It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure their child arrives at school and returns home from school in a safe and responsible manner.
In order to assist parents in getting their child of school age to school safely and on time, the Education Authority has a policy of providing free transport to primary pupils who live one mile or more from their catchment primary school by the recognised shortest walking route.
This policy is more generous than the law requires. This means that the provision of transport could be reviewed at any time. Parents who consider they are eligible should obtain an application form from the school or education office or www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk. These forms should be completed and returned before the end of February for those pupils beginning school in August to enable the appropriate arrangements to be made. Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year but may be subject to delay whilst arrangements are made.
Parents should note that no transport provision is made for home journeys for infants who may have a shorter day until the first Monday in September. Children not collected by parents are supervised until the end of the normal school day. Chief Education Officer has discretion in special circumstances to grant permission for pupil’s to travel in transport provided by the authority where spare places are available and no additional costs are incurred. This is known as concessionary travel and parents are required to submit concessionary travel applications each year in the period June – July to ensure that consideration can be given to their request for concessionary transport for August.
Parents should obtain an application form from the education office or www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk.
Where free transport is provided it may be necessary for pupils to walk a certain distance to the vehicle pick-up points. Walking distance in total, including the distance from home to the pick-up point and from the drop-off point to the school in any one direction, will not exceed the authority’s limits (see above paragraph). It is the parents responsibility to ensure their child arrives at the pick-up point on time. It is also the parent’s responsibility to ensure the child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling and alighting from the vehicle. Misbehaviour could result in your child losing the right to free transport.
The education authority does not provide transport for those pupils in receipt of a placing request other than in exceptional circumstances.
In the case of early entry requests, if the child is offered a place in his/her catchment area school, transport will be provided in accordance with the council policy stated above.
