Council considers axing faith school transport

Council looking at scrapping buses for faith schools. St Mary's Catholic High School Newbold Road Chesterfield.

Derbyshire County Council has launched talks on proposals to scrap funding for transport to religious schools.

Schools which would be affected by the cut would be All Saints Primary School, Bakewell, and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Matlock.

If the plans are approved, pupils who currently attend a faith school would have to organise their own transport – saving the authority £1million a year.

The council, which must make cuts of £157million in the next five years, admitted the proposals were ‘disappointing’.

Kevin Gillott, cabinet member for children and younger adults, said: “We are extremely disappointed to have to consider ending subsidised transport to faith schools.

“It currently costs us £1million a year to provide transport for 1,680 pupils whose parents or carers have chosen to send them to a faith school.”

Paul Scully, head teacher at St Joseph’s Primary School, said he was sure the loss of transport would affect parents of children at his school.

The consultation is due to run until December 2.

For further information on the councils school transport policy, visit the authority’s web page www.derbyshire.gov.uk/get2school