Letter to NYC Regarding School Catchment Free Transport

Dear Councillors of North Yorkshire and Parents,

RE: NYC Home to School Transport Policy – Catchment Area Not Nearest School

I am writing to you as a former secondary headteacher with twenty years of experience – eighteen of them in North Yorkshire, regarding the Home to School Transport Policy which was adopted by the North Yorkshire Council (NYC) with effect from September 1^st, 2024. This policy was accepted by the council without any reference to the likely impact on families, schools and the local community in the interests of reducing the costs to NYC in the short term. The medium- and long-term impact on these same individuals and groups was not considered.

It is imperative that all councillors attend the extraordinary meeting arranged for 21st May, 2025 at County Hall to reconsider this issue because it will adversely affect schools in Tockwith, Kirk Hammerton, Boroughbridge, Settle, Swaledale, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby. Currently, schools in these areas are considering offering financial support to families for transport but in the longer term this will not be possible. The decision by the NYC to save money on transport in the short term, means that maintained or improved student numbers will be sacrificed on the altar of balancing books for this year or next rather than securing sufficient students to grow a local economy.

Short-termism has become the hallmark of recent NYC policies, and it really is time for councillors to think about the future with imagination, ambition and hope. All the data reveals that market towns and coastal resorts are very successful at attracting older people to take up residence in our areas, but we also need younger families to provide energy, ideas and workers in the hospitality, caring, maritime, agricultural, building and healthcare industries.

The concept of catchment area must be central to the “Home to School Transport Policy” in North Yorkshire rather than ‘nearest school’ regardless of boundary, if we are to: –

1. Ensure that children from one family follow their siblings to secondary school.

2. Preserve the concept of family of schools moving to secondary partners.

3. Develop a community identity where young people are proud of their area and school.

4. Embrace the notion, espoused by recent governments, to develop and enhance community cohesion.

5. Offer secondary education opportunities which attract a variety of learners.

Of course, all of those involved in this discussion are aware that local councils have been starved of cash by successive governments. However, to quote Einstein, we are not going to improve the outcome by constantly applying the same measures; we need to look at things differently. So, councillors please attend the meeting on May 21^st and parents please campaign peacefully at County Hall before the meeting. We must insist on bringing “Catchment Area Back” into the Home to School Transport Policy. If you do not reverse your earlier decision, it will further erode the development of traditional towns and villages and enable them to morph into retirement centres even more quickly.

Yours sincerely,

D.W. Bradley, B.Ed., FRSA