School Bus Fiasco Resolved

Parents of Tattenhall pupils about to start in Year 7 at Bishop Heber High School in September, can now breathe a huge sigh of relief as the Council has reviewed individual transport eligibility cases. Where 'eligibility' has now been determined as part of the review process, families will be relieved and overjoyed to receive the notification letters as they tumble through their letter boxes in the next day or so (letters were sent out by first class postage on 23 July).

Where (in a very small number of cases) it has been deemed that a family remains 'ineligible' for travel assistance, then a proportion of the mitigation fund which has been established will be offered. It has been agreed Bishop Heber High School will allocate the fund to its families in accordance with its own criteria. The school will be able to consider individual cases and offer the most appropriate financial support required for each familiy's circumstance.

This is an absolute coup on the part of our local community and following a sustained and brilliant team effort on the part of parents and other residents. Importantly too, the immediate intervention of our newly elected MP, Antoinette Sandbach, in which she wrote to the Chief Executive of the Council requesting that he immediately review the school bus transport changes, cannot be underestimated. In an email this morning, Antoinette commented ... 'It seems that there is some good news in this whole school transport saga'.

So, parents and pupils can now sit back, relax and enjoy their summer holidays, safe in the knowledge that 'common sense' has prevailed.

Happy holidays to you all!