Discretionary transport (nursery and post-16)

Proposal

Although there's no statutory requirement to provide transport for nursery and post-16 students, councils can provide discretionary travel assistance over and above the statutory requirements (5-16), as we do in Shropshire for nursery and post-16 travel.

In preparation for drafting these proposals, we've liaised with a number of other local authorities and organisations, to identify what travel assistance is currently provided in these areas.

These findings showed that:

• a number of local authorities don't provide nursery transport
• others don't provide bespoke nursery travel
• post-16 contribution schemes are applied to those students entitled to assistance
• in some cases the post-16 schemes have been withdrawn completely
• In some cases independent travel training and a bus pass are the only post-16 offers available

Having considered current practice in other local authorities, and with a commitment to supporting transport assistance for both nursery and pos-16 travel in Shropshire, the following policy is being proposed.

Proposals

Nursery Age (under fives)

To qualify for nursery travel assistance a child must meet the following criteria:

• ordinarily residing in the Shropshire Council area
• lives over two miles from their nearest, or catchment special school with a designated nursery provision (the two miles will be measured using the shortest available pedestrian route, this measurement is not intended as an assessment of the child's ability to walk two miles).

Travel assistance will be in the form of a seat on an existing shared vehicle, usually a minibus. This service will be provided at the regular start and end of the main school times (the beginning and end of the school day). If parents/carers wish their child to attend on a part time basis, journeys outside of the regular main school times will become their responsibility.

Where an existing vehicle is not an option at that time due to vehicle capacity or location of the child's home address, parental travelling expenses at the approved rate may be considered.

Post-16 (16-19 years old)

To qualify for post-16 travel assistance a student must meet the following criteria:

• ordinarily residing in the Shropshire Council area
• a student must be attending their designated post-16 sixth form or college for their home address as designated by the local authority.  A copy of the designated post-16 areas are available to view using the link below “Applying for travel assistance”
• lives over three miles from their designated post-16 sixth form or college for their home address as designated by the local authority (the three miles will be measured using the shortest available pedestrian route, this measurement is not intended as an assessment of the student's ability to walk three miles).

In the first instance all Post 16 students will be assessed as to their suitability to undertake Independent Travel Training (ITT). Once a pupil has been assessed as suitable to undertake ITT and has successfully completed the training, where this involves use of public transport they will be issued/given a bus pass and they will not be eligible for any other forms of travel assistance.

For those students that are assessed as being unsuitable to undertake ITT, travel assistance will be in the form of a seat on a shared vehicle, usually a minibus or bus. Transport will be provided at the regular school/college times (the beginning and end of the school/college day), if parents/carers wish their child to attend on a part time basis, journeys outside of the regular main school/college hours will become their responsibility.

Where an existing vehicle is not an option at that time due to vehicle capacity or location of the student's home address, parental travelling expenses at the approved rate may be considered.

All travel assistance will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Applying for Travel Assistance

To apply for travel assistance a parent/carer must complete an application form. This application form along with helpful guidance documents are available online to either submit electronically or print off and complete.

www.shropshire.gov.uk/education-travel-assistance-sen-pupils/how-to-apply/

Consultation

If you have any comments on the proposed arrangements from September 2016, please use one of the following methods of communication to put forward your views. We would also request that schools/colleges pass this information on to any potential new Nursery children or Post 16 students that are due to start in September 2015 as the proposals may affect these students in their second year.

*Specialist Transport Consultation,

Passenger Transport Commissioning Group

Shropshire Council,

Shirehall,

Abbey Foregate,

Shrewsbury,

SY2 6ND

special.transport.team@shropshire.gov.uk

The consultation will close on Friday 31^st July 2015. For full details of what the Council currently provides and the proposals from September 2016 please go to www.shropshire.gov.uk/education-travel-assistance-sen-pupils/

Following this consultation, a decision will then be made and the Council's policy will be published no later than 30 September 2015.