Welcome to Rotherham SEND

Important information regarding home to school/college transport applications for SEND for eligible children and young people – September 2024

Introduction of Transport Solution Application Windows

As a reminder to parents, carers, educational establishments and other support agencies, during none-peak times there is a requirement of 28 days from receipt of each application for an individual assessment to be made and offer of a travel solution to be established for each eligible child/young person.

Every year, the Local Authority receive a considerably high demand of transport assistance application forms, with a peak in volume during May – August each year. To allow sufficient time for individual assessments to be undertaken and to ensure that a travel solution can be offered in readiness for the new school year, a requirement for a window of transport application forms will need to be established. Unfortunately, this means that any transport requests received outside of each window will not be able to be processed until the new academic year, and alternative travel arrangements will need to be made in the meantime.

These deadlines do not affect entitlement to a travel solution for eligible children and young people, and a travel solution offer will be discussed once the Local Authority have had the opportunity to confirm eligibility. Where parents/carers have made an application for a travel solution after these deadlines, they may be entitled to receive a reimbursement towards the fuel cost of any journeys undertaken to travel to/from their educational establishment once eligibility of entitlement has been confirmed.

Transport applications will be considered in date order up to and including each of the deadlines below and travel solutions will be offered during August 2024 to allow families to be informed of arrangements and where necessary, undertake any required home visits and risk assessments. This will also allow sufficient time to prepare the child/young person for any new arrangements.

There may be an opportunity for the Local Authority to consider transport requests for any new placements agreed at SEND Panel up to and including the 28th of July 2024, but unfortunately these may only be considered if there is an urgency for a travel solution which requires immediate attention.

Each application window close date is provided below:

SEND assisted transport, compulsory school age (5-16) – Friday 12th July 2024.

None compulsory school age (Further education/school 6th form) 30th June 2024. For children and young people attending college, transport will not be provided for the first week of the new school term and only where a confirmed time table has been received.

Parents/carers of young people over the age of 16 may wish to contact students services team at their school/college to ask for advice on making an application for funding from the 16-19 Student Bursary scheme which may be available to support with the cost of transport.