Parents’ and campaigners’ fury at ongoing school travel issues
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Parents living in Whitehawk are furious that the cost and availability of bus travel to secondary school is still severely limiting school choice and disadvantaging families and pupils from the area. As the deadline looms for secondary school applications, we demand action now.
Since June 2021 we have put pressure on the council to provide free school travel to all pupils living in the area and more direct buses to secondary schools from Whitehawk. Despite pressure from local people, including a petition signed by nearly one thousand residents and a deputation to Full Council in April there has been no change, leaving parents in a position where they are having to put consideration about cost before deciding on the best choice of school for their child.
“Whitehawk doesn’t have a community school and all children must travel over three miles to get to secondary school. None of the children in our neighbourhood have the option to walk or cycle because there are no safe routes. The deadline to apply for secondary school is looming and it’s deeply unfair that before parents decide what school is right for their child, they have to think first about the cost of bus travel.”
David Bailey, Whitehawk resident, local parent and Class Divide campaigner
In April 2022, councillors on the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee voted to instruct council officers to produce a report on school transport and its impact on education for pupils in East Brighton. The report has not yet been published.
“We are very disappointed on the lack of progress Brighton and Hove City Council has made on this issue. Only 37% of young people from Whitehawk, Manor Farm, and Bristol Estate are equipped with basic grades at GCSE English and Maths in 2019, leaving school at a serious disadvantage to the citywide average of 69% that year. We know that Covid will have widened this gap further. The current school travel policy is complicated but with a few exceptions only children who are attending Longhill School can access a free and direct school bus. All other children must pay, face long waits for buses after attending after-school clubs, and have to get up very early to take long and complicated journeys to school. Most importantly it makes it much less likely children from these areas will fulfill their dreams and ambitions.”
Class Divide spokesperson Dr Carlie Goldsmith
Class Divide want no more delay. We demand an immediate change to the transport policy so that it is fair and equitable for all citizens of Brighton and Hove.
No parent should have to decide between heating, eating or bus fares to get their children to school..
“It costs me £70 a month to get my two children to school. With the cost-of-living crisis, I know lots of families who are going without essentials in order to pay bus fares. Every school option is miles away from our community and so all children in this part of the city should be entitled to free travel to school. This means parents can put the education needs of their children first when deciding on a school place.”
Gemma Virgo, a local parent
“Brighton and Hove City Council are dragging their feet and saying that the committee system makes any progress on this issue painfully slow. But Whitehawk parents are making school choices and having to find bus fare now. Not being able to afford to travel to school is a social justice issue and one that affects many families across the city but the lack of a local secondary school in Whitehawk makes it worse for these parents. I think this is what happens when the people representing and working for our communities are completely out of touch, having not lived in the places they are meant to support, and they have no lived experience. If they did there would be urgency on this matter, but clearly, no-one at the council can really understand how serious this situation is for families in Whitehawk.”
Curtis James, a member of the Class Divide campaign
As well as the cost issues, the early mornings can have a negative health and learning impact. Research shows that adolescents lack of sleep is associated with poor academic performance, with increased chances of being overweight, drinking alcohol and smoking.
“I think it is very very challenging for children from Whitehawk, as young people need to make such tricky journeys to get to secondary school. That's a firmly held view of mine that it's much too soon to be making such a tricky journey that requires such resilience and independence at that stage of their learning career. I wonder if that sets them up to be successful as learners at nine o'clock in the morning.”
Thomas McMorrin - Headteacher - City Academy Whitehawk
How you can help
We know there are no simple solutions to the issues we have outlined, but, we feel things might move a little faster with more of the city getting behind this campaign. If what you have read has made your blood boil, we’ve created a simple letter for you to send to the relevant people at the council. We’ve also created a list of email addresses to make it super easy for you to send.