AN Oakmere dad joined other rural families in speaking out against a council policy that is ‘dividing schoolchildren’ at an already stressful time.

Cheshire West and Chester Council changed its home to school transport policy in 2015 to mean that youngsters are no longer eligible for transport if they live more than three miles away from a school and within its catchment area, but it is not their nearest school.

The issue has caused particular problems for rural youngsters attending Tarporley High School and Bishop Heber High School, in Malpas.

Oakmere resident Graham Turner has two children attending Tarporley High School – and both were found ineligible for transport under the council’s policy, but eventually won their case at appeal.

He told CWAC’s overview and scrutiny meeting on Monday: “I am sure you appreciate that we find ourselves in a very stressful situation that affects parents as well as children. For some of us this has been years of stress, worry and anxiety.

“Across the parish of Delamere and Oakmere, children at primary age typically will attend Delamere Academy, however when children move to secondary school the village is brutally sliced into two.”

Mr Turner told councillors that youngsters at Delamere Academy attend open days at Tarporley High to help ease their move across from primary to secondary school.

But the school transport policy means while some youngsters are eligible to attend Tarporley High as planned, others end up travelling to a different school so they can access transport from CWAC.

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“How do you expect children to feel if on multiple occasions they visit and tour a school, then are told they must be split from their friends and go to a different school?

“A hard message to deliver when they all live a few hundred metres apart.”

Other rural residents spoke out at the meeting – including parents from Farndon and Hargrave.

They highlighted a lack of alternative public transport links from their villages, giving parents no choice but to drive their youngsters to school.

Farndon resident Portia Clarke told councillors that some families are able to purchase ‘spare seats’ on school buses – but for her two children at Bishop Heber, the cost is £7,500 over a five-year period.

“This presents huge issues for families on low incomes and is highly discriminatory,” she added.

In 2018-19, there were 118 appeals lodged relating eligibility for school transport, with 11 upheld by officers and a further 10 upheld by councillors at an appeal panel – with each hearing costing CWAC around £500.

CWAC is now considering some changes to its home to school transport policy following a cross-party review, which made four recommendations to help rural families.

Cllr Harry Tonge, Conservative member for Tarvin and Kelsall, said: “The current approach is confusing to parents – and confusing to the extent that it actually starts to drive decisions made very much on a financial basis rather than what is necessarily good for the child’s education.

Northwich Guardian:

“The time when children are moving from primary to secondary is one of the big steppingstones that children have to undertake.

“Having something which is a confused and chaotic system around September time where places are not clear, in terms of who is getting what places on what buses at what time, is not good for a child.”

Three of the recommendations look likely to be adopted by CWAC to help make the school admissions process simpler for families and to help parents understand the transport policy.

The review also recommended that CWAC introduce ‘frozen transport zones’ where youngsters could be eligible for transport at both their nearest school and when they are in a school’s catchment area.

But that policy looks unlikely to be adopted, as Labour Cllr Nicole Meardon, cabinet member for children and families, insisted the council could not afford it.

She said: “Although I am sympathetic to the issues raised, let’s be frank, there isn’t any money to fund it.

Northwich Guardian:

“We’re already £500,000 overspent in the transport budget, we’re having to invest another £230,000 next year for growth – over the next financial period to 2024 that’s over £1.1 million, just in growth, to meet our statutory obligations.

“We are asking Government – fund our schools properly and fund school transport properly.

“If that was the case, I would be happy to support frozen catchment zones, but I can’t in all good conscience say to you ‘let’s do that’ – because I know that if we do that, what is it in the expense of? What in children’s services would I have to cut in order to fund that?”

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Independent Cllr Martin Barker, chairman of CWAC’s overview and scrutiny committee, used his casting vote to agree to make the recommendations to cabinet following a split vote among members.

CWAC’s cabinet would make the final decision on any changes to the school transport policy.