How can I look my autistic son in the eye and say, I can’t afford to send you to school?

Mum is facing a £900-a-year bill in transport shake-up

I just want my son to continue at school where he is happy and thriving

Julie Fletcher, pictured with son Kieron

THE worried mum of an autistic teenager says she can’t look him in the eye for fear he won’t be able to continue attending his Leek special school because of a “ludicrous” rise in school transport charges.

From September, Macclesfield resident Julie Fletcher will have to fork out £900 a year to help cover the cost of her son, Kieron’s taxi to and from school.

Cash-strapped Cheshire East Council has doubled the contribution charge for providing transport for young people aged 16 and over.

Kieron, who has autism and ADHD, as well as suffering with anxiety, turns 16 next month and Julie, a cleaner at Macclesfield Hospital, does not know how she is going to find the cash.

She says her son is “thriving” at his special school, The Meadows, in Leek, and wants to move up to the sixth form.

Julie said: “I cannot afford this - I don’t think many people can afford it. It’s ludicrous. I just want my son to continue at school where he is happy and thriving.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. I fought for him to go to The Meadows in the first place because it’s the best place for his needs.

“He thinks he’s going into the sixth form. I can’t look him in the eye because I don’t know what to do. It’s such a huge jump. With council tax and this - it’s a third of my wage gone.

“He can’t use public transport because of the noise. He’d get off immediately because of it and I wouldn’t know where he was. He has no sense of danger.

“We wouldn’t have to pay for taxis if we had a special school here in Macclesfield that catered for his needs.”

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: “We currently provide school transport for around 3,800 children and young people, and like many other councils are facing unprecedented financial challenges. We recognise that free and subsidised travel assistance to school is a valuable service for many families, but our budget pressures mean that we have had to make difficult decisions about how to make the best use of limited resources.

“Providing transport for young people aged 16plus, including those with special needs is a discretionary service with a significant cost to the council - estimated to be in excess of £1.3 million this financial year. Cheshire East Council, like other councils, has looked at how we can deliver these discretionary services at a lower cost.

“Members of our children and families committee, approved proposed changes to our home to school transport policies at a meeting in February. The changes followed a consultation which received about 450 responses, including many from parents and carers.

“Councillors agreed in February that from September 2024, most parents will be offered a personal travel budget to transport their child to school.

“The increase in charges for the post-16 parental contribution to £900 per annum will generally apply where parents are unable to transport their children to school with a personal travel budget, or it is more cost-effective to share travel arrangements.

“We recognise the cost of living has placed a strain on many families and those on a low income can apply for the 16 to 19 bursary that is available from their child’s school or college.

“Further details are available on the government’s website - 16 to 19 Bursary Fund: Overview - www.gov. uk.”