Rachel has written to the Reform UK leader of Warwickshire County Council, George Finch, after he requested permission from the government to cut home-to-school transport for children in Warwickshire, which could have forced children from the age of eight to walk up to five miles to school, and children under eight up to four miles.
Labour have confirmed they would block the plans, with the Education Secretary branding them “Victorian”.
In the letter, Rachel said:
I know having spoken to residents in North Warwickshire and Bedworth that these plans have caused considerable worry among parents who rely on home-to-school transport, especially in a rural area like the one I represent. At a time when families are already struggling to make ends meet, I do not believe it would be fair to put in place further barriers to children getting to school, so I am pleased to see the Education Secretary has rejected your request.
I do wonder whether you have considered how difficult it would be and how long it would take a parent to walk a five-year-old to school for more than 2 miles in the freezing cold?
Could you confirm that parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not need to be concerned about their child losing their home-to-school transport, including those with Education Health and Care Plans?
Furthermore, pupils are entitled to receive extended home-to-school transport support if they are eligible for free school meals, or a primary carer is in receipt of universal credit and earns below £7400. Would your proposal take away home-to-school support from this group of especially vulnerable children?
Can you also confirm to my constituents that Reform UK has no plans to scrap the provision of WCC-funded school buses for pupils who live more than two miles from their primary school or three miles from their secondary school?
In May, Reform UK promised voters that they could keep taxes low and protect local services by delivering magical efficiency savings in Warwickshire. However, it has been very clear since then that you had no plan to deliver those savings, and as your letter this week has made clear, you are now proposing that young families should pay the price for your failure to deliver on that central pledge.
I want to be absolutely clear that it would be unacceptable to withdraw school transport support from ordinary, hard-working families in Warwickshire. I would urge you to withdraw your request to the Secretary of State to force young children to walk many miles to school, often where there are no pavements or safe routes, and get back to focusing on delivering improvements for my constituents in North Warwickshire and Bedworth.