Special Educational Needs Transport

Peterborough City Council transports over 500 children who qualify for special needs transport. Placements at schools are allocated through the council's Assessment and Review Team, Education and Children's Services Department, Bayard Place, Peterborough. If you have any queries regarding current transport arrangements you will need to contact the Passenger Transport Team on 01733 453583 or 01733 453546.

 

All schools make provision to support pupils with a wide range of special educational needs, some of whom will have a Statement of Special Educational Needs. The majority of children with special educational needs will be supported in their current mainstream school. However some may attend a special school or designated mainstream school with specialist facilities. If your child has a Statement you may find it helpful to discuss the position with the Assessment and Review Officer (Tel: 01733 748361, 748364 and 748365) or the Parent Partnership Officer (Tel: 01733 748312).

 

Is your child eligible for transport?
Parents have a duty to ensure that their children attend school and to make any necessary transport arrangements, including accompanying their children when necessary on their journeys to and from school.

 

Peterborough Local Education Authority (LEA) will provide transport for pupils if:

 

Transport may be provided at the discretion of the Education and Children's Services Department for pre-school age children where there is an identified special educational need(s) which would require transport assistance. When the recommended placement is the most local provision but parents choose a more distant placement, transport will not be provided.

 

Pupils of compulsory school age (5-16) who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs are entitled to receive transport if it is appropriate to their needs and if, without it, they would be unable to receive the education provision specified in their Statement. If the Assessment and Review Team do not agree with the school placement, on the basis that the most local mainstream provision would meet the child's needs rather than the parent's more distant choice, transport will not be provided.

 

For older pupils, the LEA believes that the ability to travel independently, either by foot or by public transport, is an important part of the young person's development and social education.

 

Up to the age of 19 years, students with special educational needs attending post 16 provision, either in the LEA maintained schools or in the colleges for further education are eligible for the same entitlement to transport assistance as pupils of statutory school age. The Assessment and Review Team must give authorisation for the provision of transport for all students who have had a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

 

For children placed at an out-of-city residential special school, the LEA will provide home to school transport either on a weekly basis, at the start and end of term, half termly or school closure times as required by the details of the individual placement.