Apply
Before you apply
Check the school transport policies to make sure your child is eligible. Different rules apply for students aged 16 and over.
If your child is getting their first EHCP
Once your child’s final Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is issued, your SEND Key Worker will tell you the walking distance to the nearest suitable school. This helps you decide how your child will travel.
If your child is under the walking distance but has a physical or learning disability that means they can’t walk to school safely — even with an adult — you’ll need to provide recent professional evidence (from the last 12 months). This should come from a school, hospital, consultant or specialist support service and must explain your child’s needs. Family circumstances are not considered.
Upload this evidence when you apply.
Other applications
If you’re applying at a different time, contact your SEND Key Worker for advice.
When to apply
Only apply once your child’s full-time attendance and timetable have been agreed with the school named in the EHCP.
If your child is eligible, travel assistance will cover one return journey at the start and end of the normal school day or week. Travel will be from your child’s main home address, as recorded by the school.
Application process
You can apply online. It may take up to 10 days to make a decision. If approved, it can take up to 20 working days to arrange transport.
You’ll need to arrange and pay for travel yourself during this time.
What happens after I submit my application form?
The SEND Assessment and Planning Service will assess your application against the entitlement criteria as detailed above, based upon the information you have provided in your application. This process usually takes up to 20 working days after the application form has been received.
If your application is not successful, you will be sent a letter explaining the decision made and be provided with details of the review/appeal process.
If your application is successful, it will be forwarded to SEN Transport Team. They will issue you with an invoice for the contribution due and once paid (or a completed direct debit mandate is received) will then advise you of the details of the travel assistance arrangements. For September travel requests, providing you have submitted your request before the closing date detailed above, you will be notified of the arrangements being made by 23 August.
If you have not been notified of your arrangements by this date please contact the Customer Services Team on:
Due to extremely high workload at this time of year, please do not contact to chase your arrangements before this date.
Staffordshire County Council will determine the suitability and type of travel assistance provided. This will be based upon the student’s needs and abilities, balancing reasonable costs and reasonable travel/waiting times to enable access to the place of learning for the general start/finish times of the establishment and not necessarily the student’s own session times.
Students using shared transport may be required to arrive before their own sessions begin and stay after they end to accommodate other students using the route. Additional journeys will not be arranged to fit around differences in student timetables.
The Council’s normal practice is to add and remove students from contracted routes without consultation with parents, but for SEN pupils we would advise the school before the change takes place.
Your data
We handle your personal data securely and in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.
We use your information to process your application and to provide services for children and families.
