Agenda item

(To receive a report which sets out a proposal for a scrutiny review on the Council's Home to School Transport in relation to Discretionary Grammar School Transport to be carried out by a Task and Finish group.  The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider this potential topic for a scrutiny review, and decide whether it wishes to submit the proposal to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee for approval)

The Committee received a report which set out a proposal for a scrutiny review on the Council's Home to School Transport Policy in relation to discretionary Grammar School Transport to be carried out by a Task and Finish Group.

Members were informed that during the past year a group of parents in the villages north of Grantham had campaigned for changes to the Home to School and College Transport policy in respect of transport to the county's Grammar Schools.  Following representations by the parents, and meetings with their representatives and the local MP, Councillor Mrs P A Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Adult Care and Health Services, Children's Services, asked the Committee to consider at its meeting on 24 April 2015 whether this was a suitable topic for a scrutiny review.  It was agreed at this meeting that a draft proposal should be developed.

The Committee was guided through the scoping document highlighting the purpose for the review and main lines of enquiry.  It was also noted that the review had the support of the Executive Councillor and the Executive Director.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was clarified that this review would be examining the policy in relation to grammar school transport only which was from age 11-16/18.  Home to college transport was covered under the policy for Post-16 transport;

·         It was clarified that grammar school transport and Post-16 transport were discretionary functions;

·         There was no difference in the eligibility criteria for Post-16 transport regardless of whether a young person attended a college, sixth form or a grammar school;

·         It was clarified that the statutory school leaving age was still 16 years old, but the participation age had increased which required a young person to be in education or work based training until they were 18 years old;

·         Members were informed that the Council had received a petition from parents who felt that they were being discriminated against by the existing policy as their children could not receive free transport to a grammar school, and therefore the proposal for a scrutiny review into this had been proposed;

·         A councillor commented that they supported this proposal, and in relation to petitions, felt that in some cases were not being treated with enough seriousness.  In this instance parents had put forward a petition asking the Council to look at this  issue in particular.

RESOLVED

1.    That the proposal for a review of the Council's Home to School Transport Policy in relation to Discretionary Grammar School Transport be agreed as a suitable topic for a scrutiny review, taking into account the guidelines;

2.    That the Proposal for the Scrutiny Review be approved and submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee for approval;

3.    That Councillor Mrs J Brockway and Councillor B Adams be noted as expressing an interest in participating in this scrutiny review if agreed.