08481FOI

Question 1a

What is the current cost of providing return transport from Caythorpe to Sir William Robertson High School, Welbourn - per child, per day or week or term or year?

Contract 3537 (Operated by Sleafordian Coaches) serves Sir William Robertson High School from Caythorpe. This is a closed contract, meaning only pupils\students authorised by Lincolnshire County Council can travel.

Cost of the contract is £84 per day for the provision of a 53 Seater vehicle

Question 1b

How many children is this service currently provided for?

As at 04 Mar 10 - 39 pupils\students are allocated

Question 2a

What is the current cost of providing return transport from Caythorpe to the Sleaford schools for pupils in the 6th form (years 12 and 13) - per child, per day or week or term or year?

Service SL10 (Operated by Sleafordian Coaches) serves Sleaford Schools from Caythorpe. This is a Commercial Service, on which Lincolnshire County Council bulk purchases tickets.

Cost of the service is £163.16 per day for 45 tickets.

Question 2b

How many children is this service currently provided for?

As at 04 Mar 10 - 51 pupils\students are allocated

Question 3a

What is the current cost of providing return transport from Caythorpe to the Grantham schools/college for pupils in the 6^th form - per child, per day or week or term or year?

Service 0001 (Operated by StageCoach) serves Grantham Schools from Caythorpe. This is a Commercial Service, on which Lincolnshire County Council purchase individual tickets.

Cost of the service is £3.12 per ticket per day.

Question 3b

How many children is this service currently provided for?

As at 04 Mar 10 - 38 pupils\students are allocated

Question 4a

What is the current cost of providing return transport from Hough on the Hill and Gelston to the Grantham secondary schools - per child, per day or week or term or year?

There is no direct transport from these locations, instead “Feeder” taxis are provided. These taxis transport pupils\students to & from the main bus routes. From there tickets are issued for pupils\students to travel as normal.

Hough on the Hill -

Feeder Taxi - Contract 4579 - Cost £31.73 per day.

Bus Ticket - Service S41D - Cost £166.98 (Bulk purchase of 66Tickets)

Gelston -

Feeder Taxi - Contract 4875 - Cost £16.08 per day.

Bus Ticket - Contract 1440 - Cost £163.94 (closed contract)

Question 4b

How many children is this service currently provided for?

Allocations - As at 04 Mar 10

4579- 1 pupil\student allocated

S41D - 62 pupils\students allocated

4875 - 3 pupils\students allocated

1440 - 43 pupils\students allocated

Question 5

Which geographic areas and villages are currently provided with free or subsidised school transport to the grammar schools in

Grantham?

See attached spreadsheet

Question 6

Which geographic areas and villages are currently provided with free or subsidised school transport to the grammar schools in

Sleaford?

See attached spreadsheet

Question 7a

Has the recommended “full-scale review of the County Council's Designated Transport Area Policy … as the current system is both

unfair and uneconomic” (Social Wellbeing Scrutiny Panel (October 2006) 'Home to School Transport for Pupils aged 4 to 16 years', Lincolnshire County Council) been undertaken yet?

No, the review has not been undertaken (it was a Scrutiny Group recommendation, not an Executive decision)

Question 7b

If the answer to question 7a is 'NO', when is the review scheduled to take place?

It isn't at the moment. However, it is up for consideration through the OBC Passenger Transport project report. No decision has yet been taken

Question 7c

If the answer to question 7a is 'YES', could I have a copy of the review findings?

N/A

Question 8

Does the Council continue to support the provision of grammar school education in Lincolnshire?

Yes, the County Council clearly continues to support grammar school provision in Lincolnshire but, we have a mixed economy in Lincolnshire - selective and non-selective areas.

Caythorpe village is in a non-selective area for 11-16 (Sir William Robertson - a comprehensive school), but joint 6th form provision in Sleaford (provided by an academy and 2 grammar schools).

The County Council, therefore, also supports its comprehensive schools).

Question 9

What is the difference between 'catchment areas' and 'designated transport areas'?

`Catchment areas' are areas around a school which are used by schools and local authorities to determine priority for admission to the school. Lincolnshire does not operate a system of catchment areas for its community and controlled schools, but foundation and aided schools, which are their own admissions authorities, are able to set admissions criteria, and sometimes refer to `catchment areas' around their schools

Designated transport areas (DTAs) are areas around schools and colleges in Lincolnshire which are used to determine entitlement to school transport. If an address is in the `DTA' of a particular school, then a child of school age is entitled to free home to school transport if the distance from home to the `DTA school' is more than two miles at the primary stage or three miles at the secondary stage. DTas are mainly based upon parish boundaries, and there are separate DTAs for primary schools, secondary all-ability schools, grammar schools, and colleges of further education. We hold a list of all DTAs in Lincolnshire which are used to help assess entitlement to transport support.