Contact: Andy Wren, ext 7500 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out a number of new requirements and statutory duties under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) for Local Education and Transport Authorities. These relate to arrangements for transporting children to and from school or college and the promotion of sustainable transport modes to pupils and parents.

1.2 The Government is providing grant funding to Local Authorities (LAs) to meet the additional expenditure pressure in delivering the new duties and is developing detailed guidance on the approach to be taken. Detailed information for all schools will be developed in the five year period to 2012.

2. Recommendation

2.1 That the proposed way forward, as detailed in paragraphs 6.3, 6.4 and 7.1 of this report, to deliver the duties relating to school travel and the provision of school travel arrangements for children and young people, as required by the Education and Inspections Act 2006, be approved.

3. Introduction

3.1 The EIA 2006 introduces four new elements for local authorities:

(i) a duty to promote sustainable travel modes for travel associated with education for children and young people of sixth form age;

(ii) an expansion of travel arrangements for home to school transport;

(iii) the making of suitable travel arrangements for `eligible children' in an (LA's) area to support low income families; and

(iv) opportunities for School Travel Pathfinders.

3.2 These can be grouped into two main areas:

(i) the eligibility criteria for free school transport; and

(ii) the development, publicising and promotion of sustainable travel options.

This report outlines the new duties and the steps being taken to address them within the County Council.

4. Eligibility Criteria for Free School Transport

4.1 The EIA 2006 includes provisions which extend school transport rights for children from low income groups, those who are eligible for free school meals or whose parents are in receipt of maximum working tax credit.

4.2 From September 2007 extended rights for pupils from low income groups aged eight, nine and ten come into force. The EIA 2006 places a duty on LAs to provide free transport to their nearest suitable school more than two miles from their home (the minimum for this age group would otherwise be three miles). Nationally, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (formerly the Department for Education and Skills - DfES) is providing £3.2 million in 2007/08 and £5 million in 2008/09, and in each year up to and including 2016/17, to authorities to fund this additional provision. Hampshire's share of this grant for "Extended Rights to Free Travel Arrangements for Primary Age Children" is £114,831 in 2007/08.

4.3 From September 2008 LAs will be under a duty to provide pupils aged 11 to 16 from low-income groups with transport to any one of three nearest suitable 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. Nationally, Government funding will build to more than £45 million per year to LAs to fund this additional provision.

5. Sustainable School Travel

5.1 Section 508A of the EIA 2006 (as inserted by Section 76 of the Education Act 1996), in force from 1 April 2007, places a general duty on local authorities to promote the use of sustainable travel and transport associated with education, for children and young people of sixth form age.

5.2 There are four main elements to the duty:

(i) an assessment of the travel and transport needs of children and young people within the county;

(ii) an audit of the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure within Hampshire that may be used when travelling to and from, or between schools and institutions;

(iii) a strategy to develop the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure within Hampshire so that the travel and transport needs of children and young people are better catered for; and

(iv) the promotion of sustainable travel and transport modes on the journey to and from, or between schools and other institutions.

5.3 The EIA 2006 defines sustainable modes of travel as those that the local authority considers may improve the physical well-being of those who use them, the environmental well-being of all or part of the local authority's area, or a combination of the two. For example, walking and cycling are likely to improve the health of those travelling on foot or bicycle, and may well bring environmental benefits from reduced levels of congestion and pollution. Similarly, bus use or car sharing might be considered to bring environmental benefits in comparison to individuals travelling by car.

6. Promotion of Sustainable Modes of Transport to School

6.1 The EIA 2006 also places a duty on LAs to promote sustainable travel and transport. The duty applies to all schoolchildren and young people of sixth form age, including those resident and receiving education or training in the authority's area, and those not resident but who travel within the authority's area to receive education or training.

6.2 The duty relates to journeys to and from institutions (including attendance at pre- and after-school activities) and journeys between institutions during the day. Journeys may be to and from, or between schools (including independent schools), further education institutions and other institutions where education or training might be delivered.

6.3 There are four parts to the County Council's responsibility to promote sustainable travel modes. These, together with proposed actions to deliver against them, are explained in more detail below:

(i) An assessment of the travel and transport needs of children and young people within the authority's area

Guidance suggests that LAs should base their assessment of travel and transport needs on data provided in School Travel Plans. A comprehensive review of School Travel Plans produced to date will be undertaken, to draw together common themes and actions. This will help to inform the development of a Travel to School Strategy (see below) and also to maximise the benefits of school travel plans in helping to identify priorities for expenditure to enhance accessibility.

