Decision details

1.Coppice School will become an academy with Nexus in November. This means that if the academy retain the drivers, escorts and buses, they will not automatically have the right to transfer their own students. As the Council has the statutory responsibility for providing travel assistance, the academy would have to bid for the work as would any other independent organisation/business.

2. The buses of which there are 15 in number must be parked up securely in the middle of the school day and over-night. The ideal parking arrangements from a practical and environmental
point of view would be to continue to park the buses at the School. The Trust require the use of the buses on certain occasions. One of the buses has a specialist rear lift ensuring that youngsters with the use of wheel chairs can take part in the activities requiring transport. The Trust has agreed to host the buses and the Council has agreed to allow occasional use as the quid pro quo for the parking facility. An agreement has been negotiated in principle setting forth
each party’s responsibilities and obligations.

3. The co-ordination and organisation required to transport the children at Coppice to school and home again is a significant task. There are benefits to such a task being undertaken by the
School. The school understand the needs of the children and can communicate to drivers directly any concerns or additional arrangements that might need to be made. The Council wish to make a grant available towards the additional costs for the school to undertake the tasks of coordination pick- ups and drop offs in the sum of £26.815.34

1.To transfer 10 members of staff from the line management of Coppice school to the Travel Assistance Service department of the Council to take effect prior to the transfer of the School to
academy status

2. To enter into an agreement for the provision by the Nexus Multi Academy Trust of a bus parking facility and the occasional use by the Trust of the buses parked there to take the children on field trips and other outings connected to their education.

3. To enter into a grant agreement to assist with the co-ordination and administration requirements connected to the provision by the Council of bus transport to and from Coppice School for the children and parents.

The other option is to leave the staff and assets with Coppice. This would mean that as an independent organisation the academy would have to bid in order to provide transport for the children on roll with them. If the academy was unsuccessful there are issues regarding the lack of consistency for children and relating to industrial relations.