Have your say on proposed changes to school and college transport support

Date Added: 01/02/2021

Parents and carers; we’re asking for your views
Parents and carers; we’re asking for your views on proposed changes to our home to school and college travel assistance policies, which outline who is eligible for free or discounted travel to school and college.

In certain circumstances, we provide support with home to school and college transport to school pupils aged 5-16, and students attending post-16 education. We’re proposing changes after receiving feedback from parents, carers and professionals about the existing policies during engagement sessions to review them.

Now, we have launched a twelve-week public consultation to secure feedback on the proposed changes from the wider public.

We are proposing to:

Update the policy for children aged 5-16 to extend the eligibility criteria to cover more groups of children. This will include support for those in joint custody arrangements, and children with special educational needs who have a clear need.
Update the policy for 16-19 year-olds so that it is clearer for parents to understand, with the eligibility criteria remaining the same
Create a policy document outlining the clear eligibility criteria for people over the age of 19
Any changes to the policies will come into effect for the September 2022 intake of pupil admissions. We’re consulting now so that the responses can be considered ahead of the next round of school admissions.

The consultation is open from 28 January until 22 April. Find out more and have your say by filling out the questionnaire here.

The consultation feedback will be considered at the council’s Executive Committee meeting on 8 June before the new policies are finalised.