Sen transport to school stressing me saying ds is not eligible

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We live 2.2 miles away from the Sen high school ds is starting this September. The threshold for transport is 3 miles, if you live in this you may not be eligible for transport. They now want evidence of why ds cannot walk the 1 hour journey to and from school, other than his diagnosis of autism and not being able to walk this journey alone what else am I meant to provide ?!
He already receives transport to his Sen primary in which we live just under the 2 miles threshold.

I don’t drive so am not able to take ds to school, ds dad works and cannot be available twice a day to take ds and pick him up. We also have 2 toddlers who need to be in nursery for 9am.

I am so so stressed out, also I cannot get in touch with anyone from the send team, they still haven’t told me ds has got a place at the high school, I emailed and rang numerous time, all ignored, in the end I had to phone the actual high school and ask if ds was on the list. Please help.

Hes going to.an SEN school
Some children will never be able to travel independently

I was thinking breakfast club for the younger kids. Many nurseries offer earlier drop offs.

And my son has been in 2 special schools both of which have offered earlier drop offs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel

Have you ever been to a SEN school when they are getting chilldren on and off transport?
Its like a milltry operation
Its far safer for them to use school transport and manage them all at the same time then have parents dropping and picking kids up in dribs and drabs
In my LA they use mini buses mainly not taxis

Chat gpt has wrote me a really detailed letter which also refers to the governments travel guidance so it presents a strong case. I’m feeling a little better about it all now, along with ds teachers statement, ds EHCP and previous entitlement of transport as evidence.

I don’t know how I fought for ds’ EHCP for 4 bloody years ! It’s all so overwhelming

Thank you so much to all the posters who understand all this and have given me great advice

That isn’t what you said. You said “breakfast club for eldest breakfast clubs for youngers”

Just because the 2 DS has been on do, doesn’t mean most do. They don’t.

Yes but with a lot of guideance and support not a rushed job during the summer holidays and figers crossed it all works out.

I’ve also now got to start a separate complaint regarding the zero communication from the local send department about ds’ school arrangements. When he started mainstream I got a letter telling me he had a place at the chosen school, is it unreasonable to expect the same for when they start high school? Do you really have to phone the school up and find all this out for yourself ? Still to this day I’ve had nothing off them.

OP have you actually addressed the idea of you learning to drive?

I have 16 year old non verbal son i wouldnt send him in an Uber in his own
If something did happen how would i know

If you have the finalised EHCP naming the school, that is the notification that DS has a place there.

OP, could you write a letter to his new school this afternoon, requesting confirmation that he has a place and his start date?

I would send the letter using the First Class Signed For service today.

I suggested like 10 different things OP can explore. Maybe one will provide an answer. Maybe her son’s school does have one. She could check. These are all things other families do. The reality is - they are not getting transport for a school 2 miles away. SEND transport (having been through many tribunals myself) is for schools either more than 3 miles or if a child is physically unable to make the journey. It proving challenging logistically for the parents due to work and other kids is just expressly not a reason for transport to be provided sadly.

for the avoidance of doubt disabled child going alone is absolutely not an option. But a parent taking him will have to be.

And OP will need go get her thinking cap on along with dad and figure out a plan to get him there and back each day without transport.

You have my sympathy the LA transport teams are always awful

The reality is - they are not getting transport for a school 2 miles away. SEND transport (having been through many tribunals myself) is for schools either more than 3 miles or if a child is physically unable to make the journey.

This is not correct. The cannot reasonably be expected to walk because of SEN &/or disability criteria are not only if a child is physically unable to make the journey. That is a myth some LAs like to perpetuate.

The LA obviously accept DS is unable to otherwise they would not be providing transport to the current school despite living well inside the statutory walking distance.

Of course they want evidence. They aren’t going to finance this kind of thing Willy nilly are they? If they did, the bill would be huge.

You just have to explain all DS difficulties like you have throughout this thread.

