This guidance, to which local authorities are under a statutory duty to have regard, is issued under duties placed on the Secretary of State by sections 508A and 508D of the Education Act 1996 (the Act). It deals with sections 508A, 508B, 508C, 509AD, and Schedule 35B of the Act which were inserted by Part 6 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (the EIA 2006). The guidance covers local authority duties, and powers relating to sustainable school travel, and the provision of school travel arrangements for children and young people. Separate guidance to Pathfinder authorities has been issued dealing with the school travel schemes introduced by section 508E of the Act. The guidance should also be read taking into account local authority duties to prepare Children and Young People’s Plans. Any area-wide Children and Young People’s Plan should make reference to the Sustainable School Travel Strategy, which should make direct reference to locate itself within the framework, context and commissioning processes of the Children and Young People’s Plan. Part 1 of this guidance deals with section 508A — the local authority duty to promote sustainable travel. Part 2 deals with sections 508B and 508C — general local authority duties relating to the provision of travel arrangements for children in their area. Part 3 provides guidance relating to the provision of travel arrangements for “eligible children” and explains the term “qualifying schools”. — section 508B and Schedule 35B. Part 4 deals with local authority powers relating to the provision of travel arrangements for other children — section 508C. Part 5 deals with the duty placed on local authorities to have regard to religion or belief in exercising their school travel functions — section 509AD. Part 6 deals with policy changes, and appeal procedures. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting