Introduction
Southend-on-Sea City Council is committed to ensuring that eligible children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can access safe, reliable, and appropriate travel assistance to attend their educational settings.
These pages provide information about our Home to School Travel Assistance Policy, designed to support families in understanding and accessing the travel assistance options available to them.
Link to policy for detailed information.
Parent/Carer responsibilities:
- As a parent/carer, you have a legal responsibility to ensure your child attends school regularly.
- This includes making necessary travel arrangements to and from school if your child is not eligible for free travel assistance.
- You are expected to explore all available options, such as walking with your child, using public transport, or making alternative arrangements.
- If your child has SEND or the route to school is unsafe, the local authority will assess whether it is reasonable for your child to walk, accompanied or unaccompanied, and whether it is reasonable to expect you to accompany them.
- The local authority will consider your circumstances, such as any disabilities or mobility issues you may have, and your reasons for not being able to accompany your child or make alternative arrangements.
- However, reasons like work commitments or having children at multiple schools are not usually considered sufficient grounds for being unable to accompany your child.
Local Authority responsibilities:
- The local authority has a statutory duty to provide free travel assistance to eligible children of compulsory school age, ensuring they can attend their nearest suitable school.
- This includes children who live beyond the statutory walking distance, have special educational needs or disabilities, or are from low-income families.
- The local authority must also assess the needs of children with SEND on an individual basis to determine their travel assistance requirements.
- This assessment considers whether the child can reasonably be expected to walk to school, even when accompanied, or use public transport.
- The local authority may provide travel assistance in various forms, such as independent travel training, personal travel budgets, school buses, or taxis, depending on the child's needs and circumstances.
Key principles
Southend-on-Sea City Council is committed to:
- Promoting independence: The policy encourages the development of independent travel skills where suitable, empowering young people to travel safely and confidently.
- Encouraging sustainable Travel: The policy promotes walking, cycling, and the use of public transport whenever possible, contributing to a healthier environment and reducing carbon emissions.
- Ensuring suitability: Travel assistance is provided in a way that best meets the individual needs of the child, considering factors such as journey time, safety, and any specific requirements or disabilities.
- Offering flexibility: The policy offers a range of travel assistance solutions, including travel training, personal travel budgets, school buses, and taxis.