Parents encouraged to fill in school transport survey

Parents are being asked to complete a short survey to let Derbyshire County Council know how they intend their children will make the journey from home to school when the new academic year starts in September.

The council organises and pays for home to school transport for 6,500 entitled students.

It is provided free of charge for primary pupils who live two miles from their normal area school and for secondary pupils who live three miles away.

Travel is also provided for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability or an Education, Health and Care Plan.

The government has asked all councils to find out how parents are intending to get their children to school in September, when all pupils are expected back.

Parents are also being asked to consider if school journeys can be done on foot, bike or scooter, if this is safe and practical to do. The survey also asks for parents views on what measures would help them to do this.  

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Young People, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “We need to know how parents are intending to get their children to school in September so we can do all we can to provide the right level of transport.

“We’d encourage all parents to think about walking, cycling or scooting to school, and to let us know what we could do to help with that. Our resources are limited, but we will carefully look at what parents tell us.

“We’re also asking schools for their views. We will then be looking to see if there is anything we can do to accommodate any changes they would like, working with our bus operators.

“I’d urge all parents and carers to complete the survey to help us work out how we can help get children to school safely in September.”

The survey for parents and carers is on the council’s website at derbyshire.gov.uk/schooltravelsurvey. The survey closes on Friday 31 July.

All schools in Derbyshire have also been asked to complete a school survey, which seeks to find out if schools are changing start or finish times, and asks for views on some pupils arriving later in the day if buses are to do more than one journey. This survey closes on Wednesday 22 July.