Calls for over-16 school transport rule change

Nigel Dixon has a 17-year-old son who he said has been late to school every day this term due to transport issues

Parents of sixth form students living in a rural area have called for rules on school transport to be changed.

Pupils over the age of 16 from the Borrowdale Valley in Cumbria said they faced difficulties as school transport is only provided to younger children.

Nigel Dixon, whose 17-year-old son has been late to school every day this term, said since the law made it compulsory for children to be in education until the age of 18, school transport rules should change accordingly.

Cumberland Council, which organises school transport, said it recognised the difficulties pupils in rural locations faced.

Pupils over the age of 16 from the rural Borrowdale Valley said they faced difficulties getting to school

Mr Dixon, from Seatoller, said: "We just feel like we are banging our heads against a brick wall."

The family said they were told only days before the school term started that their son would not be entitled to places on the bus taking children to Keswick School.

Mr Dixon and his wife run the Seatoller House hotel at the head of Borrowdale which means mornings are the busiest time and they cannot take their son themselves.

"We were left with a situation where we didn't know how we were going to get our son to school," he said.

"This is his final year at school, it’s a very important year."

Jess Hartley says only two of her three children who attend Keswick School were eligible for transport

Currently, free transport for children in a school catchment is only guaranteed for those under 16 years old.

Sometimes spare places can be given to older pupils, but there is a cost to families.

Jess Hartley, a mother-of-four from Stonethwaite, said she found herself in a similar situation to the Dixons.

She told BBC Look North only two of her three children who attend Keswick School are eligible for transport and they even considered taking the older child out of school.

"My husband works in hospitality and we don't currently have a car - we live in a very remote area and it’s not fair."

Parents fear a reduced winter timetable for buses will make matters worse

Keswick School is sympathetic and has tried to help, they said.

The parents of both families fear the introduction of a reduced winter timetable for service buses next month will make their problems worse.

Cumberland Council said "whenever possible" spare seats are offered to over-16s on school buses, however services were organised to "closely match" the number of children entitled to transport.

"[This is because] there is an additional cost that is not fully recovered from post-16 students," a spokesman said.

Since being interviewed by BBC Look North, the parents say they have been contacted by the school and told their children can now take the school bus.

The council has been contacted for further comment.