Travel assistance for those aged 16 to 19 with SEND
Latest
The deadline for applications for September 2023 has now passed but you still need to apply if you haven’t already done so.
We need to receive a new application for transport in September for any child who is:
• Moving into reception, year 7 or year 12 (even if they are not moving schools)
• Changing school (any school year)
We will only provide transport if we receive and approve the application. We cannot guarantee that transport will be in place for the start of the September term if your application was received past the deadline.
1. Overview
Travel assistance aged 16 to 19 with SEND
Young people aged over 16 and in school year 12 and above do not automatically get free school transport. This also applies to those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We provide travel assistance to students over 16 with SEND, whose circumstances could stop them from getting to school or college. We will assess the situation of anyone who applies for travel assistance to decide whether to provide support.
If the application for travel assistance is approved, the parent or carer will be required to contribute to the costs.
Review the section for:
Who gets travel assistance?
The following criteria must be met for an application to be considered.
The student must:
- live in East Sussex
- have a current Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- be on a full time course (or equivalent)
- be attending the nearest suitable school or college to home
- be unable to travel to school or college on their own
We will then consider the circumstances of the student, their family, and their broader network. This will help us to decide whether it is necessary to provide travel assistance. Parents or carers will be expected to prioritise transporting the student over other commitments.
Further information on how we decide who gets travel assistance can be found in:
What support is available?
We will provide the most suitable travel assistance for the student. If the application is approved, this will be one of the following:
-
Minibus or taxi: we normally provide shared vehicles. This could be a taxi or minibus depending on the number of people being transported. Occasionally we provide a separate taxi for those with complex needs or if there is no alternative
Students will usually only be transported at published school or college start and finish times. They may be expected to arrive earlier or leave later from school or college to enable sharing with other students where it is safe to do so. An offer of travel assistance may be part-week. We may also ask for pickup and collection from another location, or for parents or carers to assist with parts of a journey.
Travel assistance to respite on term time days can be requested. The County Council will consider these requests using the same criteria as for other travel assistance.
We will also consider applications for travel assistance to residential colleges. In these cases, support will usually only be provided at the start and end of each half-term or each week depending on the boarding arrangements. We don’t provide transport at other times or for parental visits for meetings.
Further information for, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) on the assistance that we offer can be found in the information for those with:
Contribution towards post-16 travel assistance
Parents or carers will be required to pay a contribution towards the costs. The charge for this school year is £684. An invoice will be sent and payments are usually made in 10 monthly instalments.
If the family is low income the contribution is halved to £342 per year. Low income is assessed as being eligible for:
How to apply
The 'apply for travel assistance' section provides more information on how to make an application.
If you require further information or support, please contact Discretionary Transport.
- Email: Discretionary Transport
- Telephone: 01273 481 625