Charges for school transport postponed

[andyb]

My school (year 8 child) has sent home a copy of the statement from Bucks together with encouragement to attend one of the meetings.

Same here.

[Sally-Anne]

We have had the information by email to the whole school.

[mrsmum]

I've seen an email sent out to everyone at RGS, but as yet I haven't had anything from either of the secondary schools that my two children attend (though I haven't been through bags .....!). I would have thought that if one school is informing people, then they all should. At least this forum helps to spread the word. It's far from clear what is planned next; there seems to be a hint that the whole thing is back for a rethink i.e. possibly even for the older years. Anyone affected who has a point they wish to be considered should maybe try to get along to a meeting if they can.

[Sally-Anne]

as yet I haven't had anything from either of the secondary schools that my two children attend

I suspect the grammar Heads are more concerned about this than the Upper school Heads because a much higher proportion of GS children will use school transport. U/S children tend to be far more local.

It's far from clear what is planned next; there seems to be a hint that the whole thing is back for a rethink i.e. possibly even for the older years.

I think they will be trying to find some way of at least partially implementing the charges.

It might be of interest to quote this from the Bucks Examiner this week (I can't find it online on their website and the June issue isn't on the BCC website http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/about_you ... azine.page" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; either):

Jaws drop as county spells out £1.45m savings on its leaders
Questions have been raised about figures published in a BCC magazine.

In the latest issue of the council-produced Chiltern and County Times, and article was published detailing how the authority plans to make £58 million of savings in the next three years.

It detailed areas where savings will be made, including such fields as transport, planning and environment.

One of these was labelled Leader/Deputy Leader, and a claim that BCC plans to save £697,000 in this area this year, £498,000 next year and £261,000 the following year, a total over three years of more than £1.45m.

This has led to questions from residents about what these figures represent ahd how much is currently being spent in this area.

I would be interested to know how much is spent on glossy magazines every year as well ...

[mrsmum]

I take your point on the upper schools, but one of our schools is JHGS which is in a very similar situation to RGS and shares a good deal of it's catchment (and therefore potentially has a lot of affected parents). JHGS don't seem to have sent out any communication by email or letter though, hence my interest in what has happened in other schools throughout the County.

[Sally-Anne]

I've been doing a bit of digging in the Committee minutes for BCC, and found an interesting point:

Transport for Bucks (Report by Val Letheren, Cabinet Member for Transportation to the Budget and Medium Term Plan (MTP) Task and Finish Group

Overall Transport for Bucks has achieved fair results in achieving targets set out in 2009/10 and progress made so far in 2010/11. Of the 8 National Indicators owned, 5 achieved target. This included:
• Principal and non-principal roads where maintenance should be considered
• Percentage of non-frequent bus services running on time
• Adults and children killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents
Targets were not met for 2 National Indicators;
• Local bus passenger journeys originating in the local authority area
• Proportion of children travelling to school by car

Just so you know.

[Booklady]

We've had nothing. DD starts at BHS in Sept - but we already have to pay for school transport at >£6.50 per day as we live in a little corner of Taplow / Dorney where we do not qualify for free school transport to BHS anyway - so I guess we may not get a letter anyway!

[guest666]

Booklady

I would imagine that there would be little need for BHS to tell parents because they already had a clearly defined part of their catchment which does not include free transport (i.e. Burnham, Taplow, Dorney) and AFAIK there were no proposals to reduce the area in which free transport is provided.

[mrsmum]

I do know of pupils at BHS from Tylers Green and Flackwell Heath who are in catchment for both BHS and WHS; but under County's measurements they are deemed to live closer to WHS (by a small margin) and so would have been liable for charges as the original proposal stood. I appreciate it may only be a relatively small percentage of pupils who are affected.

[drummer]

did anyone attend the Wycombe meeting last night?