Transport to and from School

Education Travel Assistance – for Pupils School Years 11 or Below

Travel assistance is available to pupils who meet following criteria:

• The pupil must be a resident in Warwickshire
• The pupil must have a maintained statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan
• The pupil must be 16 years of age or under (in school year 11 or below)

And

• Have a placement at a Specialist Assessment Nursery

Or

• Have a placement at their nearest qualifying special school as selected by the County Council and named on the child or young person’s statement or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan

Or

• Have a placement at a designated Speech and Language Resource Base

Or

• Have a placement at their nearest qualifying mainstream school as named in the statement or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. The school should be:
  • Over 2 miles away for pupils under the age of 8
  • Over 3 miles away for pupils aged 8-16
  • Two miles away for pupils aged 8-11 who are entitled to free school meals and whose carers are in receipt of the maximum level of tax credits (proof of this will need to be provided)

For those who meet the above criteria Travel Assistance may be offered in either of two forms:

Direct Travel Payments (DTP)

A direct travel payment is an amount paid to you to transport your child to and from school yourself, or to make appropriate alternative arrangements (e.g. bus or train tickets)

What are the benefits?

• Flexibility for you to choose the most appropriate arrangements for your child to get to and from school to fit in with your own personal circumstances
• More freedom to look at other ways of transporting your child
• An alternative to the traditional services that the council can provide
• The opportunity to explore options to share with other parents
• Flexibility on where your child is picked up from and variation with times i.e. if you want them to attend an after school club or if they are to go to a grandparents/carers after school
• Enables a child to attend the dentist/doctors and still get their transport afterwards to get into school, or to leave school in order to attend an appointment.

How much will I get?

The basic rate is 45p per mile for 2 return journeys per day when using a personal vehicle.

Example:

If you live 15 miles from school the termly DTP would be;

15 miles x 4 journeys x 5 days x 14 weeks (based Autumn Term 2022) = £1,890

Exceptions to this rate may be made when suitable alternatives are used, for example when purchasing bus tickets or train passes. In these cases an allowance may be given to cover the cost of travel expenses (please note that only the student’s travel expenses will be covered and not the tickets of any accompanying adult). Proof of purchase will be required when claiming costs for travel passes.

What can I use it for?

You can use the direct payment to cover your own fuel costs or to purchase a suitable travel pass on a bus or train. You may wish to travel with your child, but please be aware that the cost of your ticket is not covered under the DTP. Please also be aware that whilst you are able to arrange your own taxi, the allowance you receive may not be sufficient to cover the cost.

General Information

When your application has been assessed you will be informed of the decision in writing. We will let you know when your child’s current transport arrangements will end and when you should expect to receive your first direct travel payment.

Direct travel payments will only be given when financially viable and when no existing transport is in place. Should a more cost effective method of transport become available, the Local Authority reserves the right to withdraw the payment.

WCC Direct Travel Payments

Warwickshire County Council Transport

Transport may be provided to pupils whose parents/carers are unable to make their own travel arrangements. Transport may be given in the form of a bus pass, train pass or private hire vehicle. This is currently provided free of charge.

Warwickshire County Council will seek advice from relevant professionals if there is any dispute over the nature of transport requested.

You will need to state whether your child/young person is on the Deansway or Brittain Lane Campus.

You will also need to reapply for transport if your child/young person moves campus. Parents need to reapply for transport when their young person moves into year 12, and each year following this until they leave school. Transport for Year 12 upwards incurs a cost.

More information on SEND Transport is available here: Warwickshire SEND Transport

To Contact the Transport Service, telephone 01926 412929 (Option 2)

Report a Concern r.e. Specialist Transport