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Most children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can safely get to school or college. This may be through public transport or arranged by a parent or carer.
View free or discounted travel options for children and young people
Some children or young people may need travel assistance.
Who can use this service
We offer travel assistance in accordance with our Home to School Travel Assistance Policy.
We may offer travel assistance for mainstream schools if your child:
- has significant mobility difficulties or is too vulnerable to use public transport even with support
- has medical needs that stop them from using public transport
- has a school named in Section I of their Educational, Health and Care plan (EHCP)
You will need to send us your child’s treating medical professional’s details and an outline of their medical difficulty.
If your child is going to a specialist school, a school with designated special provision or the only school that can meet their need in the borough, we may offer travel assistance if they:
- live more than 3 miles from school (over the age of 8)
- live more than 2 miles from school (under the age of 7)
- are unable to travel to and from school with or without company because of their SEND needs
Types of travel assistance
Depending on your child’s needs and the length of journey, travel assistance can include:
- a freedom or travel pass so the child or young person can travel on public transport with a support person
- independent travel training to give the child or young person greater independence
- collection points where groups of children or young people can be picked up at the same time
- a personal travel assistance budget to allow parents to arrange their own transport
- pupils to escort the child or young person
- home pick-ups if the child or young person has significant needs
- transport vehicles with trained drivers and specially adapted vehicles
- taxis or private hire vehicles under exceptional circumstances like specific health needs
When to apply for travel assistance
If you want to apply for travel assistance, you will need to apply by a certain date.
You will need to re-apply if:
- you are moving to a new address
- your child is changing schools or college
- your child is going from Year 6 to 7, Year 11 to 12, Year 14 to 15
Appeal a travel assistance decision
If you want to appeal our decision not to offer travel assistance, complete the form and submit it to the relevant team at the bottom of the form.