I am wondering if you have got into the habit of catastrophising because of all the battles you’ve probably been through in seeking services for DS? Try to take a few deep breaths and rationalise it.

It is completely necessary and routine for them to request this information. You have your justification so you set that out and try to trust in the process.

Also in practice it can be very cheap to add a local child to an existing taxi or minibus run. If he's only 2.2 miles away, any other vehicle bringing children from further away with a space could add him in for a trivial cost.

The routes and taxi shares probably haven't been planned yet though. The important thing is to get the application form in - before the deadline if possible, or with an explanation of why it's late i.e. because school hadn't been assigned before if not - then to include clear exceptional reasons if they apply, and to appeal if you get rejected. I think OP the cart is before the horse at the moment. Read the policy and go through the process, expect it to be inconveniently last minute from them but do it anyway, don't panic yet.

Taxi transport to school involves an escort as well as a driver, it’s not just as simple as booking a taxi firm because they won’t accept a disabled child without an escort.

Yet again this is why it’s so difficult as a parent with a disabled child to sustain employment. If the school is deemed necessary to meet her child’s need the local authority should provide transport. That provision sits out with the usual distance limits for approved transport to catchment schools, which is what the local authority have quoted to the OP.

It takes a long time for some neurodivergent children to develop safe travel skills, and 2.2 miles is a long walk at the start and end of the school day. Folk bitch about the State supporting parents who care for disabled children and point to ways they can or should work. When a parent then needs support that her child is entitled to, to sustain employment that’s wrong too.

Whether or not the OP learns to drive or not is irrelevant to this concern. In the short term she has to find a way to get her child to school regularly and safely and experience has shown her that the best method for that is a taxi with a PA.

I hope you find the ChatGPT useful in formulating what you want to say OP and that you are able to convince the LA that transport is needed for your son.

I am trying to provide ideas for the situation the OP is talking about as appeals etc take time. I did not say anything about whether or not she should have transport.

Stop having a go at people who are trying to give possible solutions.

I am trying to provide ideas for the situation the OP is talking about as appeals etc take time. I did not say anything about whether or not she should have transport.

Stop having a go at people who are trying to give possible solutions.

I’m not having a go at you, I’m pointing out the catch 22 that parents of disabled kids find themselves in. Get your child to school yourself, but stop working to do so thereby increasing reliance on the state, or seek reasonable support to get your child to the specialist provision appropriate to his needs.

Developing safe travel skills is something to work towards but that’s not going to happen any time quickly, if it was as simple as that I’m sure the OP would have done it by now. Navigating all the support needed to keep your child healthy and in education, while working and parenting your other kids is like juggling knives most of the time.

I mean if that other poster isn't getting the hint about sexual abuse being a possibility she is a bit thick.

ASD is a spectrum. Each individual will have struggles in different areas. Both my daughters are ASD. In completely different ways. Assuming ASD doesn’t need explaining or the evidence of difficulties is not fair. Much as expecting to not have to attend work because of disability is not fair. That attitude is what gives those concerned about the benefits bill cause to knee-jerk unsympathetically. Money is tight (in the middle and at the bottom) and people absolutely should need to prove why they need the help and what potential routes to that help there are. Yes, LA has responsibilities but so do you as parents of one severely autistic child of 11 and 2 nursery age children. A bit of give and take and compromise on both sides goes an awful long way.

you DO have ways you could flex slightly to help this situation (which isn’t going to get easier as they all grow up) but you are adamant there is only one way, and no movement on your side. Because you’re entitled. My kids are a year apart so we were always on the back foot and we had to be creative around work, school runs for many years. With no transport provision, 2.9 miles from the nearest schools as 5 and 6 year olds.

As your son is so severely impaired it was quite the decision to then have more children so long after him, as no doubt things were already hugely hard work and testing you both.

If Reform get in there will be no welfare state and no funded NHS, not a pleasant thought for any of us.