School Transport costs and Social Exclusion

floss2

fluffymuffy wrote: »

OK it's Game On now. I spoke to the "Head of Admissions" .... .....she jumped at the chance to say that it was the council's policy that no one should be excluded on cost grounds....

Head of Admission then said that the council's guidelines means that an application for funding for transport assistance would be automatically failed but she is sending me a form anyway and I should apply. After it fails (and it will) we must appeal and so the points I raised would be considered at a council committee. I'm a little hopeful now.

Get in touch with your local Councillors and ask them to support your application and any subsequent appeal. Also, maybe go to your MP's surgery as they will be looking for votes in a few months....

Fifer

That does sound more promising.

In principle, I'm against children not going to the nearest suitable school. Choosing schools doesn't improve 'failing' schools. It does the reverse and cements the advantages of good (and lucky) schools.

That said, I do support the idea of schools which specialise and provide education appropriate to abilities, skills and special interests (sports, music, whatever) and that ceratinly appears to be the case here. For the council to promote social inclusion, then to exclude on the basis of transport affordability seems a very disjointed policy.

I'm astonished that anyone would expect a child to walk seven miles a day carrying school books, sports kit and possibly a musical instrument too. Don't let her take up the cello fluffy ...

PayDay

fluffymuffy wrote: »

Despite being on a low income and maximum tax credits

Child Tax Credits are benefits paid for the children and should not be used for the parents keep. Use some of her CTC for her bus to school.

mrcow

Fluffy - an alternative would be to look into findng out whether any other children get lifts into school and then contribute towards a car-share. It would work out cheaper for sure.

(It's what I did in year 7 for my secondary school which was about 15 miles away - in the subsequent years I had to get a bus and a train and walk about 2 miles or more. Yes I had heavy bags etc but it was certainly do-able).

fluffymuffy

Sorting out the transport funding through the council assistance scheme is important to me as there's another stage to my campaign which will kick in in a few years time. Our local authority provides 330 grammar school places. 180 for boys and 50 for girls at two separate schools. Presumably because there are 3.5 times as many clever boys as girls. When youngest DD gets to year 6 we'll be applying to the boy's school as there are more places so surely more chance of getting in.

kegg_2

Not all local authorities give free travel to faith schools. My youngest has to travel by train to his RC secondary school and even though it is the nearest one available we still have to fund the majority of the transport costs. We get a small discount but thats it.

Gingham_Ribbon

fluffymuffy wrote: »

Sorting out the transport funding through the council assistance scheme is important to me as there's another stage to my campaign which will kick in in a few years time. Our local authority provides 330 grammar school places. 180 for boys and 50 for girls at two separate schools. Presumably because there are 3.5 times as many clever boys as girls. When youngest DD gets to year 6 we'll be applying to the boy's school as there are more places so surely more chance of getting in.

:eek: What?! There are not more clever boys than girls. In fact, it's fair to say that girls do less well than they should in mainstream schools because the boys tend to get much more of the teachers' attention since they are often more physical/boisterous/loud.

Fly_Baby

floss2 wrote: »

I'm sorry, but I find this quite patronising. I can only assume that you have never lived on an income (full time earned, tax credits & maintenance) where to have to find £78 a month for a child's transport to school would mean not paying the council tax AND water rates.

It was not my intention to sound patronising. I am a parent too - but in our area there is simply no such thing as free grammar schools. There are quite a few private grammar schools - but I think you will find that paying £4k for a school term is barely affordable to even a wider range of full-time earning families - whose children are no less bright and no less deserving to get a good education.

I realise that £78 per month can be expensive for some. But there is always a choice. If the OP is not happy to pay this much and if there is no way to reclaim/reduce this expense, their child can go to a local comprehensive.

fluffymuffy

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

:eek: What?! There are not more clever boys than girls. In fact, it's fair to say that girls do less well than they should in mainstream schools because the boys tend to get much more of the teachers' attention since they are often more physical/boisterous/loud.

I didn't know about the numbers difference until I was looking at the council's admissions policy web pages to see that I was correct in thinking that the grammar schools don't have a catchment area.

It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the entry exam results to see what percentage of the top 330 are boys or girls. I think I'd better keep my head down for now (don't want to cause upset with DD in her new school) but I'll certainly be getting militant about this in a couple of years time.

Until fairly recently (late 1970s/80s?) it was policy at medical schools not to admit more than 10 to 30% female students (varying according to school). I can't see how this is any different.

I have always been against grammar schools actually. I do believe they shouldn't exist and all local schools should provide the best education. We even sent DD to the local school for two and a half years such was our faith.

fluffymuffy

Fly_Baby wrote: »

If the OP is not happy to pay this much and if there is no way to reclaim/reduce this expense, their child can go to a local comprehensive.

And sit and do nothing all day? DD had literally completed ALL work available in science at the local school. Surely the education authority is obliged to provide an appropriate education to meet a child's needs?