Local Authority Transport Partnership Policy Statement 2014/15
Transport policy statement for students aged16-18 in further education and continuing students aged 19 and over
Department Responsible: Children Adults & Families
1. Summary of Policy Statement and Main Objectives (this section should give an overview/statement of intent of what the LA’s transport policy is and what the subsequent desired outcomes are).
This policy statement sets out the way in which South Tyneside Council has decided to exercise its powers and duties in relation to the provision of school and college transport for learners aged 16-19 in accordance with Section 509 of the Education Act 1996, as amended by Section 83 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The policy seeks to ensure that no South Tyneside learner is prevented from continuing in further education due to lack of transport provision or lack of financial support with transport costs. It outlines the provision of transport schemes and assistance for post 16 learners who live and study in South Tyneside or those learners who live in South Tyneside and attend an educational establishment outside of the Borough if it is the nearest provider offering the appropriate course.
This document sets out the current policy of South Tyneside Council, which it should be noted could be subject to change in the future. Therefore, this policy does not amount to a legitimate expectation that any service currently offered will continue to be offered.
This policy is based on the following key principles:
• The promotion of increased independence and social inclusion of young people, recognising the context of their age and ability. • Travel assistance must support young people to follow an appropriate educational course at the nearest suitable institution to home. • Travel assistance must be appropriate to individual needs and circumstances. • The policy should encourage and promote travel options designed to improve the physical well-being of those who use them. • Any transport assistance offered must be efficient and effective in terms of both sustainability and cost and may require the young person or their family to make a reasonable contribution to the overall cost.
To support young people in this objective South Tyneside Council, in conjunction with Post 16 Transport Policy 14/15 Final 23/5/15 1 the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive, Nexus, provides affordable transport to allow students to travel within the Tyne & Wear area.
2. Please provide details of all concessionary fares, discounts, subsidies, passes or travel cards available for students aged 16–19 and who provides them. Please provide details of any costs to the student.
All students, whether attending College or 6th Form, may be entitled to claim funds from the learning provider through the 16-19 Bursary funding that each provider receives from Central Government. The bursary fund is means tested but can be used for any expense such as travel, meals, equipment or resources for the course.
More information about the Bursary can be found here; www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/studentsupport/a00203 061/16-19-bursaries
Students aged 16-19 at the start of the academic year (1 September) and living within the Tyne and Wear region are eligible for discounted travel tickets. Tickets are available from Nexus travel shops; the level of discount is 25%.
Typical prices as of May 2014 are £1.98 per day for a Networkone two zone four weekly pass.
Ticket information is available on the dedicated NEXUS student travel web site www.nexus.org.uk/student-season-tickets or Network One travel tickets at www.networkonetickets.co.uk/student
This website also provides information on the cost of other tickets and concessionary fares which are also available to students. Through the links to other sites further information can also be obtained on the services and concessionary fare schemes available from other transport providers in the region.
The site also provides a Journey Planner, which gives information on timetables for buses, trains, and the Metro.
The two local major bus operators provide the following student travel tickets;
Stagecoach has the “VIP” ticket for students, which gives unlimited daily travel on the Stagecoach network for £1.11per day for a weekly ticket. A Stagecoach ID is required, more details can be found at the following web page;
http://www.stagecoachbus.com/southshields-vip.aspx
The GoAhead Group has the “Get Around” ticket. This is available to those in full time education up to the age of 22. This includes a day ticket which for £2.20 gives you unlimited travel on all Go Ahead services (except night buses). A Get Around ID card is required to obtain these tickets, more details can be found at the following web page; www.simplygo.com/getaround/
Post 16 Transport Policy 14/15 Final 23/5/15 2 South Tyneside College’s bursary fund is available to help eligible students with ongoing travel costs. Terms and conditions apply and all applicants will be means tested. Household income must be below £20,817 and students must live one mile away from their chosen site of study. If they meet the terms and conditions then they would be eligible for a Network One Travel pass from the college whilst they are studying (subject to satisfactory attendance and behaviour).
