The leader of North Yorkshire Council has been called on to guarantee that no child would be put at greater risk of exploitation from the authority’s controversial home-to-school transport policy.
Councillors heard this week that council officers had advised during an internal seminar on safeguarding that the transition between primary and secondary school was a crucial period and that maintaining peer groups was important to avoid isolating children from their friends.
Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Mason told the authority’s full council meeting on Wednesday that the information was concerning because of the impact of the change in policy, which means children can only get free transport to their nearest school rather than their catchment school.
Campaigners say this has meant children having to attend different schools from their friends when they transition to secondary school in September.
Cllr Mason said: “At that meeting we were told by officers that the transition between primary and secondary school is a crucial period and maintaining peer groups is very important to avoid isolating individuals from established friend’s groups.
“Having heard from numerous parents that their children are being forced apart from their longstanding peer groups, and some having travel alone without friends around them into a significantly unfamiliar environment, I believe the officers have highlighted an issue that is concerning.”
In a question to council leader, Carl Les, he added: “Would the leader of this council please guarantee parents and this council that not one child will be put at additional risk as a result of our home-to-school transport policy?”
In response, Cllr Les said parents chose their children’s schools for a variety of factors.
“The difference now is that the council, i.e. the taxpayers we represent, will only pay for choice to the nearest school.
“We’ve also increased our support to the most vulnerable children in the county by increasing the eligibility of home-to-school transport mileage for those on free school meals, effectively making sure that those on the lowest incomes have choices of transport to secondary schools.
“I’m assured by officers that our home-to-school transport policy is not a factor in the exploitation that we see.”
The meeting heard that a total of 162 stage one appeals had been submitted as of Monday from parents who have been refused free transport for their child.
Of the 140 appeals for transport to secondary schools, 91 per cent had been rejected.
Parents who lose their stage one appeal can ask for a stage two appeal, which is decided by a panel of councillors.
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