Special transport needs

Special transport needs are not necessarily the same as special educational needs. Most children with special educational needs do not have special transport needs, even if they attend Special School.

A special transport need would be where your child:

• cannot walk
• lives within walking distance of the school, but cannot walk safely to school
• cannot use public transport without help.

Where your child has a special transport need, the LA will provide free transport or a paid mileage allowance to get your child to the catchment area (local) school or the school which the authority says is the nearest suitable school for your child. If you choose to send your child to a school that is not the local or nearest suitable school which is able to meet your child’s needs, your child will not be eligible for LA transport and you will be responsible for ensuring that your child is able to get to and from school.

Special Transport arrangements are usually by bus, minibus, taxi or ambulance. If there is more than one pupil in the vehicle, an escort will be arranged.

If your child is travelling alone in the taxi, you may be asked to accompany him or her. If the school is beyond walking distance, the taxi will take you home and pick you up again in the afternoon. If the journey is less than legal walking distance, you would be expected to walk home. If it is practical, the LA may consider providing an escort and a bus pass for your child to use public transport.

If you think that your child has a special transport need, please contact the SEN Strategic Services Team at County Hall on tel: 0115 977 4341.

Details of the policy are also available to download from www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/hometoschooltranspolicy.pdf