Post 16 Transport!

[LottieJenkins]

My son is educated out of county. I have just been informed that I will have to pay £150 a term now for his transport! I am aware that i would have to pay a lot more if he went in an ordinary taxi but no one gave me any warning! I have been in tears on the phone but apparently I have to pay and all in one go too!!

I am assuming that your DS has SEN (as you have posted on here) and that he is educated out of county as there is no suitable 'in county' provision for him.
I am not sure what the policy is on this as each LA seems to have its own guidelines. However post 16 education is not compulsory and therefore transport normally has to be funded by the student/student's family. Having said that, my DD is 17 and goes to a SEN school 14 miles away and we have not been asked to pay for her transport --- yet.
The issue I would be raising with LA though, if they ever did decide to levy a charge would be that I would not pay more than it would have cost for DD to go to the local 6th form college. Do you know how much it would cost for your DS if he didn't have SEN and went to school/college locally?
In any event, I think it is unreasonable to expect you to stump up the full amount up front each term - after all, if he was going on the bus/train he would PAYG. I know our LA allows parents whose children use school buses to pay monthly by Standing order if they use school transport.
Is your son getting all the benefits he is entitled to now that he is 16? Have you/he had a benefits check with a benefits advisor? Has you checked if your DS is entitled to apply for a 16-19 bursary (replaced EMA) which is designed to cover the costs of 6th form education if you are on a low income?

Thanksd I will look into that

If the child has a SSEN then the LA is fully responsible for the transport unless you have accepted the transport costs as part of a previous settlement.
It is not your fault that the LA do not have any suitable provision within the LA boundary.
If he does not go to the school then the SSEN can not be enforced and the child - not you, would have the right to Appeal to the Administrative Court though Judicial Review against the non provision of the SSEN, a 324[5] appeal.

As the appeal would be in the name of the child it is the child's income that would be assessed and therefore it is likely that the case would be at no cost to you, but you would act as the litigation friend - no cost to you.

You appear to be suggesting that the transport is shared with other children. Check with them and see what the situation is. Might be grounds for joint action.

Ask for a copy of the LA policy that requires this cost to be imposed. Does the letter include details of the appeal arrangements?

All of the above re LA being responsible for travel costs is correct until you start to discuss post-16 education.

Post-16 is past the age of statutory education so the LA will say that they have no statutory duty to provide transport post-16.

You could ask the school to include it in the school fees that the LA would then have to pay - that's what happened at DS's post-16 residential college.

Thanks for everyones advice! I have asked for a copy of Wilfs statement to be posted to me as i cant find it. Whats made me more cross is the fact that no one told me this was likely to happen! I could have been saving a little each month if i had been warned!

If the child has a SSEN then my comments are correct. If he does not then yours are.

Please join post 16 school transport group on facebook as many parent are having to fork out nearly £1000 to get their 16 year olds to school!