More information is available at:
http://www.stc.ac.uk/content/school-leavers-6th-form/benefits-full-time-students- 201314
South Tyneside School 6th Forms
Students attending Harton Technology College can apply to the Director of 6th Form for a bursary to assist with travel to and from College. The bursary is means tested, household income must be below £20817 for students to be eligible. More information and an application form can be obtained Harton Technology College.
Students attending St Josephs Academy should contact the school, information was not available at the time of publication.
Students attending St Wilfrids RC College should contact the school, information was not available at the time of publication.
3. What times during the day can students use their travel pass or obtain concessionary fares?
• Stagecoach, GoAhead and Nexus passes can be used at any time of the day.
4. Please confirm that support will continue to be made available to students who reach 19 whilst continuing on a course.
For the 2014/15 academic year only the Nexus student ticket will be available until the end of the academic year in which the student reaches the age of 19. The GoAhead Group ticket scheme is up to age 22.
5. How will students be assessed to see if they are eligible for support? Eg, means testing or must they be on benefits?
For the Nexus student travel scheme students must be resident within the Tyne & Wear area. Stagecoach and GoAhead require their own ID cards. Students attending school 6th Forms will need to satisfy an income and/or distance test or be in receipt of DLA/PIP or be in Public Care.
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6. What help do you provide for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities including those over 19 or students facing other difficulties in following their courses?
Nexus provide free Concessionary Travel Passes for bus travel to disabled residents, including students, of Tyne & Wear. Passes are available from the Nexus Concessionary Travel Bureau on 0191 2020 747. Students wishing to use the Metro under this scheme will need to apply for a Metro Gold Card.
Students who receive the High Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment can also apply to become members of the Nexus Taxicard Scheme, membership is £10 per year. The card has £100.00 of credit every six months and can be used for taxi journeys at any time. A flat fare of £3 is deducted from your TaxiCard each time you travel, regardless of the price of the journey (even if it is less than £3). However, if the taxi fare is more than £3 you have to pay the extra amount yourself.
For more information on TaxiCard contact Nexus on 0191 2020 747 or visit www.nexus.org.uk/bus/guide-buses/taxicard
or email [email protected]
Students aged between 16-25 who have a significant learning difficulty or have a disability that significantly impairs their mobility and who attend full time courses at local colleges of further education, sixth forms or special schools may, in exceptional cases, be provided with transport assistance by the LA. To help provide this assistance the LA may seek financial support from its partners such as the FE provider or Social Services. This support will be for a maximum of three years for those at college.
A Full-Time Course of Study is 12 guided learning hours or more per week for a minimum period of one academic year. Support is not available for students on part- time, distance learning or day release courses.
Students attending specialist residential colleges with financial support through the Education Funding Agency may also qualify for transport assistance at the start and end of each term.
Any transport assistance provided will be to and from the normal place of residence and the education establishment only. To promote the efficient use of resources students receiving transport may be required to have a period of waiting time either before and/or after the course starts/finishes so student journeys can be combined. Transport will be subject to continual review and where appropriate students will be required to participate in independent travel training.
Application forms for transport assistance can be obtained from SEN Transport, Children Adults & Families, South Tyneside Council, Chuter Ede Education Centre, Galsworthy Road, South Shields, NE34 9UG. Phone 0191 427 2689. Completed applications will need to be accompanied with a copy of the Learning Difficulty Assessment form 139a from Connexions/Services for Young People. Applications will only be considered where pupils are living more than one mile from
Post 16 Transport Policy 14/15 Final 23/5/15 4 the learning provider. Applicants will need to provide evidence that they have been refused access to 16-19 bursary funds available from Schools and College If applicable Applicants aged over 19 may be required to use their Personal Budgets to support their transport costs.
7. Do you provide mobility/independence training for students who face difficulty with transport? Staff in school/college may identify programmes to develop and foster independence skills for students and, where appropriate, to encourage independent travel. South Tyneside Council will support structured skills programmes where possible by phasing out transport over a period of time.
For those students attending courses at college further information will be available by contacting the individual college.
South Tyneside Council will encourage schools & colleges to promote independent travel, for more information please contact the SEN Transport Section 0191 427 2689.
8. When should students start to apply for transport support?
Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities should apply in June to the SEN Transport Section.
