aibu to think this school should let my ds get the SCHOOL bus?

[Doubtfuldaphne]

ds was issued a free bus pass on the basis that the nearest school is full. Now it turns out the bus is for 6th formers only and they want me to tear up the pass and for him to get on public transport (new pass provided for this)
He's only 13, a little naive and shy. Never been anywhere without me really.
They want him to leave at 7am to get two connecting buses to school. He won't get home until 5pm as he'll have to wait around the town centre for the next bus back to our village.
Before moving to this village, we were told the bus would be an option as long as he had a pass.
I don't drive..I can't afford to. I have no other way of getting DS to school now.
The council are blaming the school and the school are blaming the council. Now the EWO is saying that getting a public bus is perfectly reasonable.
I'm pulling my hair out here!

[HappyAgainOneDay]

I had to get two buses to school from the age of 11. Your DS is 13 for heaven's sake!

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Having read this more thoroughly I see there would be a (presumably free) pass for public transport.

Op, I really feel for you but I suspect there's not a lot you can do other than appeal.Most councils are trying to find ways to cut costs and I expect they have judged that the public bus is the cheapest way, and a suitable means for him to get to school.You are in a position you are not comfortable not by choice but because the local school has no places.

There is a certain duty I believe, where the council is obliged to provide transport, for them to provide transport that leaves them in a fit state for their day at school -ie not too stressful, or whatever.
Its something I am unsure on but its worth looking into if you really feel this way of travelling would impact negatively on your son.
We're all individuals, and if you feel this would be a real problem for your son, you should write and outline the ins and outs of the journey, explain that you have no car, and tell them how you feel it would cause detriment to your son at this point.If you put all the difficulties to them, I can't see there's a lot more that you can do, following that avenue.Perhaps they may re-assess.

Failing that, the possibility of taxi share, or a lift or taxi for part of the journey?

Good luck.

[LadyGnome]

I think there are two separate issues

1. if there is bus going to the school going close to your house, why can't he use it?
   
   
2. Your concerns about public transport. Admittedly we live in London so public transport is frequent but DS1 has travelled home from school on the bus since he was 9 (Yr5) so I don't follow the angst about a 13 year old travelling on public transport. The journey is long but I assume that is the case for many children in a rural location.

[HappyYoni]

Op, what are your fears about the public transport? What do you worry will happen?

[edamsavestheday]

That journey is a pain in the bum and I'm sure you are pissed off given you were promised there was a bus before you moved.

Icimoi's point about the lengthy of the journey is definitely worth following up.

I used to do a similar journey to school from the age of 14, and while it's not ideal, it is do-able. Tiring, though, and miserable if anything goes wrong e.g. bus is horribly delayed or breaks down. But mostly OK. I made good friends on the bus - even though it wasn't a school bus, there were 7 or 8 of us who were going to various schools in the city 15 miles away and we got to know each other.

Think you should follow the advice to talk to the other parents about a lift/taxi share.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Op, have you actually made a direct application to the council for home to school transport?

It could be that the children going by taxi are funded.

It is worth making an application if not, stating your reasons why you think your case should be assessed.

[Icimoi]

Does the journey by bus take more than 1 hour 15 minutes? If so ds is entitled to the provision of transport by the council which, as a minimum, takes him under that limit (e.g. a taxi to the second bus stop). But it you pushed for that I suspect the council would decide that the best option is the 6th form bus.

If you think ds might qualify, contact the council's school transport department and get your application in.

[5Foot5]

I think that's a really long day for him

He's 13 not 6! If you live in a rural area then long journeys to school are often part and parcel of that. I know I had similar.

Unless this is going to have a massive drip feed where the OP reveals some additional reason why her son cannot manage public transport alone then I am a bit about a 13yo who can't catch a bus.

[queenofthemountain]

I don't really understand what it has to do with the school.It is the LEA who are responsible for organising home to school transport.
If your DS is the only one making this journey then it would cerainly seem to be unreasonable.
The point to remnember is that neither the LEA nor the school will know an exact number of students who will be coming back to 6th form at this stage, so I would write to them and your local councillor to say why your DS needs a place on the bus, and then once the GCSE and AS results come out, ramp it up!

[Heels99]

Are you sure the taxis aren't funded by local authority? Kids at our school who live far away get funded taxis. Can you speak to the parents of the children who get the taxis and find out if your son could join in the taxi arrangement, who funds it, what cost would be etc?

