If LEA has to provide school transport does child have to be accompanied?

[TerrysNo2]

Just that really. Currently in the process of moving house and hope to exchange this week. Local school is full and nearest with spaces is 7 miles away. I read that if its more than 2 miles the LEA must provide transport but how does this work?

Can the child go unaccompanied? Not keen on this at all as DS is going into reception but DH and I both leave the house at 7.30/8am for work and don't return until 6pm and I don't think the childminder would be able to do this as she has other kids at the local school.

Anyone know how this works?

Thanks!

The school transport policy for Bucks Cc is available to read here:

www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/136111/Transport_Leaflet_Draft_V11.pdf

Looking at the policy, you are likely to be offered a seat for your child in a taxi or minibus (depending on whether there are any other children on a similar route to school). Doesn't look like you would get a chaperone as there really is no specific need for one.
The council has a policy of only providing transport from the age of 5, but in some circumstances will offer the transport from the start of the term in which the child turns 5. The policy also states that they will only provide transport to and from the home address and will not consider transport to and from a childminders.
It might seem that the council are being inflexible, but scool transport costs a fortune and it is effectively public money so they have to accountable for spending it properly and not 'wasting' it making people's lives easier.
By offering transport to and from the home address from the age of five the council are fulfilling their legal obligation and sadly your personal work commitments are not their problem. I'm not saying that to sound mean or harsh, it's just a fact that councils have cutback on school transport costs and most comcils won't consider personal circumstances or wishes.

My DCs catch a school bus, there is no chaperone but I trust the bus driver and he has been given my permission to tell my kids how to behave when they are on his bus, ie sit still, not swap seats etc, no screaming/shouting, remain seated until bus is at a complete standstill etc.

With regard to work it is up to you to manage I'm afraid. It is better for me for the DC to get the bus as kids on the bus can go into the yard and by default are unaccompanied so this is allowed, if you as a parent take your child to school you can not leave them unsupervised in the yard until after 8:40am. Mine can get on the bus at 8:30 and I leave home for work after. If I drove them to school then I would have travelled a few miles in the wrong direction and could not set off until later. No brainer.

When DS started school I had to take some unpaid leave as they did mornings only for a few weeks so he needed collecting at lunchtime. Then I took both DD and DS to school for a while (return journey by bus)as he seemed too young to be on the bus am and pm, then he wanted to go on the bus for both journeys, I arranged it with the driver and my elder DD and also asked an older child on the route to keep an eye on my DCs for me. Paranoid moi!

Good luck, although I don't think you can do much until things are a bit more finalised.

Amazing how different things are county to county. I am in Warwickshire, every junior pupil provided with transport needs a chaperone. (Another thread all on its own really)

Six children (all NT) get a minibus to the nearest school which is just over the minimum distance away. I am the mum of two of those children, doing this role because it needed to be done. My ds was only just 4 and two months when he started school and there was never any question that the service wouldn't include him.

DS went on a primary minibus for a little while but there was never a chaperone even though some of the DC were reception age. Final straw was when a KS2 boy opened the rear door while the they were being driven along. A really miserable bunch of drivers too and not always the same faces each week.