AIBU to be annoyed with school over this ?

[MyPandaisasecretmonster]

Ds (almost 6) attends a free school which he has attended since he was 3 (nursery) it is a small school , 13 students per class .
Ds has ADHD & Aspergers .

Two days before the holidays just gone we received a letter saying they were starting a school mini bus for students without transport & who struggle to get to school so I sent a letter back the next day explaining how much I struggle getting Ds to school because of his problems.
Such as I can't use public transport because Ds has no concept of danger & he just runs in to roads in front of traffic also goes mad if somebody is in his seat on the bus .
So I have taken to using a taxi everyday to get him their and back which is a struggle as he opens the doors and sticks his head out of the window , the Taxis are costing me £11 a day we can't walk as its too far and I can't change his school as he would not cope in a mainstream school .

I didn't hear anything back from the school so I spoke to the Headteacher today & it turns out they already chose the students for the mini bus a week before sending the letter out , all the students that were chosen don't have special needs and all live within walking distance to the school & previously were taken by their parents in cars .

So AIBU to wonder why Ds wasn't offered/ given a seat when I barely manage to get him to school in one piece everyday yet the letter that was sent home stated that it was for 'children in need' which I & several other parents took to mean those without their own transport and those with special needs ?

OP - how far do you live to be paying £5.50 each way on the journey?
If it is over two miles (which it should be at a cost of £5.50) then you are entitled to free transport from the LA (even without SN).

I'm guessing that the other reason for such a high cost would be that you are going with him in the taxi and it is making a round trip. If he isn't able to get the taxi by himself then I'm not sure the minibus would be suitable anyway. One teacher driving the bus and 20 unsupervised kids in the back including your son who isn't able to travel in a taxi alone? Sounds like a nightmare.
If he can travel safely alone then can he get the taxi by himself which will at least halve your cost?

It's a free school.

But they are not above the law.

MrsJay I took the op saying:

I'd give my left leg to put Ds in another bloody school without such favouritism

to mean she might not be happy.

A child would only get free transport funded by LA if it is the nearest suitable school. There would have to no nearer mainstream school that has places available.

Yes I did see that. But he's not in his school environment, he's on a bus and the only staff member is driving it.

I presumed he was acting that way on public transport due to his SN. I didn't know his SN only applied whilst he was with the OP.

Just another thought: are the children who have been allocated seats on the minibus entitled to pupil premium funding? I'm wondering if the school have decided to provide transport for some children who get PP as it will improve attainment of that group of children by enabling them to get to school easily and on time each day by making things easier. They won't be able to offer the service to other children if they are using the criteria of 'directly benefiting the eligible pp children".
OP: are the children allocated to the minibus usually late for school / have poor attendance?

Pantone, I couldn't take my ds on public transport but he is fine in his school minibus because everything is safe and familiar to him.

zazzie, thank you, I didn't understand that.

I would call back the Head today, and quote the letter and ask her what was meant by 'if you are interested' when the places had already been allocated, and to request that she send you the Equality and Diversity policy and procedure and Appeal process for the school please as you are going to take this further.

Don't contact the LA. Don't ask the Chair of Governors. Get the complaints procedure (probably on the website) and follow it. It will probably start by saying that the complaint should be put in writing to the HT, and might even provide a handy format for doing that.
This is the answer to every thread where a poster says "I'm not happy with the school...".
No school is "above the law" and their complaints procedure will reflect that, telling the complainant where to go next if they aren't happy with the outcome of the process.

This sounds like a badly handled Pupil Premium initiative to me, but what's the point in speculating? I know of a couple of schools supporting PP children getting to breakfast and after-school clubs using their minibus and PP funding. To check that then Op could look on the school website where all schools are legally obliged to publish a report on the use of PP funding.

I hope everyone who is eligible registers, the money can be put to really good use.

If you struggle with him, then the school would have to employ an Escort for the bus especially for your son, wouldn't they? And that would cost far more than £11 a day taxis.

If his special needs are not apparent when he is with the teachers then it doesn't sound like special needs to me. (Though happy to be corrected)

For instance you say that he has no concept of danger. Yet apparently that wouldn't affect him whilst travelling with a teacher.

Is that right?

Plants my Aspie dd presents less obviously at school but blows off steam at home. V common and a contributory factor in schools missing it. The pupils often present as quiet and industrious

OP you would probably receive more constructive replies if you repost this in the special needs section rather than here. You would at least avoid the posters who merely want to be snippy.

Pantone & Plants My Ds' problems do not present at school and never have done because he has been in attendance since he were 3 years old & because everything & everyone is familiar (same teachers & same friends) & everyone in the school knows each other with it been so small .

All this helps my Ds immensely & as much as I would love to put Ds in a more local school I just can't as he would not cope .

Also when I take Ds to school I do not get the taxi back home

I get the feeling that your letter may have put them off letting him on the bus. Such as going mad if someone sits in his seat - they prob didn't want to deal with this. Which sucks

Purple I also specified in the letter that he is fine within school etc which they know as he has been on day trips with them with no problems and never any problems within school

Ds attends a very small free school which up until last year was private , Their are only 100 students in the entire school (infants & juniors) so 15 at momosin each class .
If Ds were to attend a more main stream school with 28+ children in each class & around 600 students in the schools , he would not manage with the class sizes or school size .

I do not get any extra money for my Ds

You need to contact your LA. You need to request his needs are assessed, and ask about transport help. You do not need a diagnosis before they can help.

Post in the SN section and get some help and advice.

perhaps all the children live in one area, and you are in a totally different direction?
I am a bit confused.Normally a coach/minbus is hired along with a driver.Who own s this minibus, does it belong to the school?

How much do free schools have to follow the same protocols as 'normal' schools regarding inclusion and fair access?

Exactly the same (if not more), clam

It's the schools own mini bus & the children been collected are not all in the same area