Education and Inspections Act 2006
The wide-ranging Education and Inspections Act 2006 represents a major step forward in the government’s reform agenda for schools. A rolling programme of implementation of the Act’s various provisions is now underway until late 2008.
The transport implications for local authorities are significant and principally include:
LEAs must prepare an annual sustainable school travel strategy. This involves:
- Assessing the school travel needs of their area
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Assessing the facilities and services for sustainable modes of travel to, from and within their area
LEAs must promote fair access to educational opportunity:
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A new School Admissions Code will provide clear guidelines on transport policies that might undermine a fair admission system and disadvantage children from poorer families
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Fair access will also be supported by an extended duty on local authorities to provide free transport for the most disadvantaged families.
From September 2007 extended rights for pupils from low-income groups aged 8-11 come into force. The Act places a duty on local authorities to provide free transport to their nearest suitable school more than two miles from their home (the current cut-off is three miles). DfES will be providing up to £5 million per year to authorities to fund this additional provision.
From September 2008 LAs will be under a duty to provide pupils from low-income groups with transport to any one of the three nearest schools between two and six miles from their home, and to the nearest suitable school preferred on grounds of religion or belief up to a distance of 15 miles from their home. DfES additional funding will build to more than £45 million per year to LAs to fund this additional provision.
How can TAS help?
In partnership with Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy, specialists in area based travel planning, we have formulated a package of assistance for local authorities to meet their requirements under the Act. This includes:
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Assessment of travel and transport needs of all pupils
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Audit of travel and transport needs and bus, cycle and walking routes
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Producing a draft strategy that will promote sustainable modes of transport
Immediate action is required on a number of points and each Local Authority has a duty to ensure that an updated transport strategy is available to every parent when exercising their choice of school (i.e. May 2007).
The school clock is ticking….
Contact John Taylor or John Atkins at TAS for further information