 
Resolved to recommend to the Executive
that:

(i)           
The format and wording of the policy be updated to
make it easier to understand;

(ii)         
Free transport to linked schools be ceased, for new
applications, unless it is the nearest suitable school with places,
with effect from September 2024.

(iii)        
New applicants pay the full cost of the fare for
those not eligible for free transport, but those pupils currently
within the system pay a suggested fare of £760, rising
potentially over a three year period from September 2024, with a
caveat that consideration be given to the cost implications on
older pupils undertaking examinations and
to multiple children travelling from the same
household;

(iv)        
The ‘guaranteed seat’ option be removed,
and applications received before the May deadline be offered on a
first come first served basis.