13 May 2012
Youth Select Committee
British Youth Council
Miss Grace Gurbutt
Mr Alan Gurbutt
16 Crabtree Lane
Sutton-on-Sea
Mablethorpe
Lincolnshire
LN12 2RT
Dear Sir / Madam,
Re: written evidence on provision of transport to facilities for children and
young people living in Mablethorpe and the surrounding area,
Lincolnshire.
Due to time constraints and GCSE commitments this is a joint father, daughter
submission. I am Alan Gurbutt, parent governor at Alford John Spendluffe
Academy (JSTC/A) in Lincolnshire. Grace, my daughter, is a member of the
National Children's Bureau (Young NCB). She attended the launch of transport
guides with Norman Baker and BYC and has in the past discussed
concessionary bus fares for our area with our MP, Sir Peter Tapsell.
Grace Gurbutt
My Concerns
Regarding transport in my area, I have a number of concerns:
There are two secondary schools in the village where I go to school: my school,
John Spendluffe Technology College (JSTC) and a Grammar school (QEGS).
For convenience and cost-effectiveness, students from both schools use the
same buses. I have had first-hand experience of discrimination just because I
attend JSTC. Whenever there is an incident on the bus, students from JSTC will
be the only people to get blamed by the bus driver because “The Grammar
School wouldn’t do such a thing.” I also know that we are the only school
having disciplinary assemblies on the subject of behaviour whilst using school
transport. This segregation continues through seating arrangements on the buses
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themselves: when travelling in double-decker buses, it is not uncommon for
JSTC students to be told to sit on the top deck and QEGS students to sit on the
bottom deck. I do not know why this is. I have also noticed that journeys on my
school bus don’t seem to be very safe as my bus driver consistently drives too
fast and erratically.
I have raised the issue of lack of concessionary transport to nearby leisure and
swimming facilities with Sir Peter Tapsell MP and asked about the delegation of
funds from unclaimed Senior Bus Passes to concessions for young people but I
have been told this cannot happen because the money needs to be kept by the
Government in case senior citizens decide to claim their passes. Since attending
the launch of Transport Guides developed by NCB, BYC and UKYP, I have
been made aware of a scheme in Staffordshire which is run by young people
and allows young people to travel on public transport for £1 a day. I have also
been in touch with Democratic Services in Lincoln who made me aware of the
Call Connect minibus scheme which runs across Lincolnshire but I have since
discovered that it is not very organised or flexible enough to meet young
people’s needs.
Rachel Monaghan at NCB has copies of my letters and emails to MPs and
Democratic Services. I can also supply them if required.
Thanks,
Grace
Alan Gurbutt
The Mablethorpe area lies to the south of the county on the coast in one of the
most deprived areas in England (top decile in the Index for Multiple
Deprivation). Please see attached map of schools / academies that serve the
Mablethorpe area.
Transport to schools / academies and Post 16 education
Issues pertaining to transport to post 16 provision can be found in the report
Narrowing the Gap in Deprived Areas of Lincolnshire, 2010 (p.16) - attached.
You will notice that transport to Boston, Lincoln and Grimsby puts two hours
on a journey (this should be each way). Since this report was published there
have been developments that will further reduce the choice and availability of
post 16 education for young people from less well-off families which are linked
to transport.
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Post 16 places at the designated sixth form college at Alford Queen Elizabeth’s
Grammar School Academy are extremely limited - see attached Police
Neighbourhood Profile, Mablethorpe / Alford, 2010, p.7., so there are no
concrete admissions for English Baccalaureate students who meet their entry
requirements from JSTC/A. Since this profile was published transport to
alternative providers for A-levels have significantly diminished.
Although a free bus is provided to the Grimsby Institute they have recently
scrapped A-levels without prior consultation with students at JSTC/A. The
narrative is entirely towards vocational courses, even for Ebacc students.
Although we are taking part in a RPA trial due to legal requirements for raising
the age for staying on in education, which I believe involves neighbouring local
authorities, to the best of my knowledge there has been no consultation with
students at our academy over transfer options to traditional A-levels. See
attached letters from Austin Mitchell MP and the Grimsby Institute.
Since raising concerns at every governor meeting about the lack of strategic
policy for post 16 provision, the co Chair has said “that it has always be them
and us” (the grammar school), “to leave it.” AOB has been removed from future
agendas.
JSTC/A have just produced Equality Act Objectives to promote Further
Education to students from low socio-economic backgrounds to encourage
effective participation in Post 16 education but our head has stated this is
merely a tick box exercise. His remark came after my complaint to the DCS –
see attached letter from DCS 20 March 2012.
There will be an increase of almost 100 per cent (from £202) to the cost of
student contributions for school and college transport in Lincolnshire over the
next four years – see link. In 2011/12 bus passes went up to £296.
The council’s transport policy severely restricts students’ choices for courses
because it only provides transport to nearest sixth forms:
“The designated sixth form will be (in most cases) the sixth form nearest
to your home. Do not assume that schools formerly designated for
transport for your area will continue to be the designated for sixth form.
Transport will not be agreed to any alternative school [or college, or
grammar school] even if the course is not available at the nearest.” See
link
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Transport will not be agreed to any alternative sixth form even if the course is
not available at the nearest, this includes A-levels.
This is in sharp contrast to the council’s policy for providing free transport to
grammar schools for students living more than 3 miles distant - see attached
letter from DCS 20 March 2012. I would argue the council are protecting
transport to selective education for students from more affluent families to the
detriment of those from less well-off families. Those on free school meals are
underrepresented in grammar schools in Lincolnshire - see attached table from
an answer to a parliamentary question on numbers and proportions of pupils in
selective and non-selective state-funded secondary schools [and academies].
Entitlement to transport on the grounds of low income only applies to students
who attend secondary schools aged 11-16.
Means tested entitlement for concessionary transport is set far too low at
£16,190, well below the median average wage of approximately £25, 000 – see
link.
To reinforce my evidence: the ability to pay for transport is affecting students’
opportunities to reach their full potential - choice over attending a good school
over a failing one - those living in the Sandilands area of Mablethorpe do not
receive concessionary transport to JSTC/A which is rated as outstanding
because their nearest secondary school is Mablethorpe Tennyson High School
which is ranked amongst the worst performing schools in England – see link.
The council’s Post 16 Education Transport Policy lacks clarity and transparency
over bursary schemes available at colleges they are working with, whether these
providers are able to support transport for post 16 – see attached policy
document. It is doubtful they will come close to replacing EMA.
Health and safety issues exist around Wheels 2 Work and Training – see
attached Post 16 Education Transport Policy, use of mopeds, scooters and
electric bikes. Lincolnshire’s roads are notorious, they claim lives: vulnerable
groups are young drivers, aged between 17 and 24, motorcyclists and cyclists.
The county council’s budget for road safety has been slashed by 25 per cent
because of local authority austerity measures – see link. It is debatable whether
it would be sensible to attempt a two hour journey on such apparatus.
The council’s Post 16 Education Transport Policy refers to transport operators
having travel card schemes, discounts and promotions. These schemes are
unavailable for students travelling to Alford JSTC/A from the Mablethorpe
area. I made enquiries in 2011 but was told by Grayscroft Bus Company,
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Mablethorpe (our transport provider) that they were unwilling to offer
concessions to JSTC/A as they lie outside the council’s school catchment area
for concessionary transport. They also made the excuse students may lose out
on pre-payments for tickets or passes if they were off school for any reason.
The University of Lincoln provide summer schools for students from around the
county to raise aspirations for learning. Dan Hadfield, the university’s Schools
and Colleges Liaison Manager and I have been trying to engage Mablethorpe /
Alford schools and academies to arrange transport for students to Lincoln. We
have been unsuccessful.
Yours faithfully,
Alan Gurbutt
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Red box: “our area” (Approximately 100 students are bussed from Mablethorpe to Alford
JSTC/secondary modern/Academy.)
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