Wakefield Council is faced with saving £67m over the next three years and is currently looking at every aspect of its work and how services can be delivered more efficiently and effectively. This includes a review of its Home to School Transport Policy.

Whilst the majority of the Council’s transport budget funds students who are eligible by law (this is called statutory transport), the Council also makes arrangements for other students to attend denominational schools on the basis of their religion and belief. It is in this area that the Council is proposing to make changes. The effect of this change will be to remove the discretionary provision of the free transport to pupils based on religion and belief.

This consultation has been produced to give students, parents and other people the opportunity to comment on Wakefield Council’s proposal for changes to its Home to School Transport Policy.

What is the proposal?
Cabinet considered a report on 4 October 2011.This report can be viewed under Related Links.

The proposal agreed by Cabinet is to undertake a period of consultation on the following:

Option 1 – withdraw discretionary transport provided on the grounds of religion and belief from the start of the 2013/14 academic year for all pupils currently receiving free transport

Option 2 – withdraw discretionary transport provided on the grounds of religion and belief from the start of the 2013/14 academic year in a phased approach whereby free transport is retained for pupils who already receive this until the end of their current phase of education, ie at the end of primary or secondary school or if they move address. Transport will not, however, be provided for any new student or new application.

Want to find out more?
Find out more about the proposal by downloading the Consultation document Home to School Transport Consultation (see 'Downloads'). This document includes an outline of the proposal, a number of frequently asked questions and a questionnaire to complete.

What will continue?
Some free home to school transport is protected by the law. This is listed below and is not part of this consultation and will continue to be provided in future:

• Children aged 5-8 years who live more than two miles from the nearest qualifying school by the nearest available walking route. Free travel at the two mile limit will only be apply up to the end of the term in which the child becomes eight; after that a three mile limit will apply
• Children aged 8-16 years who live more than three miles from the nearest qualifying school, by the nearest available walking route.
• Transport for SEN pupils

How will this affect low income families?
The Council has further statutory duties to provide free school travel for certain categories of compulsory school age pupils which is specific to those families on low income.  The Council is not consulting on these arrangements which will continue to be provided free of charge. This includes pupils eligible to receive free school meals or whose parents receive the maximum level of working tax credit:

• Where children are over the age of right, but under eleven and live more than two miles from the nearest qualifying school
• Where children are aged 11 to 16 years and attend one of their three nearest qualifying schools which are more than two miles but less six miles from home;
• Where children are aged 11 to 16 years and attend the nearest qualifying school preferred on the grounds of their parents religion and belief which is more than two miles but less than fifteen miles from home.

Dates of Consultation
The consultation will take place from Monday, 31 October 2011 until Friday, 9 December 2011.

How do I Respond?
To provide your comments on these proposals either:

Complete and return the questions at the back of Consultation document Home to School Transport Consultation to:

Discretionary Transport Consultation
Home to School Transport Team
County Hall
Wakefield
WF1 2QL

Or, complete the online survey by clicking on the link below.

Who has been consulted with?

• Copies of the consultation document and a questionnaire have been made available to the following:
• Parents of children at Voluntary Aided School
• Voluntary Aided Schools
• Governors at Voluntary Aided Schools
• Parents of all other children
• All other schools/academies
• Governors at all other schools/academies
• Leeds Catholic Diocese
• Church of England Diocese
• SACRE
• West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority (METRO)
• Bus Operators
• Our Neighbouring Local Authorities
• The public

What next?
All comments received as part of this consultation will form part of a further Cabinet report which will be presented in Spring 2012. If agreed, any changes would take effect from September 2013.