Type of transport provided
Shared vehicles
Transport is provided in shared vehicles. Transport providers are licensed bus or private hire vehicles. Transport is contracted out to an Essex County Council approved provider. There are a number of different providers across Essex who operate these journeys.
Individual transport is not provided unless there is no child already on the existing route.
Travel allowance for eligible students
Many parents and carers prefer to make their own arrangements to take their child to school rather than the child travelling to school in a contracted vehicle.
Travel allowance is only offered when it is the most cost-effective form of transport, or if a SEND passenger cannot travel on a contracted service due to their needs.
Parents and carers can use the payments to get their children to and from school however they wish.
Two return journeys at 45p per mile can be made to parent/carers based on the shortest driving distance x 4 journeys x £0.45 per mile.
For example: where a child resides 10 miles from the school, each return journey is 20 miles:
2 return journeys per day (drop off and collection) = 40 miles per day
40 miles x £0.45 per mile = £18 per day.
A typical term would be 65 school days = £18 per day x 65 days = £1,170 per term.
Payments are usually made in advance; one joint payment for the Autumn & Spring Terms and a separate payment for the Summer Term is made in April.
Public transport passes
Public transport passes are issued where children are able to use public transport to get to school and it is the most cost-effective option.
Travel Training can be provided free of charge and is provided on a one-to-one basis. You can find out more about travel training on the Essex Local Offer website.
If your child or young person is allocated public transport, the Traveline Journey planner is a useful tool to help plan journeys.