School transport for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Council-funded travel assistance may be available if a child:

• is between 5 and 16 years old (of statutory school age)
• is living in Buckinghamshire
• is going to the nearest suitable school
• is living further away from their school than the legal walking distance. (2 miles for pupils under 8, or 3 miles for pupils aged 8 to 16).
• is from a low-income family (where extended rights apply)
• has SEND or are unable to walk to school due to mobility difficulties
• cannot not be expected to walk to their school in reasonable safety. Even if they are accompanied by their parent or carer

Read about free school transport, and the support children may get for travel to primary or secondary schools.

You can apply for a Personal Transport Budget (PTB) if:

1. The young person has been assessed and is eligible for travel assistance
2. You'd like the choice and flexibility to make your own travel arrangements

PTBs are a popular option for families due to their benefits over the traditional transport services the Council provides. Once agreed, PTB payments are made monthly. The money is available throughout the school year, as you need it.

If you would prefer not to apply for a PTB, we will arrange your child’s home-to-school transport. If you choose this option read about what to expect if your child receives SEND school transport.

You can apply for a Personal Transport Budget (PTB) if:

1. The young person has been assessed and is eligible for travel assistance
2. You'd like the choice and flexibility to make your own travel arrangements

PTBs are a popular option for families due to their benefits over the traditional transport services the Council provides. Once agreed, PTB payments are made monthly. The money is available throughout the school year, as you need it.

If you would prefer not to apply for a PTB, the council can arrange transport if you pay an annual fee. The annual fee is based on the number of days the young person attends their school or setting. The fee is a contribution to the cost of the transport we arrange. Read more about Council-arranged transport for an annual fee.

To be eligible for travel assistance, a young person aged 16 to 19 with SEND must meet the following criteria. The young person must:

• live in Buckinghamshire
• be under 19 years old, or have started school or a college course before their 19th birthday
• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, which names the school or college they go to
• go to the school or college nearest their home that offers the full-time course or educational placement they want to take
• live more than 3 miles from their school or college, as measured by us. Or cannot walk there because of their SEND or mobility difficulty
• be unable to use public transport independently due to their SEND or problems with their mobility

Young people aged 16 to 19 who are eligible for travel assistance must reapply each year. Read more in section 6 of the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement.

Young people with SEND aged between 19 and 25, and who have an EHC plan, may get free transport to and from their education provider.

To get this, a young person must:

• live in Buckinghamshire
• not be able to use public transport by themselves because of their SEND

The young person must also be going to a college that:

• allows them to meet the intended outcomes of their EHC plan
• is more than 3 miles away from their home, or under 3 miles if they cannot use public transport independently because of their SEND, or the route is unsafe

Parents, carers, and young people with an EHC plan can find out if they qualify for free 19 to 25 transport for education by speaking to their EHC coordinator.

More details can be found in section 9 of the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement.

If a young person with SEND does not have an EHC plan, we may be able to pay some money towards their travel to and from their education provider.

To get this, they will need an assessment as part of the Care Act 2014. Read more in section 11 of the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement.

Parents, carers, and young people without an EHC plan should email the Community Reablement Team if they have questions about free 19 to 25 transport for education. You can contact the team at [email protected].