A consultation is underway to gather people’s views on proposed changes to home to education transport arrangements on the Isle of Wight.
The Isle of Wight Council is reviewing its transport policy following the removal of priority areas for Island secondary schools and the opening of the Island Free School and Studio School in September 2014. It is also good practice to regularly review home to school transport arrangements to ensure they provide a fair and cost effective service.
The five-week consultation runs until Wednesday 23rd July. People can have their say by completing a survey on the council’s website, those without internet access can share their views at the council’s libraries, help centres and County Hall in Newport.
The council is proposing to provide transport to the required statutory level, removing discretionary elements from the policy. The three proposed changes are:
1. Post 16 transport – the Isle of Wight Council currently provides subsidised transport to post 16 students. The council is proposing to remove the discretionary subsidy to generate savings and explore alternative options for post 16 transport with local providers.
2. Alternative school clause – The existing policy includes the clause that a pupil is entitled to receive free home to education transport to an alternative school (chosen by parental preference) that is also more than three miles from their home address, provided that the alternative school is not more than three miles from their priority area school. With the removal of priority areas and the introduction of two new secondary school providers, the council proposes that pupils will only receive free transport to their nearest school (if living over two miles from the school for primary and three miles for secondary).
3. Transitional transport arrangements – There are some longstanding transitional transport arrangements in place following the school reorganisation that allow children in Chale to be transported to either Niton Primary or Brighstone CE Primary School free of charge. The council is proposing that transport is provided to the child’s nearest school in line with the rest of the Island, which over time would create a more efficient arrangement.
The increasing cost of school transport was highlighted at a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee and Executive member for children’s services, Councillor Richard Priest, made a commitment to take forward the consultation, recognising the distinction between statutory and discretionary provision, as well as the role of the transport provider in all post 16 travel provision.
The council is facing huge financial challenges given the reduction in government funding and must consider all of the discretionary services that it provides and look at alternative ways of delivering services.
Councillor Priest, said:
“The introduction of two new secondary providers in the coming years changes the education landscape on the Island and we need to ensure our transport policy is fair to everyone and offers the taxpayer value for money.
“We are also working to take forward proposals on post-16 education, consistent with the proposed new travel arrangements.
“As we strive to improve education across the Island to achieve our aim of good or outstanding Ofsted ratings for all our secondary schools, it is important that we take on board the views of people from across the Island so I hope people will take the time to have their say on this important issue.”
Any changes will take effect from September 2015, however under the proposals pupils currently receiving free home to school transport would continue to receive the same service until the end of their current stage of schooling provided there are no changes in personal circumstances.
To view the consultation and for details of how to complete the survey, visit www.iwight.com/consultations.
Photograph: Vectis Blue buses operate school transport on behalf of the Council // Southern Vectis
