No more free travel to school in 6th form?

Discussion and advice on Sixth Form matters

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Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: No more free travel to school in 6th form?

Post by Amber »

£900 a year for each of my 2 sons (year 9 and year 7) to get a bus to GS about 20 minutes away.

No provision on either private or public bus for daughter to go to the nearest GS for sixth form, no matter how much we are prepared to pay. This is a total PITA and deprives her of independence at a time when she really needs it.

As far as I am aware, unless you are on a raft of benefits or your child is disabled, there is no public subsidy for bus transport to any school in Gloucestershire. And (stands back ready to take the abuse), I don't think it is a public duty to provide it either, as we have elected to take this route.
Fran17
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:16 pm

Re: No more free travel to school in 6th form?

Post by Fran17 »

We pay about £450 per term per son. We have a good comprehensive five minutes walk from our house but we elected to send our sons on a 35 minute bus journey to their grammar school. I personally don't think it would be fair to expect this fee to be subsidised unless, as Amber said, we were on benefits.
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: No more free travel to school in 6th form?

Post by scary mum »

I agree, but in Bucks we have a fully selective system which meant that they have always paid the transport costs for all children if they are attending their catchment school (grammar or upper) but this year they have changed to paying to the nearest school if it is >3 miles (not necessarily your catchment school, which has caused all sorts of hoo hah) so if your child passes the 11 plus you are penalised financially as there are fewer GSs so they are unlikely to be your closest school. I don't object to paying for 16 year old DD's transport as she has chosen to stay at school, but I do object to it costing twice as much as it costs for her brother on the same bus.

Sorry OP this is off topic and I'll shut up now!! :D
scary mum
Fran17
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:16 pm

Re: No more free travel to school in 6th form?

Post by Fran17 »

Scary it's obviously a completely different set up in Essex. I suspect it would be difficult to compare what goes on in the two counties from what you have said.
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