[jacks365]

My daughter's sixth form has a minibus service which would exclude your son simply because it has to be paid for. It is mostly used by sixth formers because they aren't provided with a free pass by our council. It isn't arranged by the school but some parents who got together to arrange it because it works out cheaper than the public bus service for them. It is easier to think of it as a taxi rather than a bus service although it is a minibus. The children eligible to use it are issued a pass but the key thing is that the pass has to be bought you can not use it for free travel. Find out who arranged the bus service how it is funded and what the criteria are for using it.

[londonrach]

Unless he has sn I don't see the problem. He's 13 not 3. I'm surprised he hasn't been on the bus by himself. If concerned do some dummy runs with him and then on his own. I think you find this might be the making if him, giving him confidence. Dealing with buses is an important skill to learn and has a mother you should be encouraging his independence in a safe way which this us. Are they any others reading the public bus he can tag along with for the first few times.

[Nomama]

1. The bus the FE/VI formers are on is paid for from a separate budget and/or the kids on it pay for the service. The school may have no rights to claim a seat on it at all.
   

1. There are empty seats as it passes your village, it may well be full when it gets to the school
   

1. Kick up a fuss with both school and LA
   

1. The long days are a consequence of your choices, you may find that, as other parents seem to have, the school and LA aren't very sympathetic.
   

I also think that public transport and extended days are just part of growing up. I lived rurally at that age and my day was similar to your DSs.

[PeterParkerSays]

OP, the other child who catches the 6th form bus who's under 16 is a red herring in this. There will presumably be some specific factor relevant to them that a) doesn't apply to your son or he'd have also been given access to the bus and b) is confidential to that child. It could simply be that their dad drives the bus!

I agree with other posters about you clubbing together for a taxi with other parents if you're not happy with public transport as an alternative.

[TillyTellTale]

*and more mature

[TillyTellTale]

Why is everyone assuming a bus full of sixth formers will be awful? Things may have changed, but sixth form students who have chosen to continue at sixth-form are generally less hellish on a bus and mature than secondary-aged pupils!

I wouldn't want my child taking a overly long journey with lots of changes, when they could get a direct bus there, either. He has to leave at 7, get home at 5pm, and then do his homework? Not ideal, is it?

[Hakluyt]

Obviously, a NT 13 year old should be able to make a journey like this after a bit of practise. But the point is, why should he when a bus stops outside his door?

OP- what is the official reason you have been given for your child not being able to get the bus?

[steppemum]

in sept, ds, aged 11, will cycle to the station (10 minutes) lock his bike up at the station, get on the public train (30 minutes) and then at the other end walk up the road to school (15 minutes)

he will leave home at 7:30 and return at 4:40

yes, we chose this, knowing the transport issues, but it is fine.

The only thing in your posts that I would have sympathy with is the long day, which is hard, but do-able (I did it at his age) and the fact that another child has a pass on that bus, which I would use as a point to challenge the council (possibly legally?)

and I disagree with pp, I would rather he was on one bus than 2, just for convenience, but wouldn't be worried about the sixth formers

[SapphireMoon]

I think most people being very harsh on the op.
Definitely try and check what other villagers in the same situation do; taxi sharing may well be the answer here.

[magpiegin]

OP- have you spoken to the school or the other parents who send their kids from the village.

We also may be able to help if you tell us why he doesn't go places by himself and what you are worried about with the journey?

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

Yes I do wonder if the council want to do away with the contract bus or at least not provide any more fir younger pupils.

Sixth formers pay and generally behave.

If they have a reasonable deal with the oublic buses it may be cheaper, it's certainly easier.

If a badly behaved DC is thrown off a public bus, thats that. Contract school buses are a dreadful grey area.

No one wants at school wants to take responsibility for bad pupil behaviour or Bus company incompetence.

Even as an academy buses are the councils problem.

The council just want them to be cheap. The fact that a lot of the behaviour issues would go away if DC spent 15 minutes on a direct minibus not an hour on a ridiculously oversized coach doing a stupid route round tiny lanes doesn't bother them.

[ilovesooty]

never been anywhere without me really

At 13? Assuming he doesn't have SN , are you serious?

[ThatBloodyWoman]

I haven't read the thread, but if his catchment school is full, then it isn't the pupils choice to travel.

I assume public transport would need to be funded by the parents but the bus would be free.

So long as the catchment school was put as the first choice, and not allocated because of lack of places available, I don't think its unreasonable not to expect to make a complicated and expensive journey to attend school .