At last week’s Isle of Wight full council meeting, the issue of free school transport for secondary school pupils in Ventnor was raised.
In relation to the new school transport policy agreed at the September Executive meeting (which comes into force from September 2015), Cllr Rodney Downer (Ind) asked,
“Can funded school transport be provided for children in the South Wight to attend another secondary school if they choose not to attend the Island Free School due to the specialist nature of the Free School?”
Cllr Bacon: Following DfE guildelines
Executive member for Children’s Services and Education, Cllr Jonathan Bacon, replied,
“The new Transport Policy was agreed at the September Executive meeting of the Isle of Wight council. The authority has changed entitlement for children starting in secondary schools for this first time in September. There will no longer be priority areas for transport and entitlement is to the nearest school if it is more than three miles away or an unsafe route.
“The Department for Education (DfE) provides statutory guidance and within that they specify a list of qualifying schools. Those schools are to be the destination for children receiving home to school transport.
As Free Schools are in the list of qualifying schools, the council have to include in their policy how they will entitle children attending the Island Free School.”
Avoiding “inequity in the service”
Cllr Bacon went on to say,
“To be fair to both parents and schools, the Free School is considered to be the nearest school for addresses in the Ventnor area, just as Ryde and Sandown is the nearest school for addresses in their area.
“To provide transport to another school other than the Free School for children living nearest to the school is possible under discretionary powers, but would create inequity in the service and other families or schools might argue for further entitlement and so thereby increase the costs of an already overspent budget.
“Accordingly, what I have to say, and I know it’s not a message some will want to hear, is the Isle of Wight council is meeting its statutory duty through its home to school transport policy and at the same time striving to avoid increasing costs by expanding the service offered.”
No room for principled objections to free schools?
Cllr Geoff Lumley (Lab) pointed out that some parents may have principled objections to their children attending a Free School and asked for the council to be supportive on a discretionary basis.
Cllr Bacon replied,
“There is a discretion, but what this council is doing is falling into accordance with the DfE guidance and the status it gives to the Free School.
“I recognise the argument but it would be something that could potentially create and inequity and have very serious knock on effect on the Island.”
Cllr Lumley pushed again, pointing out that it would not affect too many residents in Ventnor and asked for discretionary powers to be looked at. Cllr Bacon agreed to take his points on board.