Students can only apply for the Nexus student travel scheme when they start or during their course. Information about applying for College Learner Support Funds is available from the individual Colleges. Individual school 6th Forms will provide information on their bursary schemes.
9. What help can students apply for if they need to travel to a course that is beyond your LA area?
If they live within the Tyne & Wear area the Teen Travel ticket is available. GoAhead & Stagecoach tickets are valid across the region in their own networks
10. What help is available for students who attend a further education institution which is beyond daily travelling distance and they need to stay away?
Students can apply to their college for assistance from the college’s Learner Support Funds and the Residential Bursary scheme if appropriate.
Students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties attending specialist residential colleges with financial support through the Education Funding Agency for England may apply to the SEN Transport Unit, South Tyneside Council, for assistance. Transport may be provided to college at the start and end of each term and half term. For those students whose parents prefer to take them to college by car, reimbursement of the fuel costs may be made.
Post 16 Transport Policy 14/15 Final 23/5/15 5 11. Please provide information about all points of contact for students seeking transport support, eg LA/college, bus company contact.
South Tyneside Council Children, Adults & Families SEN Transport Section Town Hall &Civic Offices Westoe Road SOUTH SHIELDS NE33 2RL Telephone 0191 427 2689
NEXUS Nexus House 33 St James’ Boulevard NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE1 4AX Traveline 0870 6082608 www.nexus.org.uk Lost bus passes 0191 2033211
Stagecoach
www.stagecoachbus.com/sunderland-vip.aspx
Go-Ahead www.simplygo.com/children-and-young-people/
Colleges in Tyne and Wear
Gateshead College, Quarryfield Road, Baltic Business Quarter, Gateshead, NE8 3BE Telephone 0191 4900300 www.gateshead.ac.uk
Newcastle College, Rye Hill Campus, Scotswood Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 7SA Telephone 0191 2004000 www.ncl-coll.ac.uk
South Tyneside College, St George’s Avenue, South Shields.NE34 6ET Telephone 0191 4273500 www.stc.ac.uk
City of Sunderland College, Bede Centre, Durham Road, Sunderland, SR3 4AH Telephone 0191 5116000 www.citysun.ac.uk
Tyne Metropolitan College, Coast Road Campus, Embleton Avenue, Wallsend NE28 9NJ Telephone 0191 2295000 www.tynemet.ac.uk
South Tyneside 6th Forms
Harton Technology College, Lisle Road, South Shields, Tyne And Wear, NE34 6DL Telephone 0191 427 4050 www.harton-tc.co.uk
Post 16 Transport Policy 14/15 Final 23/5/15 6
St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Mill Lane, Hebburn, Tyne And Wear, NE31 2ET Telephone 0191 428 2700 www.stjosephs.uk.net
St Wilfrid’s RC College Temple Park Road, South Shields, Tyne And Wear, NE34 0PH Telephone 01914569121 www.st-wilfrids.org
12. Other Learners
Learners aged 16 –18 who are undertaking a Foundation Learning programme or Apprenticeship may have reasonable travel expenses met by the learning/training provider. In the first instance Learners should contact their learning/training provider for details of travel support.
The local bus operators also provide support to young people even if they are not in college. You are not restricted by age or income and further details are available at;
www.simplygo.com/getaround/ or http://www.stagecoachbus.com/southshields-vip.aspx
13. Complaints/Appeals
Should a learner wish to appeal against the decision of the Authority not to provide transport support please write to The Corporate Lead - Commissioning, Children Adults & Families, South Tyneside Council, Town Hall, Westoe Rd, South Shields, NE33 2RL stating why you disagree with the decision, providing any additional information to support your appeal. The Authority will review its decision within ten days in the light of any new evidence provided and will inform the learner of the outcome of the appeal.
Should a learner wish to make a complaint about the content of the policy the appeal process outlined above should be followed, in your letter please indicate the omissions you consider have been made and how this affects you. The Authority will consider the complaint within seven days and inform the learner of the outcome.
14. Consultation/Stakeholders
Members of the Tyne & Wear Transport Partnership, which includes local colleges, transport providers, have contributed to the content of this Policy.
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