Transport to church schools and grammar schools consultation
This is a past consultation18 Feb 08- 21 Mar 08
Introduction
A questionnaire has been designed for parents of pupils in Year 6 in Poole Middle, Primary and Combined Schools, or in Year R to Year 6 in church schools.
We are asking parents about the free bus services that are provided to church schools and grammar schools in Poole.
If you are a parent and would like to give your views on-line, you will need to register and login to the site.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact integrated.services@poole.gov.uk.
Background
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 states that local authorities must provide free transport to school for more children from low-income families. To pay for this extra transport, savings need to be made elsewhere.
Any new arrangements would come into effect from September 2009, and any children admitted to school before that date could carry on using the free bus services until they leave that school.
A parent can express a preference for their child to attend a grammar school or church school, but the law does not say that the local authority must provide transport for them to get there. However, we do fund some bus services to these schools. As of June 2007, 217 pupils were being transported to denominational schools at a cost of approximately 221,500 pounds per annum and 509 pupils were being transported to grammar schools at a cost of approximately 318,400 pounds per annum.
It has been suggested that parents of children who would normally receive free transport to church or grammar schools should be asked to make a contribution towards the cost of their children's transport. Families who are on a low income would not be asked to pay.
Some examples of how eligibility for transport might be affected in the future are given below:
- A child living in Hamworthy or Turlin Moor might qualify for transport assistance to Poole High School as one of their nearest three schools, provided they live more than two miles from the school and come from a low-income family.
- A child living in Lilliput or Sandbanks may not qualify for transport assistance to Poole Grammar School or Parkstone Grammar School because it is not one of their three nearest schools.
- A child living in Rossmore may qualify for transport to Ashdown Technology College as one of their three nearest schools, provided they live more than two miles from the school and come from a low-income family.
- A child living in Oakdale may qualify for transport to Carter Community School as one of their three nearest schools, provided they live more than two miles from the school and come from a low-income family.
- A child living in Branksome and attending St Edward’s School may not qualify for assistance with transport because they do not come from a low-income family.
You can contact us at:
Children and Young Peoples Integrated Services
Dolphin Centre
Poole
Dorset
BH15 1SA
Technique
Postal Survey.
Results
Contact: Children and Young People Integrated Services
Tel: 01202 261900
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