(ii) An audit of the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure within the authority that may be used when travelling to and from, or between schools/institutions

Further audit work will be undertaken to draw together information relating to accessibility to educational establishments by public transport, walking and cycling. This will be made available to parents to help inform their choice of school. Initially this will be through the expansion and integration of existing web-based facilities. Use will also be made of geographic information system technology to enable current and prospective students to locate features which might aid them to make sustainable travel choices, for example bus routes, crossing facilities and cycle paths. The audit should also consider issues related to personal safety and security and other factors that influence travel choices.

(iii) A strategy to develop the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure within the authority so that the travel and transport needs of children and young people are better catered for

A strategy was required to be published alongside school admissions information at the end of August 2007. To meet this deadline the Executive Member for Environment approved the strategy as an urgent item on 28 August 2007. Government accepts that the initial strategy will be far less detailed than the final version, which will cover all schools and educational establishments in the county. A cross-department working group will be established to help review and further develop this strategy in due course. It is expected that it will become part of the Local Transport Plan family of documents.

(iv) The promotion of sustainable travel and transport modes on the journey to and from, or between schools and other institutions

The County Council is already working with schools and colleges to promote sustainable transport though the development of school travel plans and the Safer Routes to School (SRtS) programme. Fifty-six percent of schools in Hampshire now have an approved school travel plan. Over the last eight years the County Council has invested £8.5 million in implementing schemes as part of the SRtS programme to encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport whilst also improving road safety. Over the past four years, schools with approved school travel plans have also received a total of £1.9 million capital grant direct from the DCSF to support similar measures. Information collected from annual hands-up surveys show that over the past four years the development of school travel plans and the SRtS programme have contributed to a shift towards more sustainable forms of transport. For pupils aged four to ten, walking and cycling have both increased by 2% whilst car use has fallen by 3%. In the eleven to sixteen age group walking has increased by 11%, cycling by 2%, whilst car use has fallen by 4%. Additional funding will assist the County Council in expanding this work in future years.

6.4 Government is allowing an additional £4 million in 2007/08 for local authorities to support these new requirements, of which Hampshire will receive a grant of £94,012 in "Payment of General Duty to Promote Sustainable Modes of Travel to School" each year, up to and including 2011/12. It is proposed that this funding will be fully allocated against the delivery of the above initiatives in 2007/08 and to support additional staff resources in future years.

7. Managing the Delivery of Sustainable School Travel

7.1 It is proposed that a home to school travel and transport steering group is established to ensure close cross-department working on the delivery of the EIA 2006. This group, consisting of appropriate senior officers from the Environment and Children's Services Departments, will liaise on a regular basis with the Executive Member for Environment and the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education).

8. School Travel Pathfinder Schemes

8.1 The final element of the EIA 2006 relates to opportunities for Pathfinder schemes. The DCSF is offering opportunities for local authorities to apply for Pathfinder status to promote the development of their approach to the travel and transport needs of all pupils in their area. Pathfinder authorities will test innovative solutions in their area to promote sustainable travel and encourage less use of the car.

8.2 Whilst Pathfinder authorities will be required to make arrangements for "eligible children" (those receiving free travel including children from low income families), other measures in a Pathfinder will be expected to go well beyond this minimum.

8.3 Up to 20 Pathfinders are likely to be selected, these can be individual or joint with other LAs and arrangements will have to be introduced in 2009 for a period of four years. Each authority can receive up to £200,000 pump-priming money. Also, Government will make up to £12 million per annum available across the pilot schemes to help fund the initiatives. To be a Pathfinder authority, charges must be made (except for children on low incomes or those in receipt of free travel at the start of the scheme). A charge of £1.00 per day may be considered in any scheme and this income must be hypothecated to reinvest in transport services.

8.4 In response to the forthcoming Pathfinders a new three-year home to school transport pilot scheme, with the aim of reducing the number of cars involved in taking children to school to help reduce school run congestion, reduce pollution and increase independence, was launched by the County Council in spring 2007. There are four main elements making up Hampshire's pilot schemes:

(i) yellow school buses in the Basingstoke area;

(ii) walking and cycling initiatives in the Farnborough area;

(iii) home to school travel services in the Waterside area; and

(iv) scheduled bus services in the Eastleigh area.

8.5 Hampshire has confirmed interest in being considered as a Pathfinder authority, in support of the projects identified above. A final bid is being prepared for Cabinet to consider prior to the submission date of 30 November 2007.

9. Impact Assessments

9.1 It is considered that the actions outlined above should not have any detrimental impact on equalities or race discrimination.

9.2 A resource impact statement referring to financial and human resources and where the costs may lie, ie Children's Services/Environment, was covered in Section 10 of the strategy/action plan.

10. Conclusion

10.1 By implementing the requirements of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 the County Council will deliver its duties relating to school travel and the provision of school travel arrangements for children and young people.

1467Rpt/ACW