SEND college or sixth form transport

We offer travel assistance for students aged 16-25 with Special Education Needs/Disabilities (SEND). We offer support based on eligibility and where it is necessary.

Travel assistance is subject to a financial contribution. Learn more about the cost of college/sixth form transport.

If your young person has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) you don't need to apply for travel assistance.

Students with SEND need assessing by our Travel Independence Training Across Norfolk (TITAN) team.

TITAN assessment

If your young person has an EHCP, TITAN are already assessing what travel assistance they are entitled to and what is appropriate for them. You do not need to apply.

TITAN looks at EHCPs and liaises with schools and parents/carers to find out who may benefit from TITAN travel training or specialist transport.

Following the TITAN assessment

If TITAN assesses your young person as:

1. Capable of travelling independently following appropriate training, TITAN will offer them training so they can travel by bus or train. Learn more about TITAN travel training.
2. Unable to travel independently, even with appropriate training, we'll then provide specialist transport. Learn more about specialist transport.

You will hear direct from one of the TITAN team soon.

If you have not heard from the TITAN team, you can contact TITAN or make a TITAN referral.

After the assessment from the Travel Independence Training Across Norfolk (TITAN) team, they may recommend TITAN travel training for your young person. If so, TITAN will contact you to outline the support available.

The TITAN team will discuss with you how travel training works and the benefits of it.

The team works with students, parents/carers and other professionals. They will gain your consent if they are planning to work with your young person.

This is training to help students use public transport services or contract buses independently.

Travel training will take place over the summer holidays with a dedicated travel training 'buddy'.

Learn more about TITAN travel training.

We will withdraw any special transport provision, if:

• Students or families choose not to take part in the travel training programme
• You do not follow the reasonable arrangements recommended by TITAN representatives

If you have not heard from the TITAN team, you can contact TITAN or make a TITAN referral.

After the assessment from the Travel Independence Training Across Norfolk (TITAN) team, they may recommend specialist transport for your young person. If so, our school and college transport team will allocate specialist transport. This is dependent on eligibility.

TITAN will also continue to work with you and your young person's new college or sixth form to support independent travel where appropriate.

You must pay a contribution to the cost of the transport. Learn more about the cost of college/sixth form transport.

What you must provide

For us to arrange transport for your young person, we will need:

• The name of the college/sixth form
• A completed Travel Needs Assessment form

You will receive an email with a link for you to complete a Travel Needs Assessment form for your young person.

Some young people might be waiting for exam results before a college/sixth form confirms their place. This may mean that travel and transport arrangements are not confirmed until the end of August, at the earliest.

When we will confirm transport arrangements

We will confirm transport arrangements once we know:

• Your young person's needs. This is based on the information you have given on the Travel Needs Assessment form.
• Where your young person will be attending college or sixth form
• Your young person's college or sixth form timetable. It is usual for a college/sixth form to confirm timetables in late August.

Once you have confirmed your young person's timetable with us, we will finalise the travel route.

We will confirm the travel route at the end of August, at the earliest. 

You can track the status of your travel arrangements using our travel pass search form.

What happens after we confirm transport arrangements

Our travel and transport team will let you know:

• The name of the transport provider responsible for taking your young person to and from college/ sixth form. For example, the name of the company providing a taxi or minibus.
• The contact number of the transport provider

What you must do

You must contact the transport provider to find out:

• The approximate pick-up and drop off times
• The place or designated point for collection and drop off

You must save the contact number of the transport provider. This is so you can contact them when needed. 

You must tell the college/sixth form if your young person needs help getting to and from their transport at the start and end of the day. The college/sixth form staff will arrange this. As your young person becomes more confident, they will be encouraged to become more independent.

When to contact your transport provider

Let your transport provider know if:

• Your young person is not attending college/sixth form for any reason
• Your young person does not need transport for any reason. For example, if they are going to an after-college/sixth form club.
• Your circumstances change. For example, if you are moving.

If circumstances change whilst your young person is at college/sixth form, for example they become ill, a member of staff will contact you. You are required to make arrangements to collect them.

If you are moving, you must also tell our transport team. Contact the Norfolk County Council school and college transport team. 

How to support your young person with college/sixth form transport

Young people using transport we provide may attend college/sixth form on different days. The other passengers your young person travels with could be different every morning and afternoon.

It is useful to discuss with your young person:

• That passengers may be different on each journey
• That the route may be different on each journey

Travel passport

The travel passport is a personal profile of the young person who is travelling to college/sixth form.

It can help us meet the needs and preferences of each young person who travels with us.

Learn more and download the travel passport for children/young people with SEND.

Specialist transport outside of college/sixth form day and term times

Specialist transport only operates at the standard start and end time of the college/sixth form core hours, during term time.

We will email you information about the college/sixth form core hours.

You must arrange your own transport for your young person to and from:

• Any induction, transition or assessment days at college/sixth form
• Any activities outside of the agreed college/sixth form start and finish core hours. This includes lessons timetabled outside of core hours and clubs held after college/sixth form.
• Any holiday clubs. Specialist transport only operates in the college/sixth form term. 

If your young person is going back to college/sixth form for another year

You will receive an email asking you if your young person is expecting to return to college/sixth form for another year.

You must respond to this email so we can put transport in place.

This email will come from a norfolk.gov.uk email address, so check your email boxes (including your junk box).

If you do not respond we will assume your young person is not returning to college/sixth form and we will not arrange transport for them.

Track the status of your travel arrangements using our travel pass search form. 

Terms and conditions

For more information about post16 travel, read the post16 travel scheme terms and conditions.

Students with Special Educational Needs/Disabilities (SEND) are eligible for travel assistance if they:

• Live at least 3 miles or further from the college/sixth form
• Attend the nearest educational establishment to meet their needs
• Attend the educational establishment named in their current Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Eligibility is in line with the Post16 transport policy.

There is no entitlement to free transport for students with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) when they are 16, 17 and 18 years old. 

Once your young person is at college/sixth form, you must pay a contribution to the cost of the transport. This is even if school transport has been free in the past.

The contribution is a set amount. It does not depend on the number of days your young person attends college/sixth form.

You must pay the contribution in advance, either:

• Before your young person starts college/sixth form, OR;
• Before the start of each half-term/term, if paying in instalments

To find out more, including the contribution amount, visit the Post16 travel scheme cost and payment options webpage.

Financial support for specialist college/sixth form travel costs

Find out if you are eligible for other help with transport costs from age 16. For example, if you receive certain benefits, are on a low income, or if your college/sixth form offers a discount.

Visit the Post16 travel scheme cost and payment options webpage.

You can also contact the college/sixth form to find out if your young person can apply for a bursary. You can often use a bursary to pay towards your transport contribution.

Free specialist transport for over 19 year olds

If your young person will be over 19 years old on 1 September, they will be eligible for free transport until age 25. This is only if:

• They continue in education or training
• They still have an EHCP

If your young person will be continuing at a special school beyond the age of 16, we will continue to provide travel assistance. This is subject to a review of your young persons' needs and potential travel training.

You must pay the standard parental contribution. Learn more about the cost of college/sixth form transport.

Email: educationtransport@norfolk.gov.uk

Phone: 0344 800 8020

Read our privacy notice to find out how we use your personal information.