Improvements To North Yorkshire School Travel Proposed Following Policy Review

Families across North Yorkshire could benefit from a series of proposed improvements to school travel arrangements following a review of changes introduced two years ago.

A raft of proposed improvements to school travel arrangements could soon benefit families across North Yorkshire, following a review of changes implemented two years ago.

The home to school transport service currently supports around 11,000 eligible pupils and costs more than £52 million annually.

A post-implementation review was carried out on the 2024 policy, which altered eligibility for free travel to be based on a child's nearest school rather than their catchment school.

The 2024 policy also removed transport assistance to equally shared second addresses and designated religious character primary schools. Council officials stated the changes aimed to tackle increasing costs and ensure compliance with Department for Education guidance.

While the review found the policy is largely working as intended and remains on track to deliver planned savings, it acknowledged that some households have experienced challenges.

A total of 24 recommendations have been made to address these issues. These include removing five specific routes and associated footpaths from the mapping system due to practical challenges that affect their suitability. The affected routes are Fleet Moss Road, Keld to Kirkby Stephen, Buttertubs Pass, The Stang, and Kidstone Pass.

Further recommendations involve improving mapping information, strengthening the appeals process, and providing greater clarity on how distances are assessed.

The review also considered the environmental and equality impacts of the policy.

An Equalities Impact Assessment noted that rural populations are inevitably more impacted by the changes due to their higher reliance on the service. It also highlighted that low-income families might have fewer choices if their preferred school is not their nearest, although this is mitigated by extended rights provisions.

Climate assessments highlighted mixed impacts. While shorter eligible journeys and route optimisation could reduce council vehicle emissions, families no longer eligible for free transport might resort to private car journeys. Officials noted this could potentially increase congestion and air pollution around some schools. To mitigate this, the review recommends continued support for active travel schemes.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member for education, learning and skills, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, said:

"We know that school travel arrangements are incredibly important to families and that the changes introduced in 2024 have affected some households more than others.

When the policy changed, we promised to review how it was working in practice and to listen to the experiences of families. That is exactly what we have done.

We have carefully considered feedback from parents and carers, schools and other stakeholders, alongside appeals, complaints and operational data.

The review shows the policy is meeting its objectives, but it has also highlighted areas where we can make improvements. We are committed to learning from people's experiences and ensuring families have clearer information and a better experience of the service."

The current home to school travel policy remains in place while the recommendations are considered. It will be used for families applying for Reception or Year 7 places starting in September 2027, as well as in-year applications for the 2026 to 2027 school year.

Councillor Wilkinson added:

"Families should continue to make school preference decisions based on existing arrangements while the decision-making process is completed.

To support families during the transition period, we will continue to use the appeals process and discretionary powers in exceptional cases. This means support can be considered where specific routes or circumstances cause difficulties, rather than waiting for any future policy changes to take effect."

If any policy changes are approved, they would not take effect before September 2027 and would apply to children starting in Reception and Year 7 in September 2028.

The recommendations will be reviewed by the children and families overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday, 16 September, before being discussed by the executive on Friday, 18 September.

Should the executive agree, a six-week public consultation is expected to launch later this month, with a final decision by the full council anticipated in November.