Hi Nina. Thanks for this. I don’t quite understand the first part. Did Essex offer free transport by train and then change their minds?

Are the appeals you refer to against having to go to JFAN when SWCH is catchment and nearest and siblings are split? Rather than a transport appeal.

Neil

A group of patents in Chesterford had been offered transport to JFAN by rail. Appeals were made and the decisions over turned by ECC. The children are now travelling to school from Great Chesterford to JFAN via SWCHS.

Perental pressure and some wise words from a local resident who understands the system.

The reason these children are going to JFAN is because the children were not offered the first place choice at their catchment school (and nearest school) SWCHS. No prior warning was given.

For those of us that have you get children we now face the conundrum of where to apply for places in 2018. The entry criteria for both schools has altered to cater for the issues in the area, but ECC will not budge and insist that applications are processed for the nearest school – thus transport will be provided – but the families will be split. Should we opt for applying for JFAN as first option school there is no guarantee that the siblings will be awarded a place at that school – either way transport is an issue. Nonetheless the overwhelming issue is the inability by Essex to admitt that there is enough secondary provision in the area.

When writing to our local MP – response has been terse and quite unhelpful.

NvKT

Dawn,

Thanks for your response. Essex have been doing all sorts of things to avoid paying. But decreeing that a previously ‘unsafe’ route has (presumably without any alteration?) become ‘safe’ is one we’d not heard of before.

The issue we are targetting is where we believe the policy to be wrong. The issue you describe seems to be where the existing policy is being misapplied.

The procedure is for you all to appeal. Maybe you have already done this? No doubt you have read the Essex document http://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Travel-School/Documents/Education_Transport_Policy.pdf. The reference document referred to on p5 costs £90 but it seems to be the definitive source against which to decide on safety

Experience reported by others doing appeals is it goes through the process and they typically support the officer decision and refuse the appeal. Normally I would say ask your county councillor for help, but it is currently Ray Gooding, cabinet member for Education and originator of policy to cut school transport, but you can still try.

Next stage is to take it to the Local Authority Ombudsman. They can adjudicate whether Essex have correctly applied the policy. (The issue we referred to the DfE can’t be resolved by the Ombudsman because it is the policy at fault not how it is being applied)

I would have thought the key issue on appeal is what has changed to make an unsafe route ‘safe’

I hope this is of some help and please do keep us informed of progress

Neil