Island Families Face Long Commutes to School

A group of parents on an island are concerned that their children's new school assignments will result in lengthy bus rides, totaling over 10 hours per week.

Two mothers, Lisa Ditchman and Jo Gipson, who reside on Mersea Island in Essex, had hoped their daughters would attend Thomas Lord Audley School in nearby Colchester, but instead, they have been offered spots at a different school about nine miles away.

Ditchman is urging decision-makers to consider the well-being of the children, rather than just viewing them as statistics, saying 'please see the children as more than just a number'.

Essex County Council has stated that individual schools determine which students are offered places, and families have the option to appeal these decisions.

Both parents had only applied to Thomas Lord Audley School, which is approximately seven miles from Mersea Island, but were offered spots at Paxman Academy instead.

Many students can travel to school on a free direct bus, as there are no closer secondary schools in the area.

However, since Ditchman and Gipson did not provide a second or third choice, their daughters were assigned to Paxman Academy, which would require a more complex bus route.

To get to Paxman Academy, the children would need to take a bus to Colchester city center and then transfer to another bus to reach the school.

According to the bus schedule, the journey would take just over an hour, but Gipson's daughter would need to leave home at 6:40 am to catch the bus, nearly two hours before classes start.

Gipson expressed her concerns, saying 'we don't want our 11-year-old daughters to have to do that'.

Mersea Island is connected to the mainland by a single road, which can flood during high tide, making travel even more challenging.

The county council reported that about 83% of children in Essex were assigned to their first-choice school for the upcoming academic year.

Thomas Lord Audley School currently has 921 students, despite having a capacity of 840 pupils, according to government data.

Both parents acknowledged that the school is overcrowded but questioned the criteria used to determine which students were offered places.

Ditchman pointed out that if their daughters are expected to use public transportation, they would be traveling alone for around 15 hours a week.

The council stated that students who were not assigned to any of their preferred schools would be allocated to the closest available school to their home address.

The council also mentioned that parents of children assigned to Paxman Academy can apply for school transportation, and if eligible, the council would provide it.

According to the council's website, students are eligible for free transportation if they attend their nearest secondary school, which is more than three miles away.

The eligibility criteria differ for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

When asked by the BBC, a council spokesperson explained that even if a child applied to all nearby schools but was assigned elsewhere, they might still be eligible for free transportation.

Sigma Trust, which operates both schools, declined to comment and referred the BBC to the local authority.

This issue has raised concerns among parents and students on Mersea Island, who are now facing the prospect of lengthy commutes to school.

The situation highlights the challenges faced by families living in rural or island areas, where access to schools and transportation can be limited.

As the new school year approaches, these families are hoping for a solution that will make their children's daily commute more manageable.

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