To feel cross that it's going to cost £120 per month in bus fairs to get my dc's to school

[NotMostPeople]

I have another year to go until DS starts secondary school, but when he does this is what it's going to cost. £2 per day, 3 children. We were just under the distance to qualify for a free bus pass however that's irrelevant now as the free bus pass has been cut for everyone. To be honest we can afford it but I'm sure that there are lots of families who wouldn't be able to and it makes me cross.

Whats Tamisara talking about then?

Does not all 11 year olds get a free bus pass?

No

Where do you live that gives out free bus passes.

London

no only london has oyster cards and even for free travel cards i wouldn't want to move into london.

Pedantic I think that's the first time I've ever seen anyone on MN say that!

We live 30 yards too short for a free bus pass for my 2 DDs high school. Bus passes house twice a day with 11 kids on board 52 sweater coach. I have lobbied MP and he has tried but hey won't budge :( we live in the catchment area as well. 2.97 miles away by their GPS. 3.1 miles by my car! Limit is 3.0 miles

I'm sorry but here secondary schools are not non-selective!!! Bucks is (I think) the only wholly selective county left in the country. I know other counties have 11+ too, but here all children take it.

Bus drivers also have a right to a decent wage..

I thought if you lived more than 3 miles away from the nearest school you got free transport?

That's not the nearest school you like- it's the nearest school.

notmost is that a good or bad thing?

Pedantic- issue is the LA would say there are closer schools the children can walk to, it is parental choice to send to specific school (for grammar education, or faith education).

Can't they get the bus to school and walk home?

Bucks has plenty of comps along with grammar schools.

The 11 plus is not compulsory sonot every child will be taking it even if they live in a grammar school area.

Here you can get passes to the local grammars & high school, even if there is a nearer school.

cantspel really, where exactly? There are certainly none whatsoever in my town, or nearby!

cantspel no, it isn't compulsory, but you go to a secondary school if you don't take it, and get a bus pass if you take it and pass, and the grammar is a certain distance away, even if there is a secondary school next to you.

tamisara- the 11+ is not compulsory in Bucks- see here, though all children registered at a Bucks Junior or JI school are automatically registered for it.

sorry- x-posts.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_schools_in_Buckinghamshire#Secondary_schools

gives a list of secondary schools in bucks

click on the ones nearest to you and it will tell you their status

No comps in Bucks but you can live in Berks (which does have comps) and also be in catchment for grammars (but not secondaries).

11+ definitely not compulsory in Bucks but I believe you have to opt out rather than opt in.

Presumably the free pass to nearest school still stands if the school is over three miles away. Except for 6th Form.

cantspel you can link to whatever you want, but the only comprehensive is in Wycombe, all others are secondary - not the same at all