To feel hopeless about school transport

[AmericasfavoritefightingFrenchman]

I’m thinking mostly about transport for pupils with disabilities- though I recognise the provision is poor all around. The fact that some counties refuse to transport the littlest reception children on the grounds that school is not compulsory, for instance, is just mean, stingy accounting at the expense of tiny children.

I’m thinking about the unreliability, about the sudden calls in the morning to say ‘no transport today’ which could leave a child stuck at home. And these are children who really can’t afford to miss a day at school, or who have a breakdown at the prospect of missing a day.

I’m thinking about the massive pressure to not be a minute late for meeting transport, applied to kids who actually deserve a medal for facing up to school at all, or to kids who have already gone through three changes of clothes and two showers trying to get ready for a 7am pick up.

Im thinking about kids spending 3-4 hours a day on transport just to get to and from school.

I’m thinking about the contracts that say that involuntary behaviour, if deemed unacceptable, is cause to terminate transport arrangements. Honestly that’s not very different from saying if a baby’s crying is distressing you’ll stop feeding it.

Sigh.

School transport has been hit by all the same funding cuts as every other public service though, thanks for Osborne’s austerity measures. Councils mostly provide statutory transport only now, if children are eligible, and often it is more cost-effective to provide petrol money. There are many challenges to putting contracts in place such as nobody bidding for work, driver shortages, etc. Not saying it isn’t crap but it’s not all councils’ fault. Definitely write to your MP.

Councils mostly provide statutory transport only now, if children are eligible, and often it is more cost-effective to provide petrol money.
Do you understand that this usually means one parent cannot work?

It would be the same if a parents chose a specialist school for their child, like a special music or drama school, they would have to make appropriate arrangements...

THis is not a comparator as there are hardly any schools in the MDF scheme so most going to these schools board so the transport requirements are only at Exeat weekends and the DC who get places are highly driven and intelligent individuals - not children with severe SEN difficulties.

It doesn’t get easier if it’s the parent with disabilities either. I’m currently trying to work out my son’s secondary school options. There’s two options with buses where he could walk to the stop but we’re at the edge of catchment for those buses and may not get in (in one case this is literally an issue of our house just edging over county lines - a street away and we would be in the next county and it would be fine).

The other school is excellent and I would love him to go - but it’s a ten minute car ride to the closest bus stop. No problems with that when I can do it but I needed three operations last year and all had a mandatory no driving period after. And as I discovered then most taxis won’t carry unaccompanied kids and anywhere near school drop off they’re all booked out by schools anyway. Our school offered no help ; I ended up paying a childminder literally to pick them up and drop them at breakfast club (and paying for breakfast club) . If I hadn’t been able to afford that I don’t know what I would have done.

And no I can’t ask a partner or family. I’m a widow with cancer and family doesn’t live close enough to do daily drop offs. Current house was purchased before widowhood and cancer. If we get into school 3 and I need another op I think we might just be fucked.

“it’s the parents job to work out” only works if there is actually a feasible option available.

I always communicate by email. If it's not in writing, it never happened. <-- golden rule!

More smaller SEN units is a good model for many kids with SEN but still falls down for kids with more complex needs. Ds2 doesn't not go to the local special school because the school itself is full. He goes elsewhere because their very limited discrete autism provision was full. His school is one of the biggest SEN schools in the country and, as such, with about 15% of their intake having complex needs and/or PMLD is currently able to provide 4 such classes, just for secondary age (separate from the PMLD provision) each with about 5 or 6 kids and 3 full time staff.

Well some of our kids won't be getting that education , paid for by our taxes as well as yours, if they can't get to a school that they can actually learn something at.

Or do you consider some children to be more deserving of even a basic education than others?

where did I say it was a CHOICE? It's a fact, my tax pay for free education.

You could argue that parents should have a choice of school, which they don't. We need to move to be near a school we find suitable, or even have space.

It's also a fact that my tax don't pay for transport, for uniform or anything that's not education.

My tax don't even pay for resources, playgrounds, enrichment. That's what parents have to fundraise for.

The majority makes the choice, we vote and we only win when most people agree with us.

In an ideal world, we would all have a school in our catchment that fits our needs and preferences. It's so far from the case, and ALL parents are met with a choice unfortunately.

It's not about what the children deserve, no one said it was a fair system and it's not fair to have to relocate to give our children the best we can afford. It's simply the reality, but it's the same reality for everyone.

You just cannot say an entire group is targeted or put aside while the rest is breezing through, whatever the reason and needs, all parents face their own challenges.

You seem to be totally unaware that your tax has always paid for children to be transported to their closest suitable school if it is more than 3 miles away. There has never been an expectation for parents to move close to schools. There isnt even enough houses close to schools and people need to do rural jobs and jobs in certain locations like hospitals that arent always next to a school.

you seem to be totally unaware that it's just not the case in many places!
Tell our local parents that they should just wait for their free transport because they are more than 3 miles away 😂

Expectation or not, if you don't like or find a suitable school, you move, that's what we all had to do.

