Issue - meetings

(To receive a report from the Executive Director – Children's Services, which seeks approval for the adoption of the Policy, as set out at Appendix A as the Post?16 Transport Policy Statement for 2020/21, and the continuation of the student/parent contribution)

(1)  That the Policy, as set out at Appendix A to the report, be adopted as the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement for 2020/21.

(2)  That the continuation of the student/parent contribution at a rate of £570 per annum (£579 if paid in instalments) be approved.

A report on the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement was introduced by Councillor Mrs P A Bradwell, OBE, the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services, and presented by Charlotte Gray, Acting Head of Service - Children's Strategic Commissioning.

The presentation stressed that the Council had a legal obligation to adopt a post-16 transport policy statement by 31 May each year, but there was no obligation for the Council to provide home to school transport free of charge to post-16 learners.   The scheme cost the Council approximately £3 million per year and the Council recovers a proportion of the cost, approximately £1 million, through a charge to parents or students, which was currently £570 per annum or £579 in instalments.

The Executive was advised that the policy had been developed in line with the statutory Guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE) in January 2019 and engagement on the content of the policy had obtained the views of 3% of students and stakeholders and it had been concluded that most users found the policy fair and supportive.  It was proposed that there would be no changes to the policy for 2020/21 and that the contribution would remain at the same level as the previous three years.

Councillor R Wootten, as Vice Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, presented to the Executive the statement from both the Board and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, which included a series of questions, to which responses had been given.  Councillor Wootten highlighted the comment on the impact of the coronavirus.  

The following points were confirmed in response to questions from members of the Executive:

• The engagement exercise had been more far reaching this year and had been targeted at specific relevant stakeholders for example it had used email addresses of current year 11 and post 16 students, as well as contacting Post 16 education providers and transport operators to seek their views on the proposed policy.
• The low response to the engagement exercise had been a disappointment, but did not represent evidence of general dissatisfaction with the policy.

The Executive stressed the importance of connecting with young people. 

RESOLVED

(1)  That the Policy, as set out at Appendix A to the report, be adopted as the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement for 2020/21.

(2)  That the continuation of the student/parent contribution at a rate of £570 per annum (£579 if paid in instalments) be approved.