Travel costs soar for sixth-formers in Shropshire

Broseley councillor Ian Pickles said youngsters living in the town have seen prices jump by more than £100 in one year.

He said rising costs are a concern for parents, who are now having to cough up £766 for the youngsters to travel by bus from Broseley to William Brookes School in Much Wenlock.

Councillor Pickles said: "When I was mayor last year, Shropshire Council proposed to increase the ticket price for sixth-form students to travel from Broseley to William Brookes School to £875 a year. This is a huge amount of money for parents to find when in Bridgnorth, Shifnal and Much Wenlock sixth-form students can walk to school.

"We campaigned against this increase and last year Shropshire Council made the ticket price £658. This year it has been raised to £766, which is a lot of money for parents to find and a real struggle for many."

Councillor Pickles said Shropshire Council decided to build sixth-form provision in Much Wenlock despite the population of Broseley being "much larger".

Figures released by Shropshire Council revealed bus fares were set to leap from £230 during the 2009/10 academic year to £875 for 2016/17.

But the council said it was providing a £142.50 contribution to those on low income.

Karen Bradshaw, Shropshire Council's director of children's services, said: "In relation to the participation age and current transport legislation, the council has a statutory duty to provide free school transport to those pupils aged five to 16 who are attending their nearest school and living over the statutory walking distance.

"However, travel for post-16 students is discretionary and supported by the council through its post-16 contribution scheme.

"Not all students will of course be subject to the payment of the full contribution scheme. Recent data show 60 per cent of students for last year were subject to the low income charge of £67.50 rather than the full contribution level of £658.

"Where a student is travelling on a local bus service and the operator offers a bus pass at a lower cost than our contribution scheme, we will signpost the students to the operator."

Geoff Renwick, headteacher at William Brookes, said the school's primary concern as a sixth form provider was to offer a high quality education to students from the immediate and surrounding areas.