THE cost of a “surplus” seat on Dorset school buses is likely to rise from £800 to £825 next year – and will be linked to the retail price index after that.

Councillors are being recommended to approve the change when the people and health overview committee meets next week, June 28th – although a final decision will be made by the council Cabinet towards the end of July.

The change is the only one being recommended in a review of Dorset Council’s school transport policies.

Issued raised during the consultation include 15 families who said it was unfair that pupils attending the Swanage School would not be entitled to transport except in cases where it is the closest to their home – despite the school extending its catchment area across Purbeck.

In response the Swanage School claimed it was inappropriate to continue providing transport to the Purbeck School at Wareham for families living in the Swanage area when the Swanage School still has places – objections the Free School also made in 2017 and 2018.

Dorset Council say their policy is based on legal advice under the Education and Inspection Act of 2006 and that to change it would disproportionately low income families and could have a knock on effect in the Verwood area where similar arrangements exist with pupils being in the catchment areas of both the Queen Elizabeth School and Ferndown Upper School.