Missed out on free school bus pass by 0.1 miles

sunnyone

looby75 wrote: »

it's a lot less than we have to pay, DD's school is 5 miles each way, but our bus co is arriva which is the most expensive of all the bus cos round Durham. What co is your friends bus pass for?

last year one of dd's friends travelled from consett every day and his pass was less than half of hers even though he had much further to travel :eek:

Its for a school bus but for someone not entitled to a free bus pass as they live somehwere else but travel from their grandparents home, is you daughters pass subsidised in any way/

looby75

sunnyone wrote: »

Its for a school bus but for someone not entitled to a free bus pass as they live somehwere else but travel from their grandparents home, is you daughters pass subsidised in any way/

no because she's in sixth form and Durham County council has stopped all help with post 16 travel. The younger years get a free bus pass if they live 3+ miles away and the school is their nearest one.

I've just applied for ds to go to that school for next year, it used to be our nearest one but isn't now due to a change in the admission rules so I'll have to find the money for him if he manages to get a place there too again with no help.

Becles

We're in County Durham too.

Mine go on the school bus that is still free for Catholic children, but because we are not Catholic we now have to pay £87 per child per term. There is no help for people on benefits, single parents etc.

We're 2.8 miles from the nearest secondary school and the free passes are for children over 3 miles away, so we wouldn't qualify for a free pass for that school either. Also I wouldn't want to move them as they're with friends they've had since nursery school and my eldest has just gone into Year 10 so he's already done some GCSE prep work last year including working really hard to get onto the triple science course, which the nearest school doesn't offer. It would have been too cruel to move him now for the sake of a bus pass!

looby75

is it a go north east bus pass Becles? They seem to be far far cheaper than arriva.

cit_k

Out of curiousity, what reasons are there she cant just walk?
Are there any reasons at all, that could be used in defence of the claim?

sunnyone

Becles wrote: »

We're in County Durham too.

Mine go on the school bus that is still free for Catholic children, but because we are not Catholic we now have to pay £87 per child per term. There is no help for people on benefits, single parents etc.

We're 2.8 miles from the nearest secondary school and the free passes are for children over 3 miles away, so we wouldn't qualify for a free pass for that school either. Also I wouldn't want to move them as they're with friends they've had since nursery school and my eldest has just gone into Year 10 so he's already done some GCSE prep work last year including working really hard to get onto the triple science course, which the nearest school doesn't offer. It would have been too cruel to move him now for the sake of a bus pass!

Thats to St leonards isnt it (I think we talked about this subject before)?

My son goes there as part of the Durhams schools whatever and they taxi him home which is nuts when he is collected each day anyway and he is the only one from round here as no one else from our village go to school in Durham, the same is true for when hes at New College, another taxi ride for 8 miles.

Durham County Council has no rhyme nor reason when it comes to school transport.

looby75

didn't realise your kids were at St leonards Becles and Sunny. DD is at Durham Johnston and fingers tightly tightly crossed that DS will be too next year.... maybe I should think about adding St Leonards as the third option for his high school application, I didn't think he would have a cat in hells chance of getting in there because we aren't catholic. I would much rather he go there than the dire school that is currently classed as our nearest school.


OP so sorry for hijacking your thread

sunnyone

looby75 wrote: »

didn't realise your kids were at St leonards Becles and Sunny. DD is at Durham Johnston and fingers tightly tightly crossed that DS will be too next year.... maybe I should think about adding St Leonards as the third option for his high school application, I didn't think he would have a cat in hells chance of getting in there because we aren't catholic. I would much rather he go there than the dire school that is currently classed as our nearest school.


OP so sorry for hijacking your thread

My son isn't full time at St leonards looby, he goes there as part of the city wide partnership to allow KS4 students a wider choice of courses, The Johnson is also part of but no on really want to do Mandarin etc.

Your son more than likely wont get into St Leonards looby, its as over subscribed as The Johnson and while they do have to take some none catholic kids they come from the schools own area and not from the county as a whole.

Which is your nearest school?

Durham Busness School?

looby75

sunnyone wrote: »

Which is your nearest school?

Durham Busness School?

no but almost as bad, Gilesgate

The girl a few houses away from us got into the Johnston this year so fingers crossed ds has a good chance to get a place for next year.

Becles

looby75 wrote: »

is it a go north east bus pass Becles? They seem to be far far cheaper than arriva.

No it's a coach contracted by the council. It was free for us until this term when they decided to charge for non-Catholic children.

They won't pay for any transport for faith schools for any child from next years intake.

looby75 wrote: »

didn't realise your kids were at St leonards Becles and Sunny. DD is at Durham Johnston and fingers tightly tightly crossed that DS will be too next year.... maybe I should think about adding St Leonards as the third option for his high school application, I didn't think he would have a cat in hells chance of getting in there because we aren't catholic. I would much rather he go there than the dire school that is currently classed as our nearest school.

Mine got in but they've been in a Catholic feeder primary from nursery school and we got to know the parish priest through school masses and other church activities. He wrote a reference for each of them and that bumped them up the admission criteria.

It's worth a try though as it's a very good school and both my boys are doing well there.