Agenda item

8.1

Home to School Travel Bus Passes

8.1.1

The Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, submitted reports and commented upon 26 cases where parents had appealed against the administrative decisions made by the Executive Director with regard to the refusal to grant home to school travel bus passes.

8.1.2

The Committee gave consideration to all the supporting information and evidence provided by the pupils’ parents including, in some cases, evidence and advice provided by voluntary or professional bodies and organisations and, arising therefrom, it was:-

8.1.3

RESOLVED: That (a) 14 appeals be upheld on the grounds that there are either exceptional educational, financial, medical or family circumstances in the cases (Case Nos. Be1, Be2, Be3, GG1, St.M1, Ath1, Ath2, HG1, HG2, HS1, PA1, Ta2, Yw1 and Yw2);

(b) nine appeals be not upheld on the grounds that there are no exceptional circumstances demonstrated and, having regard to the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy, (i) the distance from the home addresses of two pupils to the schools for which they are requesting passes for is less than the distance in the criteria (Case Nos. HG3 and HG4), (ii) the schools that two of the pupils are requesting passes for are not their catchment school/nearest suitable school (Case Nos. Sil2 and Ta1) and (iii) five of the pupils do not attend one of their three nearest qualifying schools (Case Nos. Eck 1, Eck 2, Sil1, SB1 and SB2); and

(c) consideration of the remaining three appeals be deferred to enable the Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, to seek further information in connection with the cases and, if and when such information is provided, authority be given for the Executive Director, in consultation with the Chair, to determine the appeals.

8.2

Special Educational Needs Case

8.2.1

The Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, submitted a report and commented upon a case where parents had appealed against the administrative decision made by the Executive Director with regard to the refusal to grant discretionary home to school transport, based on the special educational needs of their child and, arising therefrom, it was:-

8.2.2

RESOLVED: That the appeal be upheld on the grounds that the Committee considered that (a) part or all of the walking route from the pupil’s home address to the school was unsafe and (b) it was unreasonable to expect the pupil to catch four buses a day, given his medical condition.