Mum wants free school bus to help son's independence

A parent is campaigning to reinstate a free school bus to give her child and others more independence.

Hilary's son, River, is due to start at Claydon High School, near Ipswich, and wants the bus from their home in Bramford to be free instead of the £3-a-day fare.

The free bus was stopped in 2019, but Hilary says it should be brought back because there is no safe route from Bramford to Claydon for children to walk or cycle.

A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council said: "School travel eligibility is assessed in line with Suffolk's School Travel Policy and national statutory guidance, taking into account factors such as a child's nearest suitable school, distance from home and route safety."

Bramford is in the council's designated catchment area for Claydon High, but River's nearest high school is Westbourne Academy in Ipswich, for which transport would be free.

However, Hilary said Westbourne was only 0.2 miles (0.3km) closer to them in Bramford than Claydon.

Speaking to Wayne Bavin on BBC Radio Suffolk, she said: "There are no safe pathways for the children to walk. The access to Bramford and Claydon is quite rural. There aren't any cycle paths so it's currently unsafe.

"All we are asking is for the funded bus service to be reinstated so that our children are able to go to high school on their own — it's a really important part of childhood."

From Bramford, the Claydon school is a 2.8 mile (4.6km) journey, which Hilary says costs £60 per month.

She said she and other parents felt the fee was "completely wrong" and she had collected a petition of 350 signatures on the issue.

According to the county council, the school travel policy was reviewed following a public consultation in 2018.

It said changes brought the policy more closely in line with the council's statutory duties, including providing funded school travel to the nearest suitable school where the relevant eligibility criteria were met and removing transport priority areas.

A spokesperson for the council said families had the right to request a review of appeal.

A spokesperson for Bramford Parish Council said the issue had been previously raised in 2025.

It said: "This is a wider community issue involving the safety, fairness and affordability of school travel for local families. The petition's strong response shows the depth of concern within the village.

"We will do everything within our powers to support Bramford families and help pursue a fair outcome."

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