Chrissa Wadlow
Teachers, parents and carers in Derby are being invited to an informal get-together to discuss a proposal to change transport to school arrangements for some of the most vulnerable children in the city.
Derby City Council plans to revise travel assistance for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) between the ages of five and 15. The council reviews its policy annually, in line with Department for Education guidance.
And whilst the city council website states that eligibility criteria for home to school travel assistance hasn’t changed, it has highlighted additions to the policy and given examples throughout the policy to demonstrate how it is applied and how decisions are made about what type of travel assistance will be offered to an eligible child or young person.
One of those additions will see taxi transport for eligible children only agreed “in exceptional circumstances”.
Chrissa Wadlow, founder of Derby-based Sunshine Support who will host the event on Thursday, March 2 (1pm) said: “The event will be informal, and I strongly urge education professionals to attend – in confidence – to see how the proposed changes may affect their school.
“Not only do we have to fight to traumatising extremes for equity in our children’s education, now we have another battle on our hands in how our children actually get to school.
“Some parents would love to have their children attend the same school, but it’s not possible due to their needs being different and therefore they need to attend schools at different locations. They’re having to now choose which child gets to school on time.”
Sarah Sage, an independent SEN advocate for Sunshine Support, successfully challenged Derbyshire County Council’s home-to-school transport policy after it was found to be unlawful. It has since been re-written.
She says that the city council’s plans will see children with special educational needs and disabilities “passed over in favour of cheaper, unsuitable” transport options.
“The overall tone of Derby City Council’s proposed home to school travel assistance policy is that of a cost-cutting exercise which aims to reduce the number of SEND children currently receiving suitable home to school transport arrangements by way of a taxi or minibus,” she said.
“The number of children who will be affected by this attempt to apply a blanket “bus pass” policy is likely to be significant and the individual needs of the children with special educational needs and disabilities are going to be passed over in favour of cheaper, unsuitable options.”
Mum Julie Blount called the proposal “ludicrous” and says that, if approved, it would cause distress to her daughter, who joined St Clares in Mickleover last year.
She said: “My daughter has ADHD and autism but copes amazingly well with the school transport. She doesn’t transition well and currently gets to school in a taxi; she knows the driver, and is happy with the routine.
“Any disruption would upset her and cause distress. She doesn’t cope with new people well and the thought of her having to catch public transport – she would have to catch two buses to get to her school in Mickleover – fills me with dread. There would be too much noise and fuss.
“I could take her in the car, but I also have other children who I need to get to school and nursery school. It would mean that my daughter wouldn’t arrive at school until gone 9.30am and she wouldn’t be able to cope emotionally with walking into a classroom where pupils are already learning.”
A teacher working in a city school – who gave this quote anonymously – said: “I am a professional who works within SEND and taxis are vital for our incredibly vulnerable families to access education.
“Our students have extreme needs, including anxiety and safeguarding where they can’t be on public transport. The effect of stopping the taxis is likely to put immense impenetrable barriers for children living in our city, ultimately depriving them of accessing education which, in turn, increases community behaviours and dissatisfaction. We appreciate it is an expense, but our children deserve equality of access.”
Places are free and you can register here: Derby City Transport Policy Change Cuppa&Chat Tickets, Thu 2 Mar 2023 at 13:00 | Eventbrite
Anyone wanting to contact Derby City Council about their concerns should email [email protected] by Friday, March 24.
