Agenda item

To consider a report seeking permission to commence a consultation on some proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy and the Annual Post 16 Transport Statement with a view to ensuring all statutory responsibilities are met within the current budget. 

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to commence a public consultation on the Authority’s Draft Revised Transport Policy and the Draft Revised Annual Post 16 Transport Statement, including the proposed amendments to ensure the most efficient use of the public funding for the provision of home to school transport.

The Authority had a statutory duty to provide home to school transport to children and young people who met the criteria prescribed in legislation.  Currently just over 1000 Children of a statutory school age were supported by home to school transport arrangements. This represented an increase of nearly 40% in the number of children who received such support when compared with 2019.  This increase had placed significant pressure on the current home to school transport budget. In the current financial year, the forecasted pressure was £2.9 million. This was not a sustainable position therefore it was proposed to commence consultation on proposed changes to the current home to school transport policy.

Travel assistance was currently provided by the Authority over and above the statutory requirements placed on it.  Such additional assistance consisted of: -

·       Providing fully funded travel assistance to secondary schools with a designated religious character where they had been chosen on the grounds of religion or belief:  There was no requirement for the Authority to arrange travel assistance to a school with a designated religious character for a child whose parents or carers had chosen it on the grounds of their religion or belief (unless the child met other eligibility criteria for free travel to that school). 

·       Providing fully funded transport assistance for some young people over the age of 16 and re-imbursing 50% of transport costs for others:  There was no requirement for the Authority to provide free or subsidised post 16-year-old travel. There was however a duty placed on the Authority to publish an Annual Post 16 Transport Statement specifying the arrangements for the provision of transport that the Authority considered necessary to facilitate the attendance of persons of sixth form age receiving education or training.

It was proposed to re-assess all non-statutory provision and to consult on the introduction of a standard charge as a contribution towards transport provision in line with other North East Authorities.

·       Providing transport assistance for students with an Education Health and Care plan who lived more than 1 mile from their school: 

Statutory Walking Distances:- A child under the age of 8 is eligible for free travel to their nearest suitable school if it was more than 2 miles from their home;  A child aged 8 years or over is eligible for free travel to their nearest suitable school if it was more than 3 miles from their home.

Extended Rights;- If a family was eligible for free school meals or in receipt of maximum working tax credit, travel assistance was available if a child was:

o   Aged 8 but less than 11 and lives more than 2 miles but no more than 6 miles to the nearest school (measured by road)

o   Aged 11 to 16 and lives more than 2 miles but less than 6 miles if attending 1 of the nearest 3 schools (measured by road). 

It was proposed to consult on the removal of the 1-mile distance and revert to statutory mileage distances:  Transporting students to and from Additionally Resourced Provision (ARPs) with such transport provision accommodating individual part-time timetables. 

It was proposed to consult on such transport being provided only at the start and the end of the school day for eligible students.

It proposed that the Authority consulted on the Draft Revised Transport Policy (Appendix 1) and the Draft Revised Annual Post 16 Transport Statement (Appendix 2), including the proposed amendments set out above to ensure the most efficient use of the public funding for the provision of home to school transport.

Cabinet considered the following decision options:  to either approve the recommendations as set out in section 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not approve the recommendations.

Resolved that(1) the Draft Revised Home to School Transport Policy at Appendix 1 and the Draft Revised Annual Post 16 Transport Statement at Appendix 2 of the report, be noted;

(2) the proposal to commence public consultation on the revised Policy and Statement referred to in resolution (1) above, be approved;

(3) a further report on the outcome of the public consultation be received and Cabinet to consider if the proposed changes to the Draft Revised Home to School Transport Policy and the Draft Revised Annual Post 16 Transport Statement should be made and implemented having regard to the consultation responses, be agreed; and

(4) it be agreed that officers be asked to continue to work closely with Transport North East, to deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) with particular regard to supporting young people in meeting their travel needs.

(Reason for decision: It is not possible to address all of the current pressure on the home to school transport budget without making appropriate changes to the current Transport Policy and Annual Post 16 Transport Statement and those potential changes require consultation.  These changes will not affect our ability to meet statutory obligations in relation to home to school transport.)