School Travel Appeal, Nervous and annoyed

[tireddotcom]

Appeal is in a week and I was sent paperwork yesterday and they LEA have put in it how much the travel would cost. Annoyed as the appeal committee will see the cost before anything else.

Daughter has autism, with servere speech disorder, she has a statement with her currennt school named. Transport was refused as its not our nearest school. We had to move, council moved us urgently so I didnt choose to move 3 miles from the school.

Her school have written a report too saying that she is doing well there and that if she moved schools it would damage her.

My question is this. In my report that was already send I made sure that it was just about my daughter and her need to stay at her school, but now the LEA have said the cost, should I now say how difficult it is for me to get her to school as it is. I dont drive, so bus to school (which is always late and hits main road traffic, so she arrives late everyday crying) then I have to wait an hour till I can get a bus home, then I get a bus back to school, but next bus is 4.10 so we have to get a taxi home, as I need to be home for my son to get home (he also has autism and attend special school) so its costing me £260 per month, and as single mum I cant afford it.

Any ideas?

[prh47bridge]

The rules are that the LA can only refuse to provide transport if the they have made suitable arrangements to enable your daughter to become a pupil at a school nearer to your home. The fact that there is a nearer school is not enough to refuse transport. They have presumably not offered a place at your nearest school and the report from your daughter's current school suggests that it would not, in any case, be suitable. I would therefore concentrate on that - they have not made suitable arrangements for your daughter to attend a nearer school therefore they have to pay. However, I don't think there is any harm in talking about the difficulties you face and how much it costs.

[admission]

Under normal circumstances it would be best not to mention costs. However in this case the LA seem to be making their case at least partially around how much it would cost, so I do not see any reason why you should not detail what your currrent costs are. The other key issue here is that the council rehoused you, it was not your decision.