Cambridgeshire County Council (25 013 113)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 04-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse Mrs X’s application for free home-to-school transport for her child. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Redbridge (24 014 994)

Statement Upheld School transport 03-Nov-2025

Summary: The Council wrongly assessed G’s application for free home to school transport using the law, and its policy, for post-16 pupils, when G was compulsory school age. It imposed a personal transport budget as G’s transport offer, when this required parental consent. It failed to notice its error at subsequent appeals. G’s parents had to divert funding provided for social care needs to get G to and from school, and some days G could not go to school. The family missed out on respite and G missed leisure activities social care had determined were needed to aid G’s development. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and make service improvements. The complaint is upheld.

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (24 020 851)

Statement Upheld School transport 30-Oct-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council had failed to provide a reliable escort to take her disabled son to school, as required. The Council has investigated the complaints and accepted fault. We agree with the Council’s findings, but we considered that there should be a symbolic payment to recognise the avoidable distress and inconvenience caused to the family. The Council has agreed to this. We are therefore closing the complaint.

Suffolk County Council (25 007 003)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 28-Oct-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to provide her child with funded transport to school. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant further investigation.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (24 021 790)

Statement Upheld School transport 23-Oct-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council provided inadequate information and did not properly consider her application and appeals for free school transport for her child. We find fault in the Council’s actions for the misleading guidance at application stage and giving wrong information in its stage one appeal response. This caused undue distress to Mrs X and the Council should apologise.

Birmingham City Council (25 000 076)

Statement Not upheld School transport 23-Oct-2025

Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly stopped free home to school transport for his child, Y. He also complained about the Council’s charges for the discretionary spare seat transport. There is no fault in the way the Council made its decision during the application, stage one and two appeal, so we cannot criticise the decision. Matters around charges have been resolved between Mr X and the Council.

Surrey County Council (25 006 528)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 23-Oct-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse his application for free home to school transport for his child. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council to warrant an investigation.

London Borough of Brent (24 021 819)

Statement Upheld School transport 21-Oct-2025

Summary: Miss B complained the Council failed to properly consider whether to award school transport for her daughter. The Council failed to properly consider Miss B’s representations, the discretionary element of its policy and failed to arrange a stage two panel to consider the case. That leaves Miss B with some uncertainty about whether her daughter would have secured school transport. An apology, payment to Miss B and training for officers is satisfactory remedy.

Surrey County Council (25 007 917)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 20-Oct-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to decline Mr X’s application for travel assistance for his child Y. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council (25 004 455)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 08-Oct-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to consider an appeal against its decision to refuse to provide school transport for Mrs X’s child. There is insufficient evidence of fault.