Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan31st

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scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan31st

Post by scary mum »

Just a reminder to complete the consultation document if you haven't already done so.

Here is a link:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/sites/bcc/sch ... sport.page
scary mum
andyb
Posts: 645
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:27 am
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by andyb »

Reminder received from DS2's school - "Please beware that the changes (due to be implemented in September 2012), likely to affect the majority of secondary school pupils, would mean that transport will only be provided to the pupil's nearest secondary school. Catchment schools are not always the nearest school."

The final sentence is particularly relevant as the nearest school to us is a poorly regarded upper school and not one that children from his primary have traditionally gone to (in fact, parents actively try to avoid it by filling the form with every school they can possibly think of!). The new proposals would mean that there would be no transport to the "usual" catchment upper, which is approx 3.5 miles away, but also no transport to the closest (poor) upper because it is only about 2 miles away. A win-win for BCC and a lose-lose for the children :evil: .
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by scary mum »

I know, it's ridiculous. I told them in the free comments section that if they really though that this was appropriate there should be no catchments, you just went to the nearest school. I also said that if thy weren't going to provide free transport to GSs it ment that they didn't really believe in a selective system.
scary mum
drummer
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:47 pm
Location: South Bucks

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by drummer »

One of our local upper schools is so poor that I know of several parents who, on visiting the school with their 'marginal' children (ie might qualify on a lucky day) were advised by the teachers there NOT to send their children on any account! How can Mike Appleyard state that all upper schools can satisfactorily cater for the academic needs of more academically able children??
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by scary mum »

Two days to go if you want to take part.
scary mum
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by Sally-Anne »

LOTS of schools (and not just grammars) are emailing parents about this, and also class reps, PTA people, etc.

Let's keep bumping this thread shamelessly! :D
Booklady
Posts: 522
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 10:39 pm

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by Booklady »

drummer wrote: How can Mike Appleyard state that all upper schools can satisfactorily cater for the academic needs of more academically able children??
He can't IMO! Our local Upper does not do 3 separate sciences, only does French - no other languages, and seems to specialise in ChildCare, Construction courses and the like. There is no way I would send any child there - especially if they were academically able - there is no possible way that school could answer their needs even remotely!
drummer
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:47 pm
Location: South Bucks

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by drummer »

Booklady, I think you should communicate this to Mike Appleyard directly as I fear he hasn't even taken a proper look at all the upper schools from the point of view of an academic pupil looking to studying towards an EBAC range of subjects.
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by scary mum »

Makes my blood boil every time I think about it!!

(Another shameless bump!)
scary mum
drummer
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:47 pm
Location: South Bucks

Re: Buckinghamshire school transport consultation closes Jan

Post by drummer »

It is going to end up an unmitigated mess with huge unintended, unplanned consequences.

Why don't they just draw up transport catchments (separate to the school catchments which may change as schools flex 'academy' status muscles) showing what schools a child will be entitled to transport to and also to which schools there may be 'paid for' places available.
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