Bus ticket renewal change of buses

[kittymum]

Kitty mum, I feel for you, take a big deep gulping breath and just feel for the kids who only have the choice of cressex...it's all you can do really.

I know, I need to move forward I really do it just makes me very grrrrr. And if we were 32 meters up the road then there'd still be other children in the village who'd have to pay which would be even worse *sigh*. We are lucky we are catchment for good schools and we will find the money from somewhere.

I knew we should have moved to the next village along

[Tolstoy]

.... SBS surely that can't be legal. I thought the whole point of a catchment area was to encourage children to go local, are you saying that parents who followed the advice and put their catchment school down in good faith are being penalised because a non-catchment school is closer? That defies all logic! What if parents don't have the money?

[kittymum]

.... SBS surely that can't be legal. I thought the whole point of a catchment area was to encourage children to go local, are you saying that parents who followed the advice and put their catchment school down in good faith are being penalised because a non-catchment school is closer? That defies all logic! What if parents don't have the money?

The school which is 32 meters closer to me is not a catchment school for me

[Tolstoy]

.... Kittymum I think in your shoes, which I may well end up being in sooner than I want, I will never be able to let it go. If it wasn't so early think I'd be getting myself a good stiff drink! Those sort of arbitrary injustices really wind me up.

Why have a selective system if you are going to force people by stealth into only one type of school

[Tolstoy]

Crossed posts there, we will be stummied by a catchment upper I believe. I knew there would be the possibility of one set of transport costs but should DS2 and DS3 get grammar places that will be another 2 sets. Didn't realise the transport system forces people to live by a Grammar school.

[scary mum]

It was 500m for us, kittymum, but still galling. The only fair thing that I have heard in all of this is with The Beaconsfield School & Becky High. The Beaconsfield School is nearer the end of the road, so officially is the closest school for many, but BCC counts them as being in the same place. Or they did last year, it would save them a lot of money to change...

[Tolstoy]

Out of interest how likely is it that you won't get a place on the bus if you are paying? Whilst I am fine about my older boys doing public transport I'd prefer my DS7 to be on a school bus with all his peers. Also the chances are he could end up in a different school than his older brothers so wouldn't have them to accompany him.

[Peridot]

This all makes me very grateful to live in Greater London, where the Oyster card system means that my children have free bus travel until they are 16. For school they actually go by train as it is quicker, a more pleasant experience and more reliable. I have been grumbling about having to find roughly £80 per term per child for their season tickets (approx £500 per year) - but that is our choice, and because I am working nearly full time now I can afford it. Empathetic feelings towards you Bucks folk, and I will stop complaining.

[Guest55]

Even worse in some parts of Bucks as one of the free schools is regarded as the nearest 'suitable' school.

[scary mum]

In South Bucks the local school will be a Sikh school. I feel sure this won't be many local people's choice, regardless of their religious background.