Cheshire East is to consult on possible travel policy changes which could see free school transport axed for children under the age of five.

The statutory duty for councils to provide travel support, for those eligible, begins the term after a child reaches five up to age of 16.

Cheshire East's current policy provides free travel support for [eligible] children attending a reception class from the term after their fourth birthday (referred to as 'rising fives').

Councillor Laura Crane (Sandbach, Lab) portfolio holder for children's services, told Thursday's (October 8) cabinet meeting: "I want to be very, very clear about this – cabinet is not being asked to implement today.

"Instead, we're being asked to approve a consultation so that we can fully understand the potential impact on families before any final decisions are made….

"We know that access to education is fundamental to improving outcomes for children, and we also know that transport can be a significant issue, particularly for families in rural communities, families on low incomes, and families caring for children with additional needs.

"The consultation will therefore give parents, carers, schools, and their governors, and the parent carer forum, the opportunity to share their views on the proposals.

"It will also allow us to consider equality impacts, financial implications, legal advice, operational considerations, and everything else before determining whether any changes should be made."

Councillor Jos Saunders (Poynton, Con) was opposed to the changes about to be consulted on.

"We currently provide travel support for all children in reception who meet the criteria.

"This proposal would fulfil the statutory duty to provide travel support only from the term after a child reaches the age of five," councillor Saunders said.

She said for the vast majority of parents, school for their child means entering a reception class and many were probably unaware that they can keep their child at home until the term after their fifth birthday.

"We currently have 46 mainstream children and 43 SEN (special educational needs) children who would be affected by this policy if it was implemented," said councillor Saunders.

"This will impact on those on low incomes, those who are just managing, who simply can't afford to pay for their child's transport, and they could then potentially keep them at home until the term after their fifth birthday, this would mean some children missing the whole of reception year."

Councillor Crane repeated the cabinet was not voting today to implement the policy.

"We're voting to go out to consultation to talk to those affected families to ensure that we do not have any unexpected issues as a result of any change to policy. It's a fact-finding opportunity," she said.

The cabinet agreed to consult on possible changes for children below compulsory school age and also possible changes for distance measurement for eligibility.

At present distance is measured from the home gate or drive to the nearest school entrance, the proposed change, if implemented, would see it measured from where the home property meets the adopted highway to the nearest available school gate or entrance.