12/07/2023 - Permalink

Cabinet asked to agree home to school travel assistance consultation

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Shropshire Council is set to carry out a consultation on the proposed removal of all discretionary home to school travel assistance (other than in exceptional circumstances) for nursery pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and post-16 students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

A report to the council’s Cabinet next week (19 July 2023) asks that councillors agree to an eight-week consultation, starting in September 2023.

Shropshire Council currently applies both its mandatory and discretionary duties in providing transport to support student attendance at school/college and is considering changes to ensure levels of support are sustainable for those students for whom there is a mandatory duty.

There is also the potential that students can be supported for transport cost through college bursaries that are allocated at their discretion, should the council’s contribution scheme cease following the proposed consultation and future Cabinet decision.

The consultation itself will seek feedback from the public and from all the relevant stakeholders and interested parties, including councillors, town councils and parish councils, schools and colleges, parents and students, and the voluntary and community sector.

Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said:

“We’re committed to providing efficient, integrated transport services whilst ensuring that our statutory duties continue to be met. However, the current significant financial pressures mean that the council must review those transport functions which are discretionary in nature.

“Nobody wants or likes to change or withdraw services or funding, but – as is well known – across the council we are having to make savings in the face of severe budget pressures. The council’s passenger transport team have already introduced a number of innovative transport solutions to reduce the pressure on the home-to-school transport budget and, whilst these have been and continue to be successful, to realise a significant budget reduction a policy change must be considered.”

All responses to the consultation would be carefully considered before the consultation findings are presented to Cabinet for a decision on whether to adopt a new policy.

Any changes would come into effect from 1 September 2024 and would be applicable to new applicants. The removal of provision would be on a phased approach, protecting all those pupils and students entitled within the existing schemes.

The council currently provides transport assistance to 166 pupils/students at an annual cost of over £646,000. This includes:

  • Transport assistance for 56 post-16 students to mainstream school sixth forms or other Further Educational (FE) establishments.
  • Transport for 104 post-16 SEND students to a number of specialist FE establishments.
  • Transport for six nursery-aged students, who all attend Severndale Nursery.