Agenda item

– Report by Mrs Sarah  Hohler, Cabinet Member for Education, Learning & Skills; and Mr Andy Roberts, Interim Corporate Director for Education, Learning & Skills) (Mr Scott Bagshaw Head of Admissions and Transport was present for this item)

(1)       This report informed Cabinet on the outcomes from the consultation on proposals to remove the discretionary elements of home to school transport provision.  The report included an analysis on the impact of the proposals and put forward recommendations for the future provision of home to school transport. 

(2)       Mrs Hohler said that this wide consultation had demonstrated there was a general acceptance there needed to be changes to the current arrangements. The changes which were needed not only reflected the need to reduce expenditure on the discretionary elements of home to school transport but also to make the system fairer as the existing arrangements perpetuated an inequality in provision which was appropriate to address. Kent was not alone in taking this stance. Some local authorities had already made changes to their pattern of provison whilst others had changes under active consideration.  Mrs Hohler also said that at some point in the future the County Council would need to undertake a further review to reflect likely changes in future transport policies and how those may impact on parental preferences for schools.

(3)       Whilst the County Council was looking to stop discretionary transport subsidy for children going to selective or denominational schools from Setember 2012 this would not apply to those in receipt of free school meals or Looked After Children. Mr Hill raised concerns that children in some of the non selective areas would not be able to access transport to grammar schools because they do not live in selective areas.  On this point Mr Carter suggested  KCC should write to Mr Michael Gove to see if the selective and non selective schemes can simply be abolished and Kent have a single county wide admissions scheme of education. Mr Roberts said officers would explore this further and prepare an appropriate letter to Mr Gove.

(4)       At the conclusion of discussion Mr Lynes said, and it was agreed, that for the purpose of being clear as to which group of pupils this policy would refer to, the word “current” be inserted in line four of paragraph 9 (iii) of the recommendations between the words of and statutory. .

(5)       Cabinet resolved

(a)       that from 1 September 2012, Kent County Council would not provide home to school transport provision on denominational or selective grounds other than where there is a statutory requirement to provide transport.

(b)               For children of low income families where the child is defined as an "eligible child" by schedule 35B of the Education Act 1996 (e.g. entitled to Free School Meals) and is resident in a selective area of education and aged between 11 and 16 years; Kent County Council would fund transport to the nearest grammar school provided that the child had met the entry requirements of the school and had been offered a place and it was the nearest school of that type to the child's home at a distance between 2-15 miles. This discretionary provision would align an element of selective transport policy with the statutory provision afforded to children from low income families who wish to attend a denominational school." 

(c)        Any pupil in receipt of transport assistance on denominational or selective grounds prior to September 2012 would continue to retain that  entitlement until they leave their current school, are no longer of current statutory school age or had moved house and, following a transport assessment, were found not to be eligible under the revised policy.

(d)       In light of the many variable outcomes resulting from the changes in transport policy and how this may or may not impact on parental preferences for schools, a further review of transport will be needed in the future.

(e)       it be noted that a letter will be sent to the Secretary of State on the issues raised during the course of discussion as set out in paragraph 32 (3) above.