Home to School Transport

What is the consultation about?

The Council is proposing to change the way it provides Home to School Transport for learners across Caerphilly County Borough from September 2026.

The Council currently provides a high level of discretionary Home to School Transport. The proposed changes would see all mainstream home to school transport provision for English, Welsh and Faith primary and secondary schools fall in line with the relevant statutory distance criteria as determined by Welsh Government.

The proposal would see a continuation of discretionary transport for home to School Transport for learners who reside beyond the 2-mile distance criteria for those under statutory school age, subject to the vehicle having spare capacity and beyond the 3-mile distance criteria for post-16 learners.

Transport eligibility for learners with additional learning needs who attend special schools, pupil referral units and learning support classes would not be affected under this proposal.

This consultation aims to seek the views or service users and stakeholders in relation to the proposed amendments to the Home to School Transport Policy.

Why is this change being considered?

In February this year, the council’s Cabinet endorsed a series of budget proposals for 2024/25, based on the council’s financial settlement from Welsh Government and UK Government.

The report outlined a savings requirement of £45.213m for the two-year period 2025/26 and 2026/27.

In order to address this huge funding gap, a programme of transformation has been established to address the significant financial challenges the council is facing.

The council currently provides a high level of discretionary transport, well above the statutory requirements. The proposal seeks to consult on the potential removal of the discretionary mileage element for mainstream provision to bring it in line with relevant statutory distance criteria which would result in a large financial saving for the authority.

Caerphilly is currently one of only 3 local authorities in Wales providing transport above the statutory minimum. One of the remaining 3 local authorities has recently taken the decision to reduce provision to statutory minimums from September 2026.

What could this mean for me?

Proposal from September 2026:

All mainstream home to school transport provision for English, Welsh and Faith primary and secondary schools fall in line with the relevant statutory distance criteria as determined by Welsh Government.

The proposal would see a continuation of discretionary transport for home to School Transport for learners who reside beyond the 2-mile distance criteria for those under statutory school age, subject to the vehicle having spare capacity and beyond the 3-mile distance criteria for post-16 learners.

Transport eligibility for learners with additional learning needs who attend special schools, pupil referral units and learning support classes would not be affected under this proposal.

How do I know if I would be affected by the proposed changes to Home to School Transport?

The table below summarises the proposed changes:

As part of the consultation process, the Council has published indicative maps showing the areas that may be affected. These maps are provided for informational purposes only and may not cover all impacted areas. Individual eligibility will be confirmed if the decision proceeds and parents will be notified directly once all eligibility has been confirmed. If you are uncertain, it is recommended that you complete the consultation as though you are affected.

The blue shading on the map indicates the areas that may be currently eligible for Home to School Transport but would no longer be if this proposal was taken forward.

When will I be able to have a say?

The consultation will run from Monday 16th September 2024 until Monday 28th October 2024.

How can I take part in the consultation?

There are various ways you can have a say.

You can complete a short survey online.

This survey is also available in hard copy from libraries across Caerphilly county borough. It is available in Welsh and also in other languages and formats on request.

Face to face drop-in sessions:

Residents who have any specific requirements such as access, hearing loop, require translation facilities or wish to use the Welsh language at any of the drop-in sessions are asked to contact the team at publicengagement@caerphilly.gov.uk or by calling 01443 864354.

**Please note this drop-in will be conducted bilingually.

Online drop-in sessions:

To attend one of the online drop-in sessions, please email publicengagement@caerphilly.gov.uk with your preferred date. We will then provide you with the link to attend the online session.

Next steps

The outcomes of the consultation will be considered by Education Scrutiny Committee before presentation to Cabinet for a decision in early 2025.