Agenda item

Cabinet will be asked to approve the revised Home to School Transport Policy on 17 June 2025.  The Committee had asked to consider the report before it was submitted to Cabinet.  The Committee has therefore been provided with the report and annexes which Cabinet is expected to consider.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Liz Leffman, will attend accompanied by Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director of Education and Inclusion, and Stephen Good, Home to School Transport Programme Manager.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Liz Leffman, attended accompanied by Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director of Education and Inclusion, and Stephen Good, Home to School Transport Programme Manager, to present the Home to School Transport Policy before it was to be submitted to Cabinet for its approval on 17 June 2025.

The Leader highlighted that this was the first consultation on the policy in ten years  and reminded the Committee that, whilst a financial contribution from families for post-16 travel had been consulted on, it had been decided not to pursue this proposal.

The Programme Manager's presentation on Home to School Transport highlighted the public consultation undertaken between January and March 2025, addressing four key areas. The goal was to align the policy with the Department for Education’s guidelines and to make it user-friendly for officers, parents, and schools. Out of 649 responses, many supported wording changes and improvements. However, there were objections to contribution charges due to the cost-of-living crisis, limited SEND resources, and potential educational barriers. The policy refresh aimed to simplify aspects without altering service eligibility or provision.

Members expressed concerns about the seeming rigidity of the home-to-school transport system, sharing experiences of using different transport methods for one family. They suggested that a more flexible and individual approach could save money. The Programme Manager agreed and said that the Council was considering personal transport budgets to provide flexibility. He also noted that offering budgets for parents to take their children to school could reduce transport costs and improve family integration.

Members raised concerns about the perceived unfairness in the county-wide policy and asked if officers were aware of where issues remain unresolved, as well as how often the policy was reviewed. The Programme Manager acknowledged recurring issues such as spare seats, split villages, and communication about transport changes. He mentioned ongoing efforts to address these through business-as-usual operations and closer collaboration with schools. The Deputy Director clarified that the policy was reviewed annually, unless changes in legislation necessitated earlier updates.

Members questioned the impact of transport policies on rural areas in Oxfordshire, highlighting the high cost of school buses and the removal of the spare seats scheme, which exacerbated inequalities and challenges for families in isolated villages. The Programme Manager acknowledged the challenges faced by rural communities and the need for broader integration across transport policies to ensure these areas were not isolated.

The Programme Manager mentioned that while the home-to-school transport policy covered statutory provisions, there was a need for wider community support and better communication to mitigate the impact of changes. The Programme Manager also noted that the removal of the spare seats scheme had been a recurring issue, and efforts were being made to address it responsibly and ensure families were informed and supported during transitions.

Members inquired about the rising costs of the home-to-school transport service and the potential need for difficult decisions in the future. Members also requested information on the demographics of people using the transport scheme. The Deputy Director acknowledged the significant cost of the service, which was around £42 million annually, and the complexity of managing 3m transport transactions over a 38-week period. She emphasised the importance of getting children to school but recognised the need for broader discussions on how to use the funds more effectively.

The Leader added that the decision not to charge post-16 students was made because the potential revenue of £200,000 would not significantly impact the overall budget but would affect individual families. The Deputy Director mentioned that the demographics of people using the transport scheme could be provided in future discussions, as it was relevant to understanding the impact on different communities.

The Committee AGREED to the following actions:

•         The Deputy Director to seek an answer on the bus being withdrawn in Risinghurst and respond to Cllr Phillips and inform the Committee.

The Committee AGREED to recommendations under the following headings:

•         That the Council should work at pace to organise personal transport budgets with appropriate flexibility to take account of individual circumstances.

•         That the Council should ensure regular review of the policy is to mean ‘annual’, subject to legislative changes.