Post-16 Travel Policy Statement 2016/2017 Travel policy for full-time learners aged 16-18 and those aged 19 and over, if they are continuing on a particular course of study started before the age of 19, to attend their place of learning and for continuing learners with Education, Health and Care Plans aged 19 to 25. Contents Section Page Number Introduction 1 1. Summary of main objectives and the Policy 4 2. Details of fares, passes and travel cards available for Post-16 7 learners, who provides them and the costs to the learners 3. Other sustainable travel options - details of colleges and other 9 operators who provide travel arrangements 4. How we work with young people and their families, to assess 11 the travel needs of those with special educational needs and/or disabilities 5. Exceptional and extenuating circumstances 13 6. The spare seats policy 17 7. Contact information and useful links 19 Introduction The draft Post-16 Travel Policy Statement 2016/2017 (the Policy) provides information about the travel arrangements that are available to enable students aged 16-18 and those aged 19 and over, if they are continuing on a particular course of study started before the age of 19, to attend their place of learning. It also includes the Policy in relation to learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities aged 19 to 25 where there is a demonstrable and exceptional travel arrangement need to meet their defined educational outcomes stated in their education, health and care plan. It includes the travel arrangements made by Suffolk County Council (the Council) as well as information about those arrangements made by the further education colleges in Suffolk and by the various transport operators. The Endeavour Card offers discounted adult fares on public bus routes in Suffolk for Post-16 students aged 16-19 in full time education and training. We also explain what to do if you have been refused travel arrangements assistance and you have been unable to secure alternative travel arrangements. The draft Policy offered by the Council will only provide travel arrangements assistance to those outlined under Section 1. Summary of Main Objectives and Policy In April 2014, the Council reached the decision to implement a new Post-16 travel policy with effect from September 2015, with the intention that this would provide support to those students who wish to attend their nearest provision at Post-16 in either a school sixth form or a Post-16 centre and those aged 19 and over if they are continuing on a particular course of study started before the age of 19. Where the distance is more than three miles from their home, travel assistance is available for these learners when they meet the eligibility criteria set out in Section 1. Where students wish to attend provision which is more specialist, or further away from home this Policy signposts students and their families to information they will find helpful in planning their journeys to and from their place of learning. The Council has considered feedback from parents and carers provided in summer/autumn 2015. It has also held a focus group event with students at West Suffolk College and used the feedback from this event, to inform the revised policy, which is designed to be clearer for families and young people to use. 1 Suffolk County Council’s Strategy for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities 2015-2018 This Policy is aligned with the Council’s Strategy for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 2015-2018, its Vision for Children’s SEND Services in Suffolk and in particular Priorities 1-4: Priority 1: Improve integrated agency working and the co-ordination of services for children with special educational needs and disabilities; Priority 2: Develop the Local Offer and support local schools, education and training providers to develop their SEND provision and strengthen capacity, to be able to meet the needs of all children and young people; Priority 3: Implementation of Education, Health and Care Plans for young people with complex and significant special educational needs that are not met by the Local Offer; Priority 4: Joint commissioning arrangements with Health and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). Raising the Participation Age (RPA) Since September 2015, all young people are required to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Young people will need to continue to study or train in one of several ways: • study full-time in a school, college or with a training provider; • full-time work or volunteering combined with part-time education or training; • an apprenticeship or traineeship (www.apprenticeships.org.uk). 2 Policy Statement The travel policy statement below provides a central point of information, to assist students in planning their journeys – this includes: Section 1: Information about the criteria for assistance and how to make an application including timeline for assessment for discretionary travel; Section 2: Where to get up to date information; including discounts and concessions; Section 3: Links to other sustainable travel options; Section 4: How we work with young people and their families, to assess those with special educational needs and/or disabilities travel needs; Section 5: How we will consider individual exceptional and extenuating circumstances and what you can do if you are unhappy with the decisions made; Section 6: The spare seats policy – where routes are running to individual schools, and how we will sell these seats, subject to spare capacity being available; Section 7: Contact details and useful links. 3 Section 1: Information about the criteria for assistance and how to make an application Criteria: 1. The Council does not provide free travel to those learners in Years 12 and 13 but will provide subsidised transport assistance to those learners who: a. are over compulsory school age but under 19 years and those aged 19 and over who are continuing on a particular course of study started before the age of 19; b. undertake an approved full-time course of further education study; c. are normally resident in Suffolk; d. live at least three miles away from either their nearest school sixth form or Post-16 centre. For students wishing to study more specialist subjects or courses which are not available at their nearest school sixth form or nearest Post-16 centre, applications will be considered on an individual exceptional basis to the nearest centre offering this programme, where this is needed to enable the student to progress (see Section 5). Note: The offer of assistance with travel arrangements is for a "main road" type of service only. This provision is usually made on existing contracted or public transport services. Students are responsible for the arrangement and cost of any additional travel needs at the "home" end of the journey or in the area of the school/Post-16 centres. The criteria used to assess exceptional cases in terms of specialist courses and the assessment list in relation to learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities is included in Section 5. 2. Travel Arrangements for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities are specifically covered in Section 4 and may be provided irrespective of the minimum distance and other criteria set out in this policy, where it is accepted by the Council that travel arrangements are necessary to enable them to have access to the education they require. 3. Students attending Colleges of Further Education who are pursuing courses such as Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), Diplomas of Higher Education or degrees are not entitled to receive discretionary travel. 4. Students attending traineeships or apprenticeships are not entitled to receive discretionary travel, however, young people aged 16-19 participating in these schemes are able to make use of the Endeavour Card (see Section 2). 4 How to make an application and timeline Learners should apply for travel assistance as soon as they know what course they intend to undertake. It is not necessary for a student to wait for formal acceptance on a course before applying. All applications for travel assistance under this policy need to be submitted by 31 May 2016 for the following academic year which starts 1 September 2016. Applications can be made online. Any application received after the 31 May will be considered as a late application and will not be assessed until the start of the autumn term. Arrangements have been made to enable students to make changes to their travel application, where this is necessary as a result of examination results received during the school summer holidays. This can be done online and will require a new application if it is to a different establishment and course. Information about travel arrangements and forms on which to apply for travel assistance are available online, at www.suffolkonboard.com or by contacting the Passenger Transport Unit on 0345 606 6173. In order for the Council to assess whether learners are eligible for travel, learners need to complete an application form including home address and course details. We will assess your application in Year 11, when learners are planning for their transition to Post-16 education. We will assess each time a learner starts a new course. The Council determines eligibility for travel assistance based on the information provided. Note: No refund of public transport, or other fares incurred whilst awaiting a pass, will be made in cases where the pass has not been issued because the student has failed to submit a photo application 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the course. Students who do not give the 4 weeks’ notice requested cannot be guaranteed a pass by the first day of term (or the first day travel is required).