Charging for Grammar school buses

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Justinterested
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 11:16 am

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by Justinterested »

Guest55 wrote:There is no requirement for the council to fund a bus to a GS - only to your nearest secondary if it is more than three miles away.

What is the issue here?
Does this mean that a family of a very bright DC living next to a Comp or US who cannot afford transport is unable to access GS education ?
JamesDean
Posts: 1537
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by JamesDean »

I think this is new if you live in the Stratford area, Warks mum. Yes, those of us in the Central area have always had to pay even though the Stratford GSs are our nearest grammars.

Stratford, I'm afraid you've been lucky to have free transport up to now. In a world of massive local authority cuts, the reality now is for all of us who choose to send our children to a grammar school, we will have to pay the cost to get them there ...

JD
kenyancowgirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Actually, it hasn't Warks mum - if you are in the Southern side of the county, in Warwickshire and got a place at the GS, it is classed as being your nearest secondary school and free bus is given - it is an anomaly, granted, with other areas in Warwickshire but, it is on the basis of this that people like us, and others we know have made the choice to go to this particular school.

The point, Guest 55/JD, is that councillors are currently considering a change - the issue is that this change could happen with no warning, affecting all children already in the schools and those applying to join in September. Just because other areas don't fund free bus to GS is not a good enough reason to abolish it here - any change should be managed - and in an area that is not fully selective (like Bucks) - where a child has done well enough to gain selection for a GS school, the size of their parents' wallet should not be the overwhelming factor as to whether they get it or not - particularly as we are very very rural as a county and the transport links are shocking with no real alternatives....You applied JD knowing this was the case - we and people like us applied having been told it was funded.

Having spoken to one who knows, currently this is just something the councillors have asked to be kept informed about but it is certainly a real concern for us and many that we know.
Warks mum
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by Warks mum »

Thanks kenyancowgirl - I wasn't aware of that distinction. I believe, however, that those who used to get the transport concession to a faith school (Trinity in particular) continued to get it until their child left school, even though the charge was levied on new joiners. Perhaps this is a precedent that could be applied again?
Does this mean that a family of a very bright DC living next to a Comp or US who cannot afford transport is unable to access GS education ?
There is an exception for low income families on the .gov.uk website:

"If you get the maximum Working Tax Credit or your children are entitled to free school meals, they’ll get free school transport if they’re:

...
aged 11 to 16 and the school’s 2 to 6 miles away - as long as there aren’t 3 or more suitable schools nearer to home
aged 11 to 16 and the school’s 2 to 15 miles away - if it’s their nearest school preferred on the grounds of religion or belief"

In our case, however, even if we qualified there woud probably be 3 more more 'suitable schools' nearer than the grammar.
scary mum
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Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by scary mum »

Justinterested wrote:
Guest55 wrote:There is no requirement for the council to fund a bus to a GS - only to your nearest secondary if it is more than three miles away.

What is the issue here?
Does this mean that a family of a very bright DC living next to a Comp or US who cannot afford transport is unable to access GS education ?
It does in Buckinghamshire - they used to fund transport to your nearest GS if you qualified, not any longer, as it's not required by law. Apparently an Upper School is considered suitable for all (so why persist with the grammars...?). My family's bus fares went from £0 to over £1000 from one year to the next (one went into 6th form so no longer got transport provided, one remained free with an admin fee of about £80 per year - but will be several hundred next year in the 6th form, the other we have had to pay for from the beginning). Some families might struggle to manage this (although there is free transport for those unable to pay, but it will be those that don't quite fall into that category who will struggle. Ours was also changed very suddenly, after people had applied/taken the 11 plus.
scary mum
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by hermanmunster »

Justinterested wrote:
Guest55 wrote:There is no requirement for the council to fund a bus to a GS - only to your nearest secondary if it is more than three miles away.

What is the issue here?
Does this mean that a family of a very bright DC living next to a Comp or US who cannot afford transport is unable to access GS education ?
Unfortunately it does, I suppose they have to have a rule about there being a suitable local school as some parents who live a great many miles away eg in a different county could apply to get free transport for a huge distance, passing several other schools on the journey.
JamesDean
Posts: 1537
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by JamesDean »

kenyancowgirl wrote:You applied JD knowing this was the case - we and people like us applied having been told it was funded.
No, absolutely, I'm not saying stop it now with immediate effect! If it is to go, it should be phased in, probably not starting until 2016 entry so all parents are aware of the implications of applying for a place at a GS. Those who already have the free transport shouldn't be penalised by moving goal posts.

As for low income, currently in Warks you can apply for a 'vacant seat' on a school bus, the cost of which is reduced if you claim certain benefits.

JD
kenyancowgirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by kenyancowgirl »

scary mum wrote:
but it will be those that don't quite fall into that category who will struggle. .
Exactly right, scary mum! And that is always the issue...the squeezed middle who the Government seem to believe have an infinite amount of money to pay for everything!! The main "victim" of this will be the GS themselves who will find more parents asking for help with the cost of voluntary contribution trips etc as the only spare cash they have will be going on transport to get their kids to school...It does appear that once again entry to the GS will depend on a) your parents ability to pay for tutoring or private education to gain selection and b) your parents ability to pay for a bus...because there is certainly a lot of "squeezed middle" kids there who have got in through genuine ability but who may have to get out again...

Certainly, as a minimum, it should be phased in from now over the next 5 years - with current children being exempt and the next few years starting, having to pay a contribution, rather than the full whack (maybe the amount the bus to their genuine local school, could be taken off the total cost?). In 5 years time, those in y7 will be paying anyway (for 6th form travel).

The timing of this debate, just before schools allocation day is appalling - I feel really sorry for squeezed middle parents who may be really proud their child has gained a place and then really worried about whether they will have to find the money to get there in less than 6 months...
guest201
Posts: 484
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:04 pm

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by guest201 »

Warks mum wrote:Sorry Magwich, it's been like that for years in Warwickshire. Shottery was our closest grammar school but we've never been eligible for a free bus pass. The only exception may have been for those in the pupil premium category.

I believe there was an exception for some faith schools such as Trinity until relatively recently, but even that was withdrawn.
This is not so in East Warks, All the girls from Hillmorton more than 3 miles from RHS get a free bus pass even though they have Ashlawn school (which is bilateral i.e. has a grammar stream) on their doorstep.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Charging for Grammar school buses

Post by Guest55 »

It was changed in Bucks several years back and seems to have made no difference to most. It was phased in and only applied to new students I believe?

I think it is right to pay for transport if you chose a GS; the County councils were going far beyond their legal obligations in the past. I'd rather they cut that than other, more essential, services.
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