School Transport costs and Social Exclusion

fluffymuffy

DD has just started a new school - the local grammar school (yes we still have them - they are not fee-paying, as many people think). She was offered a place on the basis of having finished all the work in science available at our local school. Trouble is though, the local school is very close and the grammar school is £78 a month's worth of bus rides away.

We live in a big town which has a few secondary schools and each has a catchment area. The grammar schools are in a smaller, posher (expensive) town nearby - but we're all part of the same local authority. The grammar schools have no catchment areas as they are entrance by exam.

Despite being on a low income and maximum tax credits we've been told we don't qualify for any help with transport from our local authority as we haven't sent DD to the nearest school. Isn't this Social Exclusion? It means there must be parents who cannot afford to take up places offered at the schools we pay for through our taxes due to them being located in the next town, when these schools were specifically set up to take the brightest and best.

kettlefish

According to directgov your DD would be entitled to free transport as you are a low income family, provided she has gone to any one of the three nearest suitable schools. There is also provision made for those who go to certain schools due to religious beliefs. Unfortunately, because the grammar school is neither of these, it sounds like you will have to stump up

However, I went to an independant (not private/fee paying) school and they had their own policy; I got a free bus pass for the first year and then changed to handing in my bus tickets and getting them refunded. It might be worth talking to the school about this one even if the LEA have said no.

Gingham_Ribbon

She was failed by her previous school for not providing work suitable to her ability in science. I would therefore consider this a special needs issue. I would contact the NAGC on 0845 450 0295 and ask for their advice as there may be something that can be done.

Local councils are sometimes helpful regarding G+T as a special educational need, but others don't have a clue. It's worth speaking to the education department again and asking if the situation would be different if your child had a different educational need.

And your local councillor may be prepared to fight your case.

fluffymuffy

According to my council's own website one of the reasons an application might be approved is if the child has already been excluded from the nearer schools. No financial penalty for poor behaviour then.

Gingham_Ribbon

:mad::mad::mad: Get your gloves on, mrs muffy. It looks like you've got a fight on your hands.

fluffymuffy

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

She was failed by her previous school for not providing work suitable to her ability in science. I would therefore consider this a special needs issue. I would contact the NAGC on 0845 450 0295 and ask for their advice as there may be something that can be done.

Local councils are sometimes helpful regarding G+T as a special educational need, but others don't have a clue. It's worth speaking to the education department again and asking if the situation would be different if your child had a different educational need.

And your local councillor may be prepared to fight your case.

Thanks - I'm going to take up the phone tomorrow. I'll start with the "head of admissions and transport" as advised by our transport group (who I rang earlier and they agreed it wasn't fair but their hands were tied).

A few decades ago people were often unable to take up a grammar school place because the uniform was too expensive - the uniform was selected to be expensive to keep the poor out of what are essentially free private schools. My MIL is an example of someone who was offered a place but unable to afford it. The uniform at DD's new school is lovely and surprisingly cheap.

pigpen

If you have proof this is the best school for her ability and educational needs she can have a free/reduced cost bus pass.. but it is difficult seeing as schools are meant to adhere to national curriculum and teach the same stuff nationally.

The school my middle son is at the uniform is so cripplingly extortionate I seriously considered moving him.. the blazer alone is £140.. in total one set of full uniform tots up at around £500!!! and as we all know one set is simply not enough!

Is there a bus card thing that will save money? The weekly one here is £8.50 and can be used by anyone as many times as you like in a 7 day period.. might save a few quid.

bertiebots

My son goes to a school 3.5 miles away (1 catchment area school is terrible and the other selective and near impossible to get in) and we dont qualify for help . There is no bus because they changed the service route last year so its costing me £80 per month in petrol. Its a very busy route to school and takes about 45-50mins each morning. Very frustrating and on top of that the uniform is very expensive:mad: His blazer alone is £50! The school is situated in a "posher" area. But my daughter has her name down and hopefully ds2 will get a place when its time. I would still rather they go to this school , despite it costing us a fortune. Doesnt make it fair ....if all schools were good it wouldnt matter where the kids went :cool:.
I really hope you get the help you need after all if they provided you with a good local service you wouldnt be having to do this in the first place:(.

Oh and thank goodness for matalan and cheap school shirts & trousers!

silvercar

we've been told we don't qualify for any help with transport from our local authority as we haven't sent DD to the nearest school.

We had exactly the same. There is no free to school transport for those who "choose" to go to grammer schools if they could have had a place at one of the free nearest schools.

Look into subsidised public transport. Luckily one bus operated by London buses came from school to our area and London buses give free transport to under 16s with a travel card. Once my son hit 16 we had to pay for each journey, so the 6th form became more expensive.

It means there must be parents who cannot afford to take up places offered at the schools we pay for through our taxes due to them being located in the next town, when these schools were specifically set up to take the brightest and best.

True, though others might argue that if you really, really wanted the place you would find the money rather than deny your child the opportunity.

Imp

"My son goes to a school 3.5 miles away"

Was anybody else's first reaction to this was 'buy a cheap bike'.
Or if you are scared of him crashing and dying, then he could walk, that would take about an hour, and he would be fit.

Seriously, 3.5 miles is not far. My walk into college each day as a student was 2.5 miles - usually took 35 minutes, and as a school kid (11 years upwards), from where my bus dropped me off to school was 2 miles.

silvercar

Imp wrote: »

"My son goes to a school 3.5 miles away"

Was anybody else's first reaction to this was 'buy a cheap bike'.
Or if you are scared of him crashing and dying, then he could walk, that would take about an hour, and he would be fit.

Seriously, 3.5 miles is not far. My walk into college each day as a student was 2.5 miles - usually took 35 minutes, and as a school kid (11 years upwards), from where my bus dropped me off to school was 2 miles.

Grammer schools usually expect their pupils to do a lot of homework, adding two hours of walking each day is going to make the school day exhausting, particularly for a 11-12 year old.