Free travel denied to schoolgirl

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An 11-year-old girl starting at a new school has been denied transport by coach because she is not baptised.

Hertfordshire County Council claims the transport requirement was explained to her parents before they sent her to a Church of England school in St Albans.

Sydnie Jai lives with her mother Frances Wood at Hatfield - a journey of about eight miles to the school.

Mrs Wood said Sydnie is too young to consider baptism and she felt she was being discriminated against.

Now she has to travel alone, leave earlier to use public transport and will arrive home later.

Guidance in booklet

In a statement, the county council said: "Hertfordshire currently provides home to school transport to faith schools.

"We provide free transport to all children attending their nearest maintained faith school if they have a place there in line with their parents' beliefs.

"This applies for children aged eight or over where the family lives more than three miles away.

"Sydnie's mother wanted her to go to Townsend School in St Albans. To qualify for free transport to a Church of England school the child must be baptised or have a parent on the parish electoral roll.

"We think it quite reasonable when offering transport to faith schools that parents show that the child is of that faith.

"When Frances decided to seek a place for Sydnie at Townsend School, she had guidance from the information given in a booklet to help parents."