Bradford Parents Oppose Proposed School Bus Service Cuts

Families have appealed to local authority officials to retain a specific bus route serving the sole Catholic secondary institution in Bradford. Bradford Council initiated a consultation on Tuesday regarding plans to discontinue bus services to St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College and Bingley Grammar School, effective September 2025. This initiative forms part of a broader strategy aimed at achieving £40 million in savings, as the council endeavors to stabilize its finances over the coming five-year period. A parent from St Bede’s and St Joseph’s, Laura Slack, 33, indicated that this change could necessitate enrolling her children in an alternative school. With a son in year eight and a daughter in primary school, she described the idea of her youngest attending a non-Catholic school nearer to their residence as “extremely overwhelming”. She noted that without the school bus, her children’s days would be extended, requiring them to use several public transport buses. Ms. Slack mentioned she is contemplating a different school for her daughter due to concerns that the commute would be “stressful”. She stated, “The absolutely amazing education you get from St Bede’s and St Joseph’s and the support you get from them is second to none.” She added, “It would be heartbreaking to see my daughter go to another school and it’s worrying me all day, every day.” Another mother, Elaine Worsley, explained that her youngest child has special educational needs and cannot travel by bus unsupervised. Mrs. Worsley, 38, elaborated, “He can’t ask for help when he needs it, he struggles with direction and has no road sense.” She indicated that discontinuing the school service would require her son to transfer buses in the city centre, a situation she described as “would not be appropriate for him”. “It’s just going to cause a lot more complications than we would like,” she commented, further emphasizing the importance of both her children attending a Catholic school. She explained, “Obviously it brings them up with the same values we were brought up with as children.” “There are not many options for that in Bradford anymore,” she concluded. In a communication addressed to council leader Susan Hinchcliffe, Lawrence Bentley, the headteacher of St Bede’s and St Joseph’s College, stated that over 900 students “depend on this essential service”. Mr. Bentley asserted that its removal “could prevent families from choosing a school that aligns with their values”. Furthermore, Mr. Bentley remarked that “the value of this education far exceeds any financial savings” and implored Hinchcliffe “to consider the broader impact” of the decision on families and the community. A petition opposing the proposed change has garnered over 2,300 signatures. Students who do not qualify for free transportation currently pay a weekly fee for the bus service, which receives a subsidy from the council. The council indicated that removing the subsidy would lead to a significant rise in fare expenses, but any such fare adjustment would fall under the purview of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, not the council itself. A spokesperson for Bradford Council commented: “The council is facing unprecedented financial challenges and needs to look at every area where it can make savings. “The proposals to change school travel arrangements, including the removal of dedicated bus services to Bingley Grammar School and St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College, could save Bradford Council in excess of £500,000 a year. “The proposals are subject to consultation and would also need approval by the council’s executive. “If agreed, they would be implemented from September 2025. “There are very few children who use these buses who actually qualify for free transport, and those who do so would continue to have assisted transport provided for them whatever the outcome of the consultation. “The council is working with the schools concerned to address any issues that could arise if the proposals go ahead.”