Home to School transport assistance is provided for pupils with a special transport need only on the recommendation of a Designated Medical Officer as part of the statutory assessment process. Not all statemented pupils will require transport assistance.
Paragraph 8.2 of the above mentioned Circular requires the Authority, in the case of children with statements of special educational needs, to give the most careful consideration as to whether the provision of free transport is justified in the particular circumstances of each individual case before indicating it in a statement.
Not all pupils with statements of special educational needs will have special transport needs and may not therefore be entitled to transport assistance.
A special transport need may arise where the pupil has a level of impaired mobility which necessitates the use of a wheelchair or the pupil has a medical condition or severe learning difficulty as determined by the Authority which indicates that special transport arrangements must be made.
Where pupils have special transport needs, officers of the Authority, drawing upon medical and other advice as required, will assess the pupil’s transport needs and make appropriate arrangements in accordance with this policy.
If your child holds a statement of special educational needs, you should contact your Regional Special Education Section for further guidance.