School bus cost more than public transport! Opinions please

martindow

sillygoose wrote: »

Some incentive scheme isn't it! what is the point of even offering a 'choice' when if you don't take the nearest one automatically, even if its a dire dump! your in effect 'fined' for using your so called choice.

I have to pay £650, people living 200 metres away from me over the county border will get for free to go to the same school I am paying to.

Like most things in local authority world, very little practicality or big picture thinking.

'Choice' leads to anomalies with some parents choosing to game the system and get their children into distant schools perceived to be good. Previously catchment areas were used with the assumption that children would go to their local school with far less driving around and children able to walk to local schools.

I don't blame parents for trying to do their best for their children, but going 12 miles and ignoring much nearer schools I see no reason for the LA to subsidise fares.

If it's any consolation I know that perceptions in my area of good and bad schools are way off. Some 'good' schools are living on past glories or coasting along. Some of the schools thought of as poor are really excellent places.

sillygoose

martindow wrote: »

'Choice' leads to anomalies with some parents choosing to game the system and get their children into distant schools perceived to be good. Previously catchment areas were used with the assumption that children would go to their local school with far less driving around and children able to walk to local schools.

I don't blame parents for trying to do their best for their children, but going 12 miles and ignoring much nearer schools I see no reason for the LA to subsidise fares.

If it's any consolation I know that perceptions in my area of good and bad schools are way off. Some 'good' schools are living on past glories or coasting along. Some of the schools thought of as poor are really excellent places.

When I was a kid, you either went to the nearest Comp or got into a Grammar. The Comp's were all pretty much the same, even if people had a choice there was little to pick between them.

Fortunately we now have a lot more information and openness, the government gather comprehensive data and so do Ofsted, although having worked in a school you have to read between the lines on any Ofsted reports, I prefer the hard data.

Its certainly had a good effect in this area, many schools that were once considered dire are now real achievers.

I know what you mean about past glories, schools that pulled off an outstanding Ofsted won't get another inspection for years sometimes and I saw several ailing school last year still 'dining out' on an ancient good rating.

My main gripe is the way the county line causes me problems but someone has to live near the edge wherever it is. The nearest primary school was over the border where they operate 2 tier, my county is exclusively 3 tier so when it came time to move on there are no year 7 places in my own county so my kids cannot go to the nearest school even if we wanted to. So I have to pay to send them to the nearest in the other 2 tier county, that county won't give us a bus pass as I don't live in their county. My county won't give a pass as its not the nearest school although its the nearest that could actually offer them a place! catch 22. Next time I buy a house its going to be 3.5 miles from a good school in the same county!!!!

System

Next time I buy a house its going to be 3.5 miles from a good school in the same county!!!!

And that isn't guaranteed to work. We moved to a village with a good secondary school less than a mile from the house. When we tried to get DD in they said it was full but they would provide a taxi to take her to the nearest that had vacancies - 16 miles away! Sheer lunacy,

We appealed the decision and she got the place in the local school.

barmonkey

Ah free bus passes, I remember them, they stopped here about 2 years ago, its either £700 a year for the school bus or make your own way there.

Cameron

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

I know its a bit late in the day now but wasnt there a school nearer she could have gone to? I could have walked to three secondary schools from my house.

:rotfl: I can just imaginer her face if we did this after she worked so hard to get in this school - its a Grammar with an exam! Lovely thought though!

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

I would get her the weelky bus pass, but frankly I still think its a lot. I would also keep her off the school buses as behaviour on them can be shockingly bad.

:rotfl: Yes she would probably be the main culprit!

tibawo

Curious as to which school as I live in the area and although dd passed the tests I opted for a different school as they were getting same results.

Mrs_Ryan

When I was at school I went to a faith school (one of the better state schools in the area) which involved getting 2 buses. It used to cost my Mum a fortune in bus fares as there was no pass I could get. I lived on a very long street which was in one area at the top and a different one at the bottom and if I had lived at the other end of the road I would have got a free pass :mad: the local secondary school was awful and the next nearest not much better.

silvercar

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

When I was at school I went to a faith school (one of the better state schools in the area) which involved getting 2 buses. It used to cost my Mum a fortune in bus fares as there was no pass I could get. I lived on a very long street which was in one area at the top and a different one at the bottom and if I had lived at the other end of the road I would have got a free pass :mad: the local secondary school was awful and the next nearest not much better.

Until a few years ago, you would get a free pass to your nearest faith school if you had decided to be educated in a faith school. In a cost cutting exercise, they axed that and you are only entitled to the pass if the faith school is your nearest school (and over 3 miles).