Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures on the Education Travel Policy Review, attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached and available at http://devon.cc/lapolicies.

RESOLVED that the Education Transport Policy 2023-25 and the Post-16 Education Transport Policy 2023-25 be approved incorporating the changes as outlined below:

(a) that the level of parental contributions rise incrementally over the next academic years:

·         i.£690 in 2023-24

·         ii.£750 in 2024-25

·         iii.£800 in 2025-26

·         iv.£900 in 2026-27

(b) that the increase in the level of parental contributions take place from September 2023;

(c) that future education transport policies be determined for three academic years at a time;

(d) that Cullompton Community College continue to be recognised as the catchment school for transport purposes in the Willand School catchment and not to recognise Uffculme School for school transport purposes; and

(e) that Alphington Primary School, Exminster Community Primary School, Ide Primary School, and Kenn Church of England Primary School continue to recognised and for Teign School, West Exe School, and Dawlish College be recognised as the catchment schools for transport purposes when the new Matford Brook Academy catchments are introduced and not to recognise Matford Brook Academy for school transport purposes.

(Councillors Brazil, Whitton and Wrigley attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Interim Head of Education (Delivery) which sought approval for the Education Transport Policy and Post 16 Education Transport Policy 2023-2025.

The Cabinet were asked to note that the Education Transport Policies had been proposed and consulted on by the Local Authority summarised at section 2 of the Report.

A Home to School Transport consultation took place between 16 January and 2 March 2023, hosted at

https://www.devon.gov.uk/haveyoursay/consultations/home-to-school-transport-consultation/ and all stakeholders notified including, inter alia, Elected Members, schools, parent groups and Trade Unions. All potentially affected parents were also sent a letter. Responses to the consultation were detailed at Appendix One.

As part of the financial sustainability programme, Officers reviewed all forms of discretionary entitlement to transport support, and the level of parental contribution and from that review, no changes to discretionary entitlement were proposed for consultation. The review found that revenues from parental contributions for concessionary seats and from contributions to costs for post-16 passengers was £297,000 in the 2022/23 financial year.  An increase in contributions from parents from £600 to £800 per academic year was therefore proposed due to no increase since 2018, to mitigate rising costs to the LA from increased contract costs. The £30 discount where parents and carers paid the full year cost in full would remain and post-16 students should be able to seek financial support from sixth forms and Further Education Colleges’ post-16 bursary fund.

The proposed figure of £800 was below most of Devon’s neighbouring Local Authorities and was therefore proposed for the consultation, as outlined above.

Responses were received to the consultation, detailed at Appendix 1 and in light of those responses, officers reviewed options again and suggested a staged increase in the contribution rate.

·         £690 in 2023-24

·         £750 in 2024-25

·         £800 in 2025-26

·         £900 in 2026-27

By increasing parental contribution levels, the Local Authority would increase revenue which would offset the costs of providing school transport to all pupils. Where post-16 passengers made other arrangements, there would be savings where the size of vehicles could be reduced.

An Equality Impact Needs Assessment had been carried out on proposed changes to policy, published at http://devon.cc/lapolicies.

The Council must set a transport policy that informed parents clearly about

eligibility and made the provision it was required to do and any provision it chose to do by discretion in a fair and consistent manner.

The recommendations of the Report ensured the Council met its statutory responsibilities in respect of school transport.

The matter having been debated and the options and alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability and carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and alignment with the Council’s Strategic Plan) set out in the Head of Service’s Report having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED that the Education Transport Policy 2023-25 and the Post-16 Education Transport Policy 2023-25 be approved incorporating the changes as outlined below:

(a) that the level of parental contributions rise incrementally over the next academic years:

                      i.£690 in 2023-24

                    ii.£750 in 2024-25

                   iii.£800 in 2025-26

                   iv.£900 in 2026-27

(b) that the increase in the level of parental contributions take place from September 2023;

(c) that future education transport policies be determined for three academic years at a time;

(d) that Cullompton Community College continue to be recognised as the catchment school for transport purposes in the Willand School catchment and not to recognise Uffculme School for school transport purposes; and

(e) that Alphington Primary School, Exminster Community Primary School, Ide Primary School, and Kenn Church of England Primary School continue to recognised and for Teign School, West Exe School, and Dawlish College be recognised as the catchment schools for transport purposes when the new Matford Brook Academy catchments are introduced and not to recognise Matford Brook Academy for school transport purposes.

(NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available on the http://devon.cc/lapolicies).