Cabinet Member for Education and Schools Ref No. ES06 (11/12)

Home to School Transport Budget – Late Buses Key Decision: No July 2011 Part I

Report by Director of Children’s Services and Electoral Director of Learning Division(s): (or N/A)

Executive Summary

Late buses are provided at a few secondary schools in , usually those with largely rural catchment areas where public transport services are not available at the right times to take children home following after school activities. Traditionally the service has been funded by the County Council although it is not a statutory obligation. Other local authorities either do not provide such a service or charge schools if they do provide it. The current cost to the County Council is about £70,000 per year.

As part of the County Council’s strategy to achieve budget savings, it is proposed that this discretionary funding be withdrawn with effect from September 2011. If schools wish to retain the service they will be required to fund it either through their school budget or by taking contributions from parents (or a combination of the two). Otherwise schools would either have to cancel the service or make alternative arrangements.

The report summarises the results of consultation with schools which shows that most parents, school staff and governors oppose the proposal.

Recommendation(s)

It is recommended that:

1. Funding for the provision of late buses should cease at the end of the Summer Term 2011; and that 2. Officer resource will be made available to schools to facilitate the bus service which individual schools require and for which the schools will arrange funding.

1. Background

1.1 As part of the County Council’s Fundamental Service Review (FSR), the home to school and college transport budgets have been reduced by £500,000 in 2010-11 and by a further £500,000 in 2011-12. A review of services provided is being undertaken to ensure that expenditure is kept within budget.

1.2 To meet the target savings it has been necessary to review services which are not a statutory responsibility. This includes the provision of additional buses for children who attend after-school clubs and activities (late buses). Late buses serve schools, generally with rural catchment areas, where public transport services are not available at the times required. The service is provided for ten secondary schools. Typically, the service is provided with buses which carry out the normal home to school transport service and return to the school to do the late bus run.

1.3 Use of the service by pupils is variable, depending on factors such as the schedule of after-school events, cancellation of events and the time of the year. For these reasons a bus might be fully occupied on one day or may only carry one or two children on another day.

1.4 The service, which is valued by most schools with largely rural catchment areas, is over and above the County Council’s statutory obligations. It has been funded for many years from the home to school transport budget and the current cost is approximately £70,000 per annum.

1.5 The evidence through officers’ networks is that other local authorities either do not provide such a service or that schools are charged for the service where it is provided. No other local authority has been identified, where such a service is provided free of charge as it has been in West Sussex.

1.6 In August 2010, the Cabinet Member agreed in principle that the funding for this service should be withdrawn, subject to consultation with the schools affected.

1.7 Following consultation, it is proposed that the funding be withdrawn with effect from September 2011 and that schools be given the option of retaining the service at their expense. If schools take this option, they would be recommended to monitor the demand for the service on each day that it operates to assess whether efficiencies might be possible. If schools decide to charge for some or all of the costs involved, they should have particular regard to the needs of vulnerable pupils including those with special educational needs and disabilities and those from low-income families. Officers will be available to help and advise schools.

1.8 Most schools consulted indicated that they are opposed to the proposal and would not wish to pay for a replacement service. However, it should also be noted that funding is available to support extended school activities through the former School Standards Grant which is allocated within school delegated revenue budgets from 1st April 2011 and the Every Child Matters funding stream.

2. Consultation

2.1 A letter was sent to the head teacher of each school affected with a copy for the chairman of the governing body. The letter explained the proposal, gave indicative costs of the late bus service for the individual school and asked for comments and views for consideration by the Cabinet Member. The schools affected are:

• • • Manhood Community College • The Forest School • • • Rydon Community College • • • Westergate Community School

2.2 Head teachers were advised that the proposal was to withdraw County Council funding for the late bus service, but this did not mean that the service itself would have to be withdrawn. There would be an option of paying for the service, taking advantage of the current contract, or making alternative arrangements should they wish. In either case, schools could choose to ask parents for contributions towards the costs. The final option for schools would be to cancel the service, leaving parents to make their own arrangements.

2.2 Representations were received from Head teachers, governors, school staff, pupils and parents. A summary of comments received is attached in Appendix 1.

2.3 The response to the proposal is mixed in that some schools accept the proposal very reluctantly and are prepared to pay for the service or part of it, subject to their own review and available budget. Others, including parents and pupils, very much oppose the proposal as this will adversely affect some of their school population who live in rural areas where there is no available or suitable public transport service.

2.4 Current operators of late bus transport were also consulted. One operator responded indicating that if the late bus operation were withdrawn, he might have to increase the price of the regular school bus run. However, generally the late bus operation is priced and contracted separately.

3. Resource Implications and Value for Money

3.1 The cost of operating this service is about £70,000 per annum. By withdrawing funding for late buses, the saving to the County Council would be achieved either through income from the schools to cover the cost of the contract or through cancellation of the contracts.

3.2 Taking account of a possible increase in the cost of school transport routes, as suggested by one operator, the minimum saving is estimated as follows:

2011-12 £44,000 2012-13 £22,000

3.3 Depending on the decision of individual schools, the current contracts may be maintained. If this is so, the performance of the contracts would be monitored alongside all others. No additional costs would be incurred and none would be passed to schools other than the normal cost of the daily operation of the contract.

4. Risk Management Implications

4.1 A risk of this proposal is a possible increase in car usage. If schools decide to cancel the late bus service for their school, parents will be left to make their own arrangements. This could be mitigated by encouraging car-sharing. However, the overall impact would depend on how much the service is used on any particular day (see 1.3 above).

4.2 Schools may decide to retain the service and recoup the money from parents, but some may choose not to pay and to make their own arrangements. The impact of this could be that more cars would be used. However, bearing in mind the current level of fuel and general motoring costs it is unlikely that the driving option would be financially advantageous other than by car-sharing arrangements.

4.3 The consultation indicates that there would be a negative impact on pupils and their parents. If there were no late buses, pupils for whom no other service is available would not be able to participate in after school clubs and activities. For some, this would mean missing out on activities such as sport and music. Other pupils would not be able to take part in revision classes. This could particularly impact upon those doing GCSEs and sixth form students taking AS and A levels, thus affecting the school’s examination results overall.

4.4 Whilst it is for schools to determine their own priorities and set their budgets, funding is available to schools through the former School Standards Grant which is allocated within school delegated revenue budgets from 1st April 2011, and the Every Child Matters funding stream to support extended school activities. Use of such resources would mitigate the impact upon young people

5. Crime and Disorder Act Implications

There is none.

6. Human Rights Act Implications

6.1 Whilst no person is to be denied the right to education, that is only in so far as it is compatible with the provision of efficient instruction and training, and the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure. The proposal allows schools and /or parents to continue with the service which can be funded through alternative means. There will not therefore be an interference with an individual's human rights if late buses are not provided by the County Council.

Stuart Gallimore David Sword Director of Children’s Services Director of Learning

Contact: Ian Gwenlan ext. 52829

Appendix 1: Consultation res ponses Background Papers None