Appealing against School Transport Decision

daska

I'm looking for anyone with experience that might help with this.

Our local authority provides free travel for any child receiving free school dinners to travel to one of their 3 nearest secondary schools as long as that school is more than 2 but less than 6 miles away.

We have one school 0.7 miles away, but my DD wants to go to...
the next nearest school which is, using the LA's GIS system, 6.24 miles away.
(the other schools are 6.6, 8.2 and 8.5 miles away)

We qualify financially and DD has gained a place at her preferred school but the Local Authority say they won't give her free transport. Public transport will cost us £40/month next year and £60/month the year after.

It really doesn't seem fair not to allow children from families on low incomes a choice of schools.

What advice would you give on appealing this decision?

nomoneytoday

If there is a local school available, why would you expect the council to pay for a choice further afield?

Becles

daska wrote: »

I'm looking for anyone with experience that might help with this.

Our local authority provides free travel for any child receiving free school dinners to travel to one of their 3 nearest secondary schools as long as that school is more than 2 but less than 6 miles away.

We have one school 0.7 miles away, but my DD wants to go to...
the next nearest school which is, using the LA's GIS system, 6.24 miles away.
(the other schools are 6.6, 8.2 and 8.5 miles away)

We qualify financially and DD has gained a place at her preferred school but the Local Authority say they won't give her free transport. Public transport will cost us £40/month next year and £60/month the year after.

It really doesn't seem fair not to allow children from families on low incomes a choice of schools.

What advice would you give on appealing this decision?

I had a similar problem. There are no secondary schools within walking distance from our house. My son had been in a Catholic feeder school since nursery, so naturally wanted to go to the Catholic secondary school with his mates. However, we were not entitled to free transport as due to not being Catholic, we were only entitled to free transport to the nearest non-religeous school.

However, they do have a scheme where they will allocate transport to all the Catholic children, and then offer the spare seats to other pupils. My son was on a waiting list and he managed to get a seat within a couple of weeks of the term starting. We will have to go through this procedure every year.

If you ring the schools transport office at your local LEA, they will be able to advise if they have similar options available.

daska

nomoneytoday wrote: »

If there is a local school available, why would you expect the council to pay for a choice further afield?

I asked for advice

Clive_Woody

daska wrote: »

I asked for advice

ADVICE: Reduce your carbon footprint and walk to the school that is less 1 mile from where you live.

HopeAndDriftWood

Unfortunatly, exactly the same thing happened to me when i went to high school. The schools were right next to each other, but i was assigned free transport for the nearest only.

My parents fought for the first three years, but then i had to move schools, because the costs mounted and the transport board wouldnt give in. The schools were literally right next to each other, they even shared a school field.

Good luck, though, stand up and be counted. You never know. In my opinion, its much more important for your daughter to go to the school she wants too, so argue as much as you can, and you might just beat them.

daska

Clive_Woody wrote: »

ADVICE: Reduce your carbon footprint and walk to the school that is less 1 mile from where you live.

As the bus runs anyway I don't think the carbon footprint really makes a difference. In fact, as the bus stop is closer the soles of her shoes will not wear away as quickly therefore actively reducing her carbon footprint.

Thanks so much everyone for your help in getting my ygt DD to a school which specialises in her talent!

Actually, thinking about it, your advice is irrelevant. She has not been given a place at the school 0.7 miles away.