Shipston family’s “horrifically dangerous” walk to get girl, 7, to school
A SHIPSTON mum says she is having to walk her young children down a “horrifically dangerous” road to school, after the council rejected her application for transport.
Verity Hannah makes the hazardous journey along the A3400 pushing two-and-a-half-year-old Fergus in his buggy and with seven-year-old Melody-Rose by her side.
The two-mile route to Newbold-Tredington primary school sees the youngsters making their way along a narrow path barely a foot wide in places, leaving them inches from heavy traffic doing 60 mph.
Fergus is being assessed for autism and Melody-Rose for ADHD, so both are highly sensitive to loud noises and need ear defenders.
Verity, who has physical disabilities due to sclerosis, doesn’t drive and husband Jonathan works 12-hour days so isn’t able to take the children to school.
She applied to Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) transport team for a non-paying place on the existing school bus service from Shipston to Newbold-Tredington and was rejected on the grounds it’s not the family’s closest school.
But she says it’s the closest suitable school for Melody-Rose’s neuro-divergent needs.
In a desperate second attempt, she offered to pay but was again given the thumbs-down and told there aren’t any paid-for seats on the coach available – even though she says she can see the 50-seater Baker’s coach is three-quarters empty.
Verity said: “The road we walk along is horrifically dangerous – it’s very scary when you’re walking along there with young children.
“The footpath’s only about 12 inches wide in places and cars are literally whizzing towards them.
“My mind is full of hundreds of horrible thoughts, because all it takes is one icy morning and a car doing 60mph to slide off the road.”
Melody-Rose, who’s in Year 2, was at Shipston primary but Verity applied for a place at Newbold Tredington school, where she says her daughter is now flourishing.
She explained: “The distance to Newbold-Tredington isn’t the problem.
“It’s that the road is so dangerous and loud that by the time Melody-Rose gets to school, she’s already over simulated.”
She added: “Rejecting my application for school transport is completely ridiculous, because there’s plenty of space on the bus.
“There’s a family with pretty much an identical set-up to me, who live around the corner and they get transport provided.
“The council and the government want kids to be in school but they’re not making it easy.
“It shouldn’t be this hard for me to get my child to school so she can have a good education.“
A spokesperson for WCC said: “We understand that school transport eligibility can be a significant concern for families, and we are here to offer guidance and support to help parents make informed decisions.
“Our home to school transport policy is designed to promote fairness while meeting our legal responsibilities.
“To qualify for free school transport, a child must attend one of the following: the nearest qualifying school to their home with available places, the priority area school designated for their residence that aligns with the child’s age, ability, and aptitude, and considers any special transport needs they may have, or the priority area school in which they reside. If a child attends a school that does not meet these criteria, unfortunately, they will not qualify for free transport under the current policy.
“We understand that these decisions can be challenging, and we encourage parents to reach out to us with any questions or for support.”