Transport

[BusyLizzie100]

Firstly, a quick apology for not being around much lately - I have TWO statutory assessments underway at the moment and TWO proposed statements to work through, so am veeeeeeeeery stressed...!

 

I have a question about transport - if your child is attending a special school and needs transport (eg taxi with escort), should it be written in to the statement?

 

Oh, got another one - does anyone get transport (eg taxi with escort) for a child attending a mainstream school? Is it written in to statement? DS1 is due to start secondary in Sept but I don't think he'll cope with the bus (massive anxiety...)

 

Thanks, folks - off to harass the LA again...

 

Lizzie xxx

[Enid]

mine got a taxi for mainstream, he had a statement, but had to try and fail the bus first, he lasted 2 weeks! but they gave him one without too much fuss, I phoned myself to speak to the person in charge of transport at the LEA, he then changed to special school and still has the transport, taxi there and back. Enid

[pumpkinpie]

I think it is important to get transport written in to the statement. Where I live there is such a big push to get kids into mainstream schools they are agreeing transport.

[Karen A]

Hi.I do not know much about transport.Others know much more than myself.

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/transport-england.htm

However this link is to the IPSEA information re transport which might well have the information you need.Karen.

[bid]

We had transport to residesi, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't written into the Statement.

 

Bid

[oxgirl]

My son has transport to his ASD unit attached to mainstream school 14 miles away. When he originally got the place, they told us on the phone it was on the understanding that he wouldn't be eligible for transport. We were so relieved to get him in, we accepted and I did all the driving myself for the first year (56 miles per day! ). I was then told one day by staff at the unit that it was unheard of for a child to get a place and not get transport. I applied and he was awarded transport with no problem at all. I also claim petrol costs for the journeys I still do. It's not written into his statement though.

 

~ Mel ~

[Sally44]

My son is at an ER (mainstream mixed SEN) school which is stated in section 4 of the statement. It does not mention transport. But I think this is because it is ER SEN and meets the transport criteria distance wise.

In the proposed statement it said in section 4 that parents preference is XXX school and that we would fund transport and that if we were unable to do that then the LEA would name the mainstream school (which is practically next door). That was down to the fact that the LEA wanted to keep my son mainstream. When we went to tribunal over sections 2 , 3 and 4 we won. And I think that was because we could prove that the 'only suitable school' was the ER one, which is over 3 miles away.

I don't know the situation if a child is going to mainstream. I would speak with NAS/IPSEA or ACE about that. I would have thought it is perfectly reasonable for a child with an ASD to be able to cope in the classroom, but be unable to walk to/from school or be unable to travel on public transport to/from school. What evidence you would need to gather to prove that I don't know.

[alexmum2]

Ds is statemented for 25 hours and I never thought to get transport written into the statement as i was always been available to take and collect . However things have now changed and I need transport; put a request in to LEA , they got back to me saying that they would give me a decition after the annual review which was about 6 weeks away; when i did get a reply they requested more evidence eg doctors letter, letter form senco, Peadiatrician ed psychologist ect.

Senco informed me last week that she has put all the eveidence together including my letter from paediatrician, doctor ed psych and her statement, I am still waiting to hear from LEA. Been paying for taxis myself since December.

 

[Suze]

My son attends an ASD resource part of a mainstream high school.It is 12 miles away and he has a taxi to and from, it isn,t written into his statement.However his statements says he needs education in a specialised environment so the transport has to support the placement deemed by the lea.

[Kazzen161]

It is always preferable to get the transport written in if possible - saves any arguments later. My son did not have transport written into his - he got a taxi and escort to his SEN unit in an out-of-county mainstream school, but not to his residential school. That is our County's Policy, and other children did get taxis to the residential school.

 

It is possible to get transport to a local mainstream school. You have to prove that the child cannot manage/would be unsafe getting to school on their own.

[skye]

We get transport to and from school. We don't even have a statement yet but had some major incidents on the bus and apparently it was a "health and safety" issue. The form I filled in said that the child must already have a statement to get the transport so I am not sure if it would be able to be added until after you secured the transport? I am so not helpful this time! Sorry!! Away wit da fairies I'm afraid!!