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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Decision Session - Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education |
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Date |
6 February 2024 |
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Present |
Councillor Webb |
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In Attendance |
Martin Kelly – Corporate Director, Children and Education Maxine Squire – Assistant Director, Education and Skills Barbara Mands – Head of Education Support Service Helen Garnham – Children and Young People Transport Manager Richard Hartle – Head of Finance (Childrens) Frances Harrison – Head of Legal Services |
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9. Declarations of Interest (10:04am)
The Executive Member was asked to declare, at this point in the meeting, any personal interests, not included on the Register of Interests, or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests that he might have had in respect of business on the agenda. None were declared.
10. Minutes (10:04am)
Resolved: That the minutes of the decision session held on 15 January 2024 be approved and signed by the Executive Member as a correct record.
11. Public Participation (10:05am)
It was reported that there had been 3 registrations to speak at the session under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Andrew Parkinson spoke on item 4 of the agenda on behalf of Tadcaster Grammar School. He stated that he did not support the removal of discretionary transport for Tadcaster Grammar School and that he had submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request into background information for this proposal. He suggested that the cost to the wider York area outweighed the benefits of the proposal: As revised transport arrangements would need to be funded due to pupils no longer being able to use free discretionary bus travel to Tadcaster Grammar School, and that the creation of safer walking routes would need to be taken into account.
Ben Hepworth spoke on item 4 of the agenda and stated that this proposal had taken away the decision from parents to choose which school their children go to. He stated that due to free discretionary transport being cut, an extra 300 pupils would increase pressure on established bus routes throughout York. He also suggested that schools which would receive more pupils due to this proposal would need more classrooms built to accommodate for an increase in their numbers.
Councillor Steward spoke on item 4 of the agenda and stated that he was a Copmanthorpe Ward councillor, and a governor of Copmanthorpe Primary School. He stated that this proposal would not save City of York Council (CYC) money as extra bus services for Copmanthorpe Primary School would then be required. He suggested that the savings from this proposal could have been achieved by other means.
12. Free Discretionary Transport to Tadcaster Grammar School (10:17am)
The Head of Education Support Service presented the report and stated that this proposal had been amended following public consultation and was due to realise savings previously agreed by full council.
The Executive Member noted that he had read through the consultation responses, and that the addition of the sibling policy in option 2 of the report would reduce the impact on families of children already attending Tadcaster Grammar School.
Resolved: That the Executive Member approved:
i. The phased removal of free discretionary transport to Tadcaster Grammar School from September 2025 and the provision of an allowance of £495 for siblings living in the catchment area and currently attending a primary school to follow older siblings. That this would be a contribution towards their concessionary fare until the older sibling reaches the end of Year 11 (compulsory school age). That this allowance would end for all those siblings at the latest by 2028/29 which is the end of the phasing out period for removal of free discretionary home to school transport to Tadcaster Grammar School;
ii. The amendment of the wording in the current policy for home to school transport and the Guide For Parents to as follows:
· “Children who live more than 3-miles (using the shortest, safe walking route) from and are attending a catchment area school within York”.
Reason: To achieve agreed savings targets, whilst ensuring that parents were able to make an informed choice about school places from the year prior to admission to secondary school.
Cllr Webb, Chair
[The meeting started at 10.04 am and finished at 10.28 am].