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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

LEA School transport for faith school 2 miles away from home

32 replies

Hotpotatofood · 22/04/2013 17:27

just trying to get some ideas - we applied for a faith school in our local area and did not get the place - we got the place at the faith school 2 miles away. can I argue my point with the council to provide transport as it is too far to go on a public transport ( 2 buses) and a walk? I can say that it order to fulfill his faith needs, he needs to go to this school and the local school did not offer him a place...

OP posts:

UniS · 22/04/2013 17:29

I think you will be on a hiding to nothing. 2 miles is considered walkable at any age.

insanityscratching · 22/04/2013 17:30

Our LA have just withdrawn free transport for faith schools probably down to cost cutting tbh perhaps you should check the policy in your LA.

LynetteScavo · 22/04/2013 17:32

In my area transport to state schools ins't funded.

If however, they offered your DC a place at the nearest available school, you my be on to something.....are you sure it's over 2 miles?

jamtoast12 · 22/04/2013 17:34

if you could have got a closer school of no faith then you won't get transport. I don't think going to a faith school is an entitlement. Near us they no longer pay subsidised bus fares to senior faith schools anymore as you 'choose' to go there.

radicalsubstitution · 22/04/2013 17:40

I don't think it's morally or legally right that taxpayers should fund your 'child's faith needs'.

That's your responsibility - not the state's.

prh47bridge · 22/04/2013 17:46

You are entitled to free transport if this was the nearest available school and it is more than 2 miles walking distance away from your home. However, if there was a school of any kind (faith or community) nearer your home than this which could have taken your child you will not get free transport.

Original poster

Hotpotatofood · 22/04/2013 18:38

i can pay, but the only thing if they would e able to provide a pick up and drop off?

OP posts:

UniS · 22/04/2013 18:52

If you are in a area with public bus services you may find the "free transport " IF you are entitled to it, is a bus pass for public service buses. Door to door transport is very rare for children with no special needs . Unless they live in an isolated rural area, it will tend to be a space on a bus, you are expected to get child to and from bus stop.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 22/04/2013 18:52

Hot potato, I thought (on your other thread) that this school was your first choice?

LeeCoakley · 22/04/2013 19:44

I thought the free transport only kicked in if it wasn't on your list of preferences?

LeeCoakley · 22/04/2013 19:45

it = allocated school

DiscoDonkey · 22/04/2013 19:46

I agree it's your responsibility to fulfil his faith needs I would be amazed if you had a case for free transport.

christinarossetti · 22/04/2013 19:54

You've said a few times that this school 2 miles away was your first choice school, in which case unfortunately you're expected to make your own arrangements.

Original poster

Hotpotatofood · 22/04/2013 20:06

it was my 3rd choice.

OP posts:

meditrina · 22/04/2013 20:17

If it's the nearest school with a place, and 2 miles or over (DC in infants?) then you must get suitable free transport. Just a bus pass might be suitable for older children, but not a 4 year old.

Some LEAs will still find nearest faith school, but this is dying out rapidly.

It's not just the schools you put on your preference list that may count for this - it's all schools. But if you were in a black hole, and all nearer schools were full, then you stand a decent chance. You'll need to ask LEA if they will fund you (don't count on it) or if they offer pay places on a school route (some simply don't; more common if you are rural).

Could you ask your Parish for support?

LynetteScavo · 22/04/2013 20:44

The morals of the situation aren't the point, atm, though.

Our LEA will have already decided who will and won't be provided with transport. You need to contact them to find out if it will be provided. They will let you know. Pleading he needs to go to the school is unlikely to get you very far. Living more than 2 miles from the school, and not being offered a place nearer might mean you get some help. You won't know until you contact them, though.

TravelinColour · 22/04/2013 20:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lougle · 22/04/2013 21:21

Unfortunately, if the local school would have offered you a place had you placed it on the form as first preference, then you won't get transport to the faith school on distance alone. It will come down to whether your LA still has transport for faith places, and whether they agree that it is over 2 miles.

annh · 22/04/2013 23:29

I think you are confused and don't know what you want at the moment. You have a number of threads going about this school, transport, waiting lists etc. It sounds as if you chose a Catholic school, which you haven't visited, on the basis of needing a Catholic education for Catholic secondary. You were quite happy with the school offered but didn't seem to give any thought to how you were going to get your child to school when applying. I think you are in London? So 2 miles is quite a distance to travel if there are schools closer to you.

If you are really set on a Catholic secondary education, you will have to make some arrangements for transport to this school, but I would put your child on the waiting list for any closer Catholic schools. Presumably there are others if this was your third choice? If the Catholic element isn't so important, then put yourself on every waiting list you can, did you say somewhere else there is a CofE school very close to you?

zeeboo · 22/04/2013 23:32

2 miles?? My older kids had a 1.3 mile walk to play group and back every day and age 3 they did it with ease. How on earth can you need 2 busses to walk for 2 miles. You could do that in half an hour on foot with ease!

annh · 22/04/2013 23:52

I think the problem is that it's the OPs (elderly?) mother who provides childcare and would have to do the walk - presumably both ways twice a day. It's a bit of an ask of someone less able.

Original poster

Hotpotatofood · 23/04/2013 18:28

if older students take ds to school - what age does the person need to be? I know there are 2 high schools in the area of my DS primary school - could I try to find a student from that school - in fact my neighbours boy goes to high school - just few stops from the primary school. I think he is in year 8 or 9?

OP posts:

Chocovore · 23/04/2013 18:36

That is not going to work! You cannot leave your 4 year in care of some random teen to get them safely and happily 2 miles across town. It is not fair to your child! What if your child hurts themselves or worse, what if they get upset at the school drop off, refuse to cooperate with random teen?

You need to reconsider your options, swiftly.

jamtoast12 · 23/04/2013 18:38

You definitely cannot expect another child to drop them off - not fair on either of them plus legally surely there's an age limit?

StarlightMcKenzie · 23/04/2013 18:44

Why can't you walk? Does your child have SN?

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