To be OUTRAGED at the cost of this school transport?

[FidgetyFingers]

DS attends a Special School which requires him to use a LA provided school bus as it is too far for him to reach alone (SEN and 3 mile distance ) and he cannot be dropped off due to logistics (other DC need to be in a different place at same time, only have one car which is needed for DH to work).

Up until age 16 it is provided free but as 16-18 years apparently don't legally have to continue in education, the LA will not provide free transport so expect us to pay a 'contribution' of £25 per week! If I can't magic up £300 for the first term in advance, he won't be picked up! This is on top of all the normal back to school outgoings.

Considering a weekly unlimited bus ticket is £10 a week if he was going to college like his brother, AIBU to think this is extortionate?

I asked the LA to explain how they expect parents of SN children to have a greater income just because they have turned 16 and they couldn't explain other than to state 'policy'.

Welcome to my world!

Its not fair but nothing to do with SEND is...

YANBU to be annoyed but I'm not sure that there is anything you can do. They transport all children legally obliged to attend school for free so fulfill their obligations and no more.

My son hasn’t got SEN, but we’ll have to pay £600 a year for his school bus once he starts at 6th form in September. We live rurally and it’s our closest one (10 miles away). There’s no public transport.

I thought you had to stay in education til 18 now?

I assume you are in England?

School leaving age
Your school leaving age depends on where you live.
England
You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.

You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:
1.. stay in full-time education, for example at a college
2.. start an apprenticeship or traineeship
3.. spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

True Nicky. I was not informed of this until I was told I needed to complete a new post 16 transport request a few weeks ago.

Well they have to be in some sort of education or training until 18 though White. They can't get a job to pay for it. The reason they supply transport in the first place is because they can't get there on their own. That doesn't change because they turn 16!

You can apply to school bursary to get some money off. I still have to pay £200

£200 per term here for a normal school here (bus). The joys of living rurally.

The thing is that all councils are struggling to pay for the things they are legally obliged to, so I'm afraid that things beyond that are going to be cut. It doesn't make it fair for you, but it's extremely unlikely that they'll be able to change anything.

Nope, not within the parameters of claiming income support or earning up to £16k. Very low parameters .

We are being charged £900 a year Peachy to transport a 16 year old 3 miles who has no chance of getting a part time job. He will travel on the same bus as the younger children who are transported for free.

I would like to know what the LA would have done with DS if we chose not to keep him in education and he legally had to do an apprenticeship or work part-time for 2 years. They can't even find him a suitable school!

There's no statutory duty to transport between 16 and 18nfor sen children the 25.00 per week that you've been asked to pay will be a drop in the ocean towards the cost of specialised assisted passenger transport. It is an optional service would relooking at your family circumstances work for you?

Could your child claim esa in their own right and is there a low income contribution

My LA are changing their rules so that all sen transport is contributed to by the parents from reception upwards. Roughly about £400-500 a year.

It’s a London borough so we have the unfortunate situation where dc who can access public transport can travel to school for free but those who can’t will either have to pay or possibly miss school.

Because life isn’t difficult enough. YANBU op.

Do you claim DLA for him? Could you use part of that to pay for it?

I know that Nicpem*. I want to know why, even they don't know!

I would like to know what the LA would have done with DS if we chose not to keep him in education and he legally had to do an apprenticeship or work part-time for 2 years. They can't even find him a suitable school!

Ask them.
Tell them that £900 a year is not affordable and ask them to suggest an alternative solution.

can your DH drop him off on the way to work? can you car pool with anyone else? DH drops of your son and other child, then other child's parents pick up?

I don't know much about this area. Have you spoken to sentas? They specialize in sen transport

No 6th form student gets free transport to college / school

What county are you in?

Would any of these charities maybe be able to help? Family fund?

www.princes-trust.org.uk/help-for-young-people/who-else/employment/grants-funding

Fidgety when did the policy change in your area, its a loop hole in the law that Las are exploiting be greatful the transport hasn't been pulled altogether, my local la is in consultation with this at the moment

sentas.co.uk/sen-home-to-schoolcollege-myths/

why? I've made a couple of suggestions, have you even thought about them? Nothing in your posts to say wither isn't possible