Special Educational Needs Assessment Service

Transport in Leicestershire No.1:

A Guide to Entitlement

Issue Date: August 2004

What is this leaflet for?

This gives general information about how transport for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) works in Leicestershire.

Who is eligible for free special educational needs transport to school?

The rules are different depending on the age of your child and which school they go to. As a general guide, home to school transport will be included in Part 5 of your child’s Statement of Special Educational Needs, if he or she is eligible. In some cases transport may be provided without a statement to some specialised settings.

Transport to Schools will be provided if:

Your child is attending a special school for pupils with learning difficulties, which is the nearest one to your home recommended by the LA. In some circumstances the LA may support transport to a school further away but only if this makes efficient use of the LA’s resources

Your child is of primary age attending a Special Unit attached to a mainstream school which is the nearest one to your home but more than 2 miles away by a safe walking route*
Your child is in a secondary school unit, which is the nearest one to your home but more than 3 miles away by a safe walking route*
Your child has a severe sensory impairment and because of this walking to school is not practical

Your child cannot walk independently or can only walk very short distances • Your child has needs or circumstances considered by the LA and its advisers to be exceptional.

* The rules require that the distance is a safe walking distance for the child accompanied (as necessary) by a parent or carer. In the case of mainstream schools this will usually be by issuing a bus pass unless your child falls within one of the other categories above.

Transport to Further Education (Including specialist Colleges paid for by the Learning and Skills Council)

Students in further Education do not have statements of Special Educational Needs. They can receive free transport if:
They had a statement of SEN stating home to school transport when they left school and live more than three miles from the nearest college offering their course *
They had a statement of SEN when they left school and all the professionals involved in the statement agree that home to college transport is essential

* In these cases transport is provided up to the end of the college year in which the student reaches the age of 22 if the college course attended is continuous to this date.

Special Nurseries

The following children in Special Nurseries will have transport offered:

Children placed by the LA in specialist nurseries or admitted to other LA specialist nurseries because there is no closer suitable provision to your home.
Pre-school children whose needs and circumstances are considered by the LA to be exceptional.

Will my child have an escort?

Some children who are considered particularly vulnerable or have exceptional needs will have an escort as well as a driver. These are:

Children attending schools for children with severe learning difficulties and Area Special Schools
Children with severe sensory (hearing and sight) difficulties
Children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties if the SEN Casework Officer and Senior Transport Officer agree
Primary age children being transported to special schools, units and assessment centres
Children with exceptional needs and circumstances where all the LA’s advisers and the LA agree an escort is essential.

What if a carer or I drive my child to school?

If your child qualifies for SEN Transport you can apply to drive your child to school or arrange for a carer to do this and claim some money toward this. The mileage rate (both ways) is decided by the Senior Transport Officer.

What if I think the decision made about my child’s transport is wrong?

You cannot appeal to the SEN and Disability Tribunal about transport.

You can ask for the first decision to be reviewed by the Assistant Director (Targetted Services). You can do this by writing to the SENA Service at:

SEN Assessment Service, Children and Young People's Service, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RF or Telephone: 0116 305 6313

What if I still disagree with the decision?

You can ask the Director of Children and Young People's Service to review the Assistant Director’s decision by writing to: Director of Children and Young People's Service, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RF

Large Print

A large print version of this leaflet is available from the SEN Assessment Service:

Telephone: 0116 305 6600
Phone/Minicom: 0116 305 8777
Or write to: SEN Assessment Service, Children and Young People's Service, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RF

Information

Please note that the information contained in this leaflet is relevant to residents of Leicestershire only. People living in City of Leicester, Rutland or other local authority areas should contact their own Council for relevant information.