Parents changing jobs to get children to school due to lack of buses

Parents in a rural area have changed jobs and moved houses in order to get their children to school due to a lack of bus provision, it has been claimed.

A number of children in Longney, Epney, Frampton, Saul and Arlingham missed out on free home-to-school transport provided by Gloucestershire County Council as their catchment school was at capacity.

Arlingham parent Nick Rowntree said their "unique" geographical position "unfairly discriminates us and disadvantages our children".

Gloucestershire County Council said it was "working with" the villagers.

It says it provides free home-to-school transport for children aged eight and above, if they live three miles or more from their catchment school.

This is the case for Severnside village children attending Severnvale School.

But Mr Rowntree said parents were told by the county council "bulge year" pupils in the villages would not be able to attend Severnvale, as it was at capacity.

Consequently, many parents did not include it on their preference form, hoping to get free home-to-school transport to a school with capacity.

They say they were later informed by the council they had filled out the form incorrectly, and they should have put Severnvale on their list to get free transport to another school, despite allegedly being warned against this.

The council then allegedly selected a school not featured on their preference forms for their children to go to, with no school bus provision.

Almost all parents lost their appeals.

Now, parents are having to find a low-cost way to get their children to school safely.

"We've come up with a rota for parents to drive the children to school and collect them," said Mr Rowntree.

"It's caused considerable pain, with parents taking time out of their working day.

"We believe the council's policy isn't in line with government guidance".

The Department for Education says where someone's catchment school is oversubscribed, the next school with availability should be considered their local school.

Longney parent Manda Skerritt drives her child miles up the road to get the bus in another village.

"That's the biggest issue; it's a four-mile walk with no pavement," she said.

"In the winter, it's dark at four. You wouldn't put your child through that."

Mrs Skerritt said there had been issues with reliability and safeguarding with some bus companies.

One private company allegedly quoted parents £80 per day, per child.

"Even though it's a choice we're [living] rural, we still have a duty to get our children to school," Mrs Skerritt said.

"We just need a safe, reliable, cost-effective service that can get our children there and back."

Some parents say they have made considerable changes to their lives to get their children to school because of the situation.

One parent gave up their job and took on a night shift so they could take their child to school, while another picked up a second job to afford transport costs.

At a meeting, two families said they moved houses to get transport, but still were not awarded it.

Arlingham parent Sam Greenwood works in Bristol and away, so cannot take his daughter and their neighbours to school often.

"My daughter's unable to do all the after-school clubs she'd like to do because it depends on who's available to drive," he said.

"We're fortunate to have good neighbours and be able to help each other out.

"We're doing our best to share lifts between us, but it's very difficult."

Mr Greenwood claimed parents whose children were given transport were suffering from "anxiety and stress" due to the "unreliable" services.

Archway School pupils, for example, were having to change buses at least once, sometimes twice, before walking 20 minutes from Stroud High School.

Mr Greenwood claimed he would "probably get arrested for child neglect" if he sent his 11-year-old daughter on that route on a Saturday.

Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie raised the issue in Parliament in March, asking Guy Opperman, the minister for roads and local transport, for a meeting to be arranged between them and councillor Stephen Davies.

The BBC asked Mrs Baillie if this meeting had been arranged, but is yet to receive a response.

Gloucestershire County Council told the BBC parents should list their preferred schools in order of distance to be eligible for free school transport.

"We've been working with this community for some time to provide them with appropriate advice and guidance regarding school admissions and eligibility for school transport," a spokesperson said.

"Families are advised to list schools in order of distance, otherwise they won't be entitled to school transport.

"Some families use privately-contracted transport to school, and costs have risen in recent years due to the economic climate, but we are unable to intervene with privately-contracted transport arrangements."

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