This form is for internal use only by the EHC & EIP Teams and has 2 purposes:
- This form replaces the previous barium process and can be used by EIP Officers to request travel assistance for children (aged 4 to 16) attending Pupil Referral Units or Alternative Provision providers on a full-time basis.
- EIP and EHC Officers can also use this form to request travel assistance where there are exceptional circumstances to be considered that falls outside the standard eligibility criteria in the Home to School Transport Policy.
Travel solutions to be considered
Prior to applying for transport the EIP or EHC Officer must consider the home to school transport policy and any other reasonable options to get the child to and from school such as:
- can the child walk or cycle to school
- can a parent accompany the child to school,
- can the parent transport the child if a mileage allowance was available
- is there a reasonable public transport option that would enable the child to travel with a bus pass
Part-time attendance – Start and finish times
If you are requesting travel assistance to facilitate part-time school attendance for a child, this should be for a time-bounded period only with the aim for the pupil to return to full-time attendance as quickly as possible. We would expect that either the start or the finish time of the part-time timetable is aligned with published school core day, to enable us to utilise existing transport for at least one of the journeys.
Where we are unable to facilitate with a current contracted route we may require your budget code.
Phased return to school
When a child has been excluded from school for an extended period, we will consider applications requesting a phased return to school. This should not exceed more than a 4-week period and the start or finish time should still align with the beginning or end of the core school day.
Attending an Alternative Provision when on roll at another school
When a child is on roll at a school and you want the child to attend a different Alternative Provision provider, then we would expect the school where the child is on roll to be responsible for arranging and funding any travel assistance that may be required.
Nearest suitable provision
We would always expect the child to be attending their nearest suitable provision especially when they are placed with an Alternative Provision provider with multiple sites. When this is not the case a full explanation should be provided to justify additional expenditure on travel assistance.
Passenger assistants
When a child is attending primary school, the local authority will automatically provide a passenger assistant on transport to accompany the child. When a child transitions to secondary school we aim to promote independence whenever possible, and the local authority will only provide a passenger assistant when a specific need is identified. Please note that our drivers and passenger assistants are not medically trained. Should there be a medical emergency whilst travelling on school transport, they will call for an ambulance.
Changes of address or amendments to existing travel arrangements
If you want to make changes to existing travel arrangements such as a change of address, you must complete a new application which will be re-assessed for on-going eligibility.
Looked-after Children or Children in Care
If a child is residing in a foster care placement that is managed by an external agency, then the care provider is responsible for arranging all reasonable travel within a 20-mile radius of the placement address, including home to school travel. If transport is required in this scenario, then the child’s Social Worker should submit a request for travel assistance directly to the Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT) transport hub for their consideration.
