Home to School Travel Policy Consultation Across North Yorkshire

Home to School Travel Policy Consultation Across North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Council has a statutory responsibility to provide travel assistance from home to school for eligible children.

The current population at compulsory school age (5 to 16) of schools in North Yorkshire is c.75000 pupils and the number of those accessing free home to school transport is c.10500. Therefore, it can be said that the council’s policy and provision of free transport services is currently a factor for broadly 14% of the total pupil population aged 5-16 (5% Primary; 25% Secondary), and for c.86% it is not. The overall cost to the council of the provision of home to school travel is significant and rising at pace.

The council is consulting now on a proposed new home to school travel policy for Yorkshire to ensure compliance with the new statutory guidance. The consultation stage draft of the proposed new policy constitutes a significant re-write of the current policy to more closely align with the language, style and content of the guidance.

This consultation also includes a review of the discretionary areas of the council's current policy, that is those existing provisions that are above and beyond the statutory requirements of the guidance.

Consultation content

This consultation document sets out the council's proposals and includes:

1. financial background
2. proposals regarding discretionary elements
3. the proposed home to school travel policy – key differences
4. information regarding policy implementation
5. information about the equalities impact assessment
6. consultees and timescale

The cost of providing home to school travel is the third largest item of revenue expenditure for the council (behind adult social care and waste management). The total expenditure is projected to stand at c.£42m for the current financial year and this has more than doubled since 2015-16. The council is one of the highest spending local authorities in the country on home to school transport.

The increase in expenditure levels for school transport is broadly driven by two elements. Firstly, an increase in the number of eligible children. This is particularly relevant for specialist provision expenditure as the number of children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan and are eligible for transport has increased by 47% from 1,203 pupils to 1,772 pupils since 2018/19.

The second is the operational cost of providing the services to maintain the required network of school transport for all school types.

The statutory requirements in the guidance around pupils with mobility, medical and Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) are likely to increase the number of pupils who meet eligibility criteria and potentially lead to increased expenditure.

The council faces financial challenges in common with many local authorities. The financial position for school travel is considerable and a further rise in expenditure can be foreseen. This consultation therefore includes an examination of what changes could possibly be implemented in the new policy that would have the potential to reduce expenditure.

Local face to face events will be taking place on the 12^th March at the following locations, with times.

9:30am         Sleights Village Hall, 53 Coach Road, Sleights, Whitby. YO22 5BT

1:30pm         Scarborough Library, Vernon Road, Town Centre, Scarborough. YO11 2NN

5:30pm         Falsgrave Community Resource Centre, Seamer Road, Scarborough. YO12 4DJ