Schoolchildren's journeys from North Yorkshire to Cumbria

Pupils from the Upper Dales in North Yorkshire are having to go through "unsuitable" journeys to parts of Cumbria, according to one headteacher in the region, due to the nearest school being identified through a digital tool used by the council.

This issue has seen children from Reeth, Grinton, Hurst and other locations in the Yorkshire Dales having to travel to Kirby Stephen in Cumbria for school, despite no thoughts made about the conditions of the roads that school buses are using. 

One of the routes that school buses have to take in North Yorkshire (Image: SUBMIT) Concerns about the new transport policy were raised by Gordon Stainsby, headteacher of Reeth and Gunnerside Primary Schools, who addressed the Richmond Area Committee, and noted how the changes have impacted children and their secondary school choices.

The new digital tool, which Mr Stainsby claims identifies the nearest school for each pupil uses the shortest route by road, irrespective of the nature or type of road, or its feasibility as a school transport route.

Speaking at the committee meeting, which took place on September 16, Mr Stainsby said: "For many years, pupils from our schools in Reeth and Gunnerside have attended Richmond School – our catchment secondary school.

"This makes a lot of sense as the B6270 to Richmond is our only low-level route to a nearby town. Swaledale is surrounded by high-altitude moorland. While some other secondary schools may well be closer, these upland routes are 420m, 468m and 515m above sea level.

The road between Reeth and Kirby Stephen (Image: GOOGLE MAPS) "The Wensleydale School in Leyburn is identified as the nearest school for pupils living in Reeth.

"The calculation is based on travelling on a minor road through Grinton, and over the moor.

"Larger vehicles are not allowed by law to use the road, due to a weight restriction yet it has been used to identify the nearest school.

"In upper Swaledale, the digital tool has identified Kirkby Stephen as closest although the route there is 515m above sea level and dangerous in winter.

"While the nearest school principle is easy to understand in most contexts, its application in our region requires further consideration."

During the conversation, Mr Stainsby highlighted a case study, which saw two families living one mile apart and on a road that would be used to travel to all the nearby schools receiving a different list of schools.

The headteacher added that one of the families had received a Wensleydale school at 8.0320 miles, Richmond School at 9.892 miles and a third school at 10.139 miles, while family two also received Wensleydale school as the closest one at 7.032 miles but the second school listed is the Risedale School at 9.633 miles and then the Richmond School at 9.716 miles – which Mr Stainsby called a "discrepancy".

A school bus (Image: PA MEDIA) Mr Stainsby has called on the council to undertake risk assessments and rethink the digital tool used to identify the nearest school and school transport. 

Alongside concerns expressed by the headteacher of Reeth and Gunnerside Primary Schools, members of the Richmond area committee, which includes councillors Yvonne Peacock, David and  Hugill and Angus Thompson among others. 

These concerns included relating to parents having to choose a school without prior knowledge of the transport arrangements, and the fact that roads in Swaledale were not gritted at the moment, which put schoolchildren at 'risk'.

Councillors on the committee called for a 'pause' to the process and assess the routes, before rolling the digital tool back out again. 

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In response to the concerns raised by Mr Stainsby and the councillors Jon Holden, strategic planning manager at North Yorkshire Council, said that the digital tool had been subject to extensive testing before it was released, but an investigation would be put in place to identify where errors may have been made.  

Councillor Annabell Wilkinson, the executive member for Education, Learning and Skills, who is part of the Richmond committee, also stated that the new policy had been approved by the full council and there was a statutory process that had to be followed.

However, Cllr Wilkinson did note her understanding about the anxiety parents were feeling and said how important it was to reassure parents and alleviate some of their fears, which will see her meet with parents and education officers in the future to discuss the concerns.