Issue - meetings

That:

1)              the content of the report following the public consultation on the proposed drafts of the Home to School Transport and Travel Assistance policies be noted and that it be noted that a further report will be presented at a later Executive with recommendations for changes to the existing policies;

2)              the amended arrangements for Home to School Transport Appeals, to ensure that WBC is compliant with national requirements (following the Ombudsman direction), be agreed.

The Executive considered a report setting out the key outcomes from the public consultation on the proposed new Home to School Transport (5-16 years) and Travel Assistance (16 years +) policies and amendments to the current Home to School Transport Appeals Process to ensure that it was compliant with national regulations.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services introduced the report and advised that a review of the current Home to School Transport and Travel Assistance policies had been carried out in May 2020 following which a consultation was carried out with Members, key stakeholders, including representatives from the Parent Carer Forum (SEND Voices Wokingham) and the public.  The meeting was advised that the report was the result of the public consultation and at this stage was only a draft and only required noting.  Changes to the policies would be presented at a future Executive.   

Councillor Clark highlighted the amended Home to School Transport appeals process, which was proposing that Stage 1 would be carried out by a single Officer and Stage 2 would be carried out by a Member panel.  This would replace the current process which was for an Officer panel to meet to consider Stage 1 of an appeal.  The reason for the change was to make the Council compliant with national requirements.

Councillor Smith voiced his concern about the means by which children were travelling to school when they were not able to secure a place at their chosen school and the effect this was having on the Council’s carbon footprint.  In addition, he had concerns about the way that the distance between home to school was calculated as quite often that process did not take account of the inaccessibility of some routes, particularly at different times of the year.   Councillor Smith also raised issues with the academy system and the difficulties some parents faced accessing their local schools.

RECOMMENDATION that:

1)              the content of the report following the public consultation on the proposed drafts of the Home to School Transport and Travel Assistance policies be noted and that a further report will be presented at a later Executive with recommendations for changes to the existing policies;

2)              the amended arrangements for Home to School Transport Appeals, to ensure that WBC is compliant with national requirements (following the Ombudsman direction), be agreed.