why no school transport for sixth form?

[ichbineinstasumer]

DS will go into Y12 in September. A few months ago we got a letter saying he would not be eligible for school transport anymore, although we could apply and if there was a spare seat we might get one, at a cost of nearly £700 per year.

We applied and we will get a seat, so that is one worry off my mind.

But this has annoyed me. DS lives in the same house as he has lived in for years 7-11, and will go to the same school (our catchment school). It is 4 miles away and there is no safe walking or cycling route - I am a cyclist and would not risk this journey. The only bus between our village and this local town was cancelled this year. I leave for work before 7.30am and could not get him to school by car. Without the school bus DS could not attend his catchment school, and the other school which he could reach on public transport does not offer one of his chosen A level subjects.

My DS doesn't have an income just because he is 16, and I thought children had to continue in some kind of education or training until aged 18 now - so attending school isn't really optional (or attending some kind of school, anyway).

AIBU to think that it is arbitrary and unreasonable withdraw school transport from sixth formers - he may not get a space next year and then what? My DD, going into Y10 might not get a seat when her time comes.

I do also object to paying nearly £700 as well (more than I pay for an annual rail pass for a longer journey and valid every day of the year) and wonder if this is subsidising the bus service for years 7-11 - my income hasn't risen due to my DS going into Y12, but I am more angry to be told that I have no business relying on a school bus for a 16 YO.

AIBU?

YANBU. My 13 year old ds will be in the same situation in a few years. My 11 year old is a wheelchair user and we are expected to sort his transport ourselves as we live just under 2 miles away.

It's because the school leaving age is still 16. The age at which kids have to be in some sort of education or training has gone up to 18, but school isn't compulsory, so no statutory requirement for free travel of over 3 miles away.

I do agree it's unfair though - we paid £900 a year for train travel to sixth form.

Particularly bad not to provide transport for a child using a wheelchair.

I think I will ask for information using the Freedom of Information Act about the decision making and the cost - I've seen these buses and they look like the cheapest possible, if they are full I am surprised the cost of each seat is 700. I might write to the MP - not that I expect anything much in response.

If it's just a tax on parents to make up for funding cuts I think they have to say this honestly rather than trying to justify an irrational decision.

Yes, it is frustrating when you are reliant on buses to get them to college and it costs a small fortune for them to stay in education which is pretty much compulsory now. Had the same with my teens.

I did get a bursary for some of the fare but still expensive.

so if my DC chose to go to the local FE college, would his transport be paid? I'm guessing not. Although school leaving age is still 16, education leaving age is now 18 so I would think that should mean providing transport to whatever educational establishment the DC attends between 16 and 18, if it meets the distance criteria that apply for other school transport.

Our village has doubled in size in the last 18 months, with the new homes beginning to be occupied. I cannot count on DS, or, later, DD, getting a spare seat in future years as the sapces may well be taken by younger children.

YANBU

Where we live we have a choice of local 6th form (A levels, a limited range of vocational courses) or the 'local' college.

'Local' college means an hour's bus ride away, £14 per day.

Just to be clear, we dont live in the back of beyond, we live in a small town in a midlands county. Unfortunately it is an educational and public transport black hole.

yikes - £14 a day is a lot in situation where there is no increase in anyone's income they just had another birthday. It is an arbitrary tax on parents.
It also forces people into driving - the young person might get a driving licence sooner, the parent might need to do the taxiing - is this really better than a bus given that, for example, my local authority has declared climate emergency?

@elliejjtiny this is not correct SEN transport is not dependent on distance. Please find some guidance on Www.ipsea.org.uk - look at the criteria for home to school transport nationally. The LA might try to fudge it but distance doesn't apply.

local authorities have had budget cuts in the millions - this is one of the results

My ds has aspergers and all through school had transport, until he went on to do a levels. East sussex say that if you can do an a level, you dont need any help

Fuckers

My school did the same thing, so I had to get a job at 16 to help towards by bus pass. Can't your son do the same?

@elliejjtiny you need to contact here to get transport for your child who uses a wheelchair.

We’ll be in a very similar situation next year. We’ll apply for the vacant bus scheme on the school bus which is a few hundred pounds - but I doubt sixth formers will get on due to the increased birth rate in the lower years (it was over subscribed this year).

The added kick in the teeth is the public bus passing the high school has been cut from the timetable this year. So it’ll be £800 to get the once every two hours bus into town seven miles away and then another infrequent bus from town doubling backwards towards the high school. Like you, the school is three and a half miles away down treacherous rat run country lanes with no pavements, so entirely unsafe to walk or cycle.

I'd be happy for DS to get a job but the opportunities in our village are very few - he is the biggest klutz and his job at the local pub loading the dishwasher lasted about 6 weeks... I'd also be worried about the effect on his not too great work ethic! But have been trying to encourage a saturday job in the local large town, if such things still exist nowadays.

Sussexbonfireviking - being able to do an A level has nothing to do with being able to get yourself from home to school at 16 all the same - two quite different sets of skills required so that is just a nonsense shit excuse. As I say, I'd have more respect if they didn't make up bullshit excuses and just explained that parents are subsidising cuts to services. Then we all know where we stand.

It’s shit but local authority has had its budget slashed 500m over ten years (since the Tories came into power). Most are having to cut school transport to statutory obligation only, as the priority is saving children and adult social services and not going bankrupt.

Im a teacher and we have had a few colleges come to us and advertise a 'free bus pass'. One even said if we dont provide a bus to your area we will organise a mini bus or taxi to pick you up. So might be worth a look at some other colleges/FEs

Doesn't the line have to be drawn somewhere?
Your dc has had free transport to his free education for the past 5 years. Except it's not free, it costs tax payers.
Why stop after alevels? Why not free transport to university?
To be honest, I think you've had a good deal.

It’s really not fair, but unfortunately LEAs only have a statutory responsibility up to age 16 and most don’t have the funds to subsidise anything outside the statutory minimum.

There are discretionary funds that schools and colleges can use for transport bursaries. Info here www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund

Yes, that is what I think, but why am I subsidising the priority services just because I have a 16yo, would it not be fairer for all council tax payers to share the cost equally? At least shine a light on the results of the cuts and maybe my constituency could change its usual voting pattern if more people understood the direct results of the cuts

That should say my local authority...

Ps you are right though, they should be transparent about why it costs £700.

Sorry should have added, unless you are in Greater Manchester in whicH case visit ourpass.co.uk

arethereanyleft: is education a right in this country or is it a privilege?

Ours had the ridiculous situation where the eldest was given free transport by minibus from outside the drive but when her brother started he was not entitled to use the school transport. He eventually got a place at a huge cost. There is no public transport and children living about 200 yards away were able to use the minibus for free. Just ridiculous.