End of Free Bus travel to Grammar Schools

[allyfielduk]

Hi folks,
This evening I received the email re the changes to school transport and the attached letter stated the following:

Cabinet agreed that from September 2016 new applications for free transport to grammar schools will be assessed against the statutory eligibility criteria. Free transport to a grammar school will only therefore be available if it is the nearest school to home with spaces and other relevant criteria are met – such as the distance from home to school exceeding the relevant statutory walking distance. For most students of secondary school age this is three miles.

My dd's nearest school at 6 miles is st benedicts, a catholic school which we are unlikely to get a place at as we are not Catholic and it is generally over subscribed, then followed by AGS at 6.4 miles and Alcester academy at 7.1 miles. Am I correct in thinking that if dd was lucky enough to gain a place at AGS she would still qualify for free transport?
Many thanks

[Yamin151]

She might well do, esp as all those schools are in alcester. Puzzled though by where you can be for St Benedicts to be closer than AGS and the academy to be furthest? ALCESTER academy is closer to St Benedicts than AGS is so a bit puzzled. Having said that, they are all so close that I think they would give a free bus to any of them, but that's just my thought, no fact to back it up.

[southbucks3]

You would have to put the Catholic school as your first preference, be declined due to lack of a place and then offered a place at the grammar school to get free transport. (I.e.. the nearest school with places to offer your child officially, not just assumed by yourself)
If you are confident your dc won't get a space at the Catholic school then put it first on the caf, but remember even if you accept your second choice on first-round they can offer you your first choice in subsequent rounds and simultaneously offer your gs place to another child, so it's sometimes a risky trick.

This is the statutory eligibility requirement followed by most councils now, even tenths of miles will be taken into nearest school distance criteria.

[Sillygoose]

Don't be too sure you wouldn't get a place at St Benedicts if you put it either, they do take a number of non-Catholics.

They have even put on their homepage "Though selection is based on a strict entry criteria, applications are welcome from non-Catholic families who wish to share the same Christian values and practices."

[kenyancowgirl]

Hi folks,
This evening I received the email re the changes to school transport and the attached letter stated the following:

Cabinet agreed that from September 2016 new applications for free transport to grammar schools will be assessed against the statutory eligibility criteria. Free transport to a grammar school will only therefore be available if it is the nearest school to home with spaces and other relevant criteria are met – such as the distance from home to school exceeding the relevant statutory walking distance. For most students of secondary school age this is three miles.

My dd's nearest school at 6 miles is st benedicts, a catholic school which we are unlikely to get a place at as we are not Catholic and it is generally over subscribed, then followed by AGS at 6.4 miles and Alcester academy at 7.1 miles. Am I correct in thinking that if dd was lucky enough to gain a place at AGS she would still qualify for free transport?
Many thanks

My advice? NEVER assume when it comes to councils and eligibility criteria!! As south bucks says, the "as the crow flies" distances that they measure when allocating school places is correct to an astonishing number of decimal places and they use the same system to assess transport eligibility.

To get an absolute answer, I would contact the transport department at WCC 01926 412929 option 1, option 1 or email them:
educationtransport@warwickshire.gov.uk
as this would give you written confirmation of your request.

[JamesDean]

Not being Catholic isn't the greatest barrier to getting a place at Benny's, distance always is. It's many Alcester people's second choice behind the Grammar; first if they haven't taken the 11+. Last year they offered to 'All on time Baptised Catholic children. Non-Catholic Children up to a distance of 0.545 miles' according to the WCC website ...

JD

[Sillygoose]

Not being Catholic isn't the greatest barrier to getting a place at Benny's, distance always is. It's many Alcester people's second choice behind the Grammar; first if they haven't taken the 11+. Last year they offered to 'All on time Baptised Catholic children. Non-Catholic Children up to a distance of 0.545 miles' according to the WCC website ...

JD

Thanks, that's useful. Be interesting to see which way the trend goes.

I think they have concerns that the number of 'local' Catholics continues to fall. They already have a relatively large Polish intake there making up the number. They will need extra resources and it could get costly for them.

Interestingly and surprisingly the new Head is non-Catholic.

[allyfielduk]

Thanks for the responses!
We are in Bidford and on the caf application it came up with st bens. as our nearest closely followed by AGS and then the academy. I've already submitted my caf with AGS first followed by the academy, Stratford high then st bens, (dd and I were not to keen after looking round)
Dd got a score of 216 but not to sure of a place with this years rankings so we will wait and see, fingers crossed for a place at AGS but we were both surprisingly happy with the academy when we looked around, and in regards to transport if it's free then great but if not £700 a year for a great school is not a bad price to pay!!

[Sillygoose]

I know its an odd question for today, but does anyone know for the Warks school bus reduced rate (within 3 miles) is it calculated by road from your house to school like a Sat Nav route, or as the crow flies?

Thanks.

[guest201]

I think it is quickest walking route, not as the crow flies