Agenda item

7.1

Home to School Travel Bus Passes

7.1.1

The Acting Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, submitted reports and commented upon 74 cases where parents had appealed against the administrative decisions made by the Acting Executive Director with regard to the refusal to grant home to school travel bus passes.

7.1.2

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:-

7.1.3

RESOLVED: That (a) 27 appeals be upheld on the grounds that there are either exceptional educational, financial, medical or family circumstances in the cases, or on the grounds that the Committee considered that there were unsafe walking routes, with the passes in the cases now mentioned being granted up to the end of the 2012/13 academic year (Case Nos. PW2, PW3, PW4, PW5, HB1, LO1, ML1, ML2, ML3, NE1, SH1, SH2, AS3, AS4, FP1, FP2, FP4, FP5, HG1, HH1, Kecg2, NF1, NF2, NF3, NF4, NF5 and Sil1), with the decision in Case No. Sil 1 being subject to there being no places at Meadowhead;

(b) 45 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 17 pupils to the schools for which they are requesting passes for is less than the distance in the criteria (Case Nos. AN1, AS1, AS2, BD3, BD5, Ci1, Ci2, Ked3, MH1, MH2, MH3, MH4, MH5, MH6, MH7, MH8 and ND2), (ii) the schools that three of the pupils are requesting passes for are not their catchment schools/nearest suitable schools (Case Nos. HiG1, St.C1 and St.M1), (iii) 24 of the pupils do not attend one of their three nearest qualifying schools (Case Nos. AA1, AA2, AA3, BD1, BD2, BD6, FP3, HS1, HS2, Kecg1, Kecg3, Kecg4, Kecg5, Ked1, Ked2, Ked4, Ked5, Ked6, Sil2, Sil3, Sil4, Sil5, WF1 and YW10) and (iv) with regard to the remaining appeal, relating to a voluntary-aided school, the religious education provided at the school is not of the pupil’s parents’ religion or denomination (Case No. ND1); and

(c) consideration of the remaining two appeals be deferred to enable the Acting Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, to seek further medical and financial information, respectively, from the pupils’ parents (Case Nos. BD4 and PW1).

(NOTE:  In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 26 of the Council’s Constitution and the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the Chair decided that four of the above appeals be considered as a matter of urgency in order for the appeals to be considered at the earliest possible opportunity, although it had not been possible to give five clear days’ notice that the appeals were to be considered).

7.2

Discretionary Home to School Transport (Special Educational Needs)

7.2.1

The Acting Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, submitted a report and commented upon a case where parents had appealed against an administrative decision made by the Acting Executive Director with regard to the refusal to fund discretionary home to school transport in respect of their child.

7.2.2

The Committee gave consideration to the information contained in the report now submitted and, arising therefrom, it was:-

7.2.3

RESOLVED: That consideration of the appeal be deferred to enable the pupil’s parents to provide further medical information in respect of their child and, if and when such information is provided, authority be given for the Acting Executive Director, in consultation with the Chair, to determine the appeal (Case No. PM1).