Transportation

Bus Services from Haywards Heath to the College

Consultation Meeting

On Thursday, 2 November, about 60 parents attended a consultation meeting in the College about the future travel arrangements from Haywards Heath to St Paul’s.

The meeting was chaired by John de Mierre, County Councillor, and was attended by Ian Gwenlan and David Crockford from the Transport Department at West Sussex, and the two parent representatives of the working party, John Carey and Maria Lenartowicz.

Background

John Flower outlined, briefly, the background to the issue over transport. WSCC had been providing three coaches to transport children from Haywards Heath, but in view of the cost, this had been a temporary arrangement. The alternative solution suggested by West Sussex, of using the train and service buses had been unacceptable to parents, he added. John de Mierre then referred to the working party that had been set up, whose members included County Councillors, Governors, Parents, County Officers and the Headteacher.

Proposals

David Crockford then outlined West Sussex’s proposals, which were in two stages:

January 2007: Two double decker buses will replace the three single decker buses assuming that a deal can be struck with a bus company. Parents would be informed of which bus their child would travel on during the week before the end of this term.

September 2007: One double decker bus would be provided which made a double journey. Students who would catch the early bus in the morning would be transported home immediately after school, and the rest would make the second journey before and after school.

A number of questions were asked by parents; these generally centred around:

• The routes taken by the bus in September
• The availability of places for Sixth Form students
• Whether parents would be able to express a preference for which bus their child travelled on

The Officers agreed to take into account all views expressed before publishing their proposed routes for September 2007. They pointed out that final decisions could not be taken until after the Governors had offered places to those students starting at the College in both Year 7 and Year 12 in September 2007.

Recommendations

At the end of the meeting, John de Mierre informed parents that as they were prepared to accept the working party’s recommendations, he would ask the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Mark Dunn, to accept the proposals.

Postscript

I am pleased to report that Mark Dunn has accepted the proposals, which will now be implemented by West Sussex.

JFF
07.11.06

The Future of Denominational Travel in West Sussex

All parents should be aware that at the meeting regarding buses from Haywards Heath on 2 November, Ian Gwenlan, from West Sussex’s Transport department, informed parents that West Sussex are going to conduct a review of current arrangements for providing transport to aided schools across the County. He indicated that West Sussex were contemplating introducing a charge for new pupils going to Aided Schools, both Catholic and Church of England, from September 2008.

John Flower will be attending a meeting later this month with County and Diocesan Officers to look at proposals.

JFF
07.11.06