Home to School Transport Policy
This page is known as: www.birmingham.gov.uk/transport-policy
On Monday 07 January 2013 Birmingham City Council approved a new Home to School Transport Policy and a new Post 16 Transport Policy. Copies of these new policies are supplied below. Birmingham City Council opened a consultation on making changes to the home to school transport policy in November 2011; this consultation ended in July 2012. The feedback and issues raised were carefully considered and informed the new policies.
The policies were adopted from 07 January 2013 for pupils starting school or post 16 provision on or after Sunday 01 September 2013. The new policies will be applied from 01 September 2013 for any pupils or young people who are new starters. The new Post 16 Transport Policy will apply to all young people moving into Year 12 in September 2013.
Full copies of the new policies are attached below and we are currently in the process of revising our notes for guidance for parents and carers.
The key changes to the policies are as follows:
- The introduction of Personal Transport Budgets for parents and carers and access to independent travel training for identified children and young people.
- The adoption of the statutory qualifying distances – up to 8 years old 2 miles, over 8 years old 3 miles.
- The removal of transport support based on parental choice of denominational school.
- Increased coordination via SENAR of the assessment and review of SEN pupils receiving specialist transport support – to identify changes in circumstances.
- Transport assistance for SEN pupils will only be considered to the nearest appropriate school as identified by the local authority; parental choice of a more distant school will not be supported.
- Post 16 Transport Policy - Where the travel support provided consists of a taxi or specialist vehicle, the young person and / or his or her parents or carers will be required to contribute towards the cost of this. The amount that will be required is £600 per annum or £300 if the young person is from a low income family.