Fares for School Difficult to Afford

[Deleted User]

I have a 15 year old son and a five year old son. I moved to Kent a year ago . My older son has aspergers, was having a terrible time in his previous school and now goes to a much much better Technology Academy which is helping him enormously. He is able to walk to school. I had a lot of problems finding a school for my 5 year old (Reception last year, he's now in Year 1), every school bar one that I phoned had no places. The one is roughly 2 miles away.

It costs me £100 a month to get him to school (£50 for a montly bus pass for him, same for me as its an Arriva route and they charge adult fares for children before 9am, its the cheapest way to travel). If I buy daily fares, believe it or not, its £4.40 a day x2.

I am of very limited means, and although I tried to spend carefully at Christmas, I didn't receive some money I was expecting and can't buy the monthly bus pass, I have to pay £18x2 for weekly ones. Then I have to pay for monthly bus passes and wait a week for them to arrive (I tried arriva's mobile bus pass but they have a glitch in the software and it disappears during the month, u then have to phone up and hope they will still credit u with the missing time left on the pass). So as far as cash flow is concerned, I pay twice in a sense.

I have tried to get my younger son moved to a nearer school but they all have long waiting lists. I have arthritis and had a heart attack two months ago.., so altho I love walking, 8 miles a day could be a problem for me.., I'd expect it to be for my son. None of the other mums live near me/or don't have cars.

I don't qualify for LA assistance with the fares as 1) according to google maps I actually live just under the 2 miles u need to be from the school (1.9 miles lol) to get assistance 2) I have been told as I tried to get my son in school asap after moving here, I didn't apply through the system for a more local school (I relied on phone calls to local schools to find out which one's had places rather than waiting weeks for the LA to tell me a school was full. This seems to have been a bit of a downfall for me).

I am already claiming all the benefits I am entitled to. Figuring how to get my younger son to school this month is really really stressing me out. I'd appreciate any advice.

U can imagine how useless I'm feeling at the thought I'm a mum not sure how to get my son to school. I'm normally the dependable sensible sort. I do live as economically as possible normally.., but after a pretty awful year where both my kids have put up with a lot (including over the spread of the year being in a refuge, being homeless with council refusing to house us etc, no GP because we were homeless) I did buy my older son a proper Birthday present this year because with Xmas and his Birthday almost being on top of each other he normally gets very little for his Birthday. I wanted to make this one a bit different so I spent more than I should on him .., only by a bit but its enough to give me a cashflow problem. I'm normally really sensible and rigid with my spending. I know this is my fault.., I could have not bought him that Birthday present, but I did.

Flyboy152

Have you spoken to his school about this problem?

[Deleted User]

Yes, I spoke to the Parent Liason officer. She said she'd try and find a parent who lived near us who drove.., but couldn't find anyone. She was the one who said that as I applied directly initially rather than applying for more local schools through the system and waiting to be told officially that the local schools were full.., but there is a place at this non local school.., I wouldn't get assistance. At the time I was very recently post heart attack and was having problems just getting him to school on the bus. Now I get phoned if my son misses any time at school. I think I've been flagged. Now however, the problems are all my fault. I've also spoken to the Education Welfare Officer at my LA. They were also unable to help. I can't sleep for stressing about it. I have been a useless mother, but I don't really want to be labelled as such, if that makes sense. I feel pretty low as it is (pretty serious relationship problems going on in the background as well, I've kept quiet as I want to keep the kids out of the problems as much as possible but its all going through my head). My arthritis has gotten so bad its effecting my mobility but the GP won't refer me to the hospital until it gets to be total agony.., my heart attack obviously has made me feel a bit more fragile than I would normally. I'm trying desperately to keep things ticking on as normal for the kids but my son witnessed me in rather a lot of pain as I fell off a chair that wasn't as stable as it should have been. He had to help me up poor thing. I minimised it as i desperately want the kids to feel they have a mum they know is there for them, not getting mobility problems and making stupid financial decisions. I'm normally sensible, I have to be, I don't do things like this. I'm 46 and I feel like an 80 year old in some ways.

Flyboy152

I think you need to take some proper advice. Try ACE, they can give advice on school transportation issues. I am a little confused though, about this issue about applying to the school directly. From what I can remember, parents have to apply to the LEA/Children's Services to place a child in any school; schools themselves do not manage their own admissions.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Rather than going by a woman who probably doesn't make the decisions herself, why not approach the local authority and submit a claim, including something about you having just had a heart attack?

Failing that, I'd be inclined to keep him off school and when they complain about it, advise them (and the local authority) that you did tell them you were experiencing problems since your heart attack.

Flyboy152

Normally I would advice against a strategy like this, but I must admit, I had great difficulty in resisting the temptation to advise the same.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Normally I would advice against a strategy like this, but I must admit, I had great difficulty in resisting the temptation to advise the same.

Me too, but heart attacks kinda of raise the stakes, as he isn't going to be attending anytime soon if DT keels over running for the bus or trying to walk the distance because she's skint.

Molly41

Each school has a welfare officer attached to it. You can find out whose yours is by approaching the LEA. Ours helped with taxis for my son when he broke his leg and was concerned about his attendance. Hopefully they will help you access a closer school place.

sweetcheekz

It may be a little drastic, but could you put him on the waiting lists for all the local schools and in the mean time home school him?

Sambucus_Nigra

sweetcheekz wrote: »

It may be a little drastic, but could you put him on the waiting lists for all the local schools and in the mean time home school him?

I was going to suggest calling the Head and telling them that you have no option after your heart attack but to home school until a local place comes up; as you can't afford the fares and you absolutely cannot walk now. Unless the Head has any suggestions of course...

duchy

I do feel for you.
We come under Medway rather than Kent but when I moved here I found info from the education department for suitable schools for my (statemented) Aspergers son was patchy to say the least (I discovered when stopped by the truancy police in a park for example that there was an aspergers unit at one of the high schools -something the education dept had neglected to tell me). He wasn't truanting btw-he was still at school in our previous area (I was driving 60 miles a day to take him to school but the week of my Mum's funeral kept him off for the week with the school's blessing). I'm glad your son is getting good support-it's so important.

Don't worry about the school calling about absence-most schools do it to everyone as a matter of course-and frankly if it flags a problem might even help.

I would consider apply for a place at a school closest to your home and when turned down appealing-every education authority by law has to offer independent advice on school's admission and appeals -both Kent and Medway education depts offer this.

There WILL be a long term solution for this-you just need the right help-It may be worth asking your son's SENCO for advice as often they will know who the right dept at the education dept is to approach even though it's not their direct area -but justified to ask as the situation will be affecting your son too.

I'd also contact your local MP for help and advice-I've found this to be a good way to "motivate" the LEA

If you need any more info -feel free to PM me-If I can help with any more specific advice or just a bit of moral support.