Some challenges are bigger than others. Few parents have to provide basic personal care for their teenagers who are unable to articulate their wants and needs or make their own way to the local secondary school, whether OFSTED outstanding or otherwise. You have not taken in anything anyone has said to you, though and I am quite sure that you never intend to.

Wow. Some of these stories are horrific and make me realise how lucky we are.

My child is currently in transport.

Her driver and PA are wonderful at keeping us updated on when they will be arriving.

She's in a mini bus with 4 other children.

Never had any issues at all with it.

Does you area genuinley not have school buses or special bus passess to the closest suitable school if it is more than 3 miles. Suitable meaning a requires improvement comp not suitable as in you think its the nicest or better school in someway.

Here it’s a free bus pass if you’re more than three miles away IF it’s your nearest school.

Actually, your taxes do pay for the home to school transport system, because that is the law.

Quite, @Spendonsend , while in SEN world, especially were complex needs are involved, it's as much a case of a school agreeing that they have the resources for your child. The schools that might be suitable aren't a mile or two apart, they're often 10 miles apart. Or even the only one in a county. Or over several counties....

When I first viewed schools for Ds2, I visited one that was perfect on paper. In reality, the atmosphere was hushed and tense, with a high proportion of highly sensitive children in need of minimal stimulation. Ds2 is loud and bouncy and needs to move a lot. His presence there would have been disastrous for those kids and, inevitably, for him.

The law applies equally throughout England, with very similar provisions for Wales. If your local council isn't complying with the law, then local parents should take them to court. It's relatively easy, given that this relates to their children's rights and they would therefore get legal aid in their children's names. It's amazing what councils discover they can do when faced with a court order.

Yes. The criteria are that your closest school is more than 3 miles. But they dont include schools that wouldnt let you in? Like if an infant school is 1 mile from your house and you are 13, they dont say there is a school closer. With sen the closest physical school might refuse entry by saying 'cant meet needs' which is a totally diffferent scenario than a parent saying 'i prefer the sports field at this one which is further away"

I get that many folks don't really understand the particular issues around finding SUITABLE provision for SEND kids. If only that was all there is to it. Oh no, then you have to hope there is space. You also have to hope they will cater to your age range and that it will be specified in your EHCP. And that's all if you are lucky. Even if your kiddo gets in you then have to hope that the placement works and also hope that it doesn't shut down through underfunding....

What does surprise me is the utter refusal by some posters on here to allow themselves to be educated as to why 'move closer to the SEND school' is not an appropriate suggestion in so many cases.

Blissful ignorance and willful stupidity

@Bellasbeau If the driver is speeding and putting children at risk and no-one is prepared to sort it , I would call the police. It will help if you know the bits of the route and times that they speed.

@SacAMain
The criteria for free school transport is very simple. If your child has no SEN, then you apply for your allocated catchment school and if that meets the criteria, you are entitled to transport for free.
Whether that is bus, taxi or a mileage allowance.
If there are multiple families at your school not getting a bus, a taxi or a mileage allowance, it's because they are not entitled to it. Probably because they've picked a school which is their preference, as opposed to their catchment school.

SEN is a whole different ball game. Parents don't have the easy option of just picking the catchment school, or even a preferred school, they are often told that is the nearest available school and that is the end of it. These children absolutely need the transport providing for their schooling.

All of our taxes pay for school transport, not sure why you think they don't, unless you don't pay tax, then yes, you don't pay.

You’ve not engaged with my comments about choice or lack of it, but regarding entitlement to free education: would you agree that if the free education is provided so far away that it would cost hundreds per month in transport costs to get there, and is the only option, that it no longer constitutes free education?

I've seen kids unable to attend school because there was no available transport.
I've seen kids unable to attend school because even though there was a wheelchair accessible vehicle, there was no driver.
I've seen school transport refuse to transport a folded wheelchair. Parents could manage without it overnight but had to take in on Monday morning to ensure the chair was in school for the week... And then pick up on Friday so they could have the chair at home for the weekend. When school unexpectedly shut mid wee, he didn't have his chair for the weekend, parent unable to leave the house and dog not walked because school transport wouldn't accommodate the chair.
I've seen 4yos getting picked to at 7 because that's how long the journey takes from home with stops
I've seen parents offer to drive because they can make more money in payments for fuel than they can as a school cook.

I've also seen kids with such a strong relationship with the bus staff that the hour on the bus is the best but of their day!

We live in a very rural area. School transport is the only way many of these kids can get to school.

You’re joking right? Obviously you have no disabled children. Lucky you.

Ds travels 22 miles, twice a day, he can’t go to a local sen school, they can’t meet his needs, the one he’s at barely can.

Why is that my responsibility to take him. The local authority placed him that far, it wasn’t my choice.

My town has outgrown its only secondary school and it can't be extended any further, so kids have to go to the next nearest secondary school. Those on one side of town go to a school that's on a bus route, so can travel independently. Those on my side of town go to a school that's nowhere near public transport, so get a school bus.

Unless they have a parent who can pick them up, they can't participate in after school activities as they have no way of getting home afterwards. I think that's really sad.

Kids with additional needs get accompanied transport if they have to go to a special school though. It's by taxi, or minibus if there are enough kids.