Statements & transport

[WireCat]

My son got my choice of SN school for him. They gave it to him on the basis that I signed saying I'd be responsible for his school transport. There is an SN school a bit closer to me, but crossing a major A road and would be a nightmare in the morning. Not to mention that it wasn't right for him. Now, I needed his school place & statement sorted so, stupidly, I agreed to this. His statement has come today stating that we accept & continue to accept liability for arranging funding home to school transport. Of for any reaso they are no longer willing or able to do so, my child would have to transfer to the school they want.
I do feel, in hindsite, this is unfair as they had me over a barrel really by saying he'd have to have the school I wasn't happy with. Other school is 4 miles away, this one I want is 5.2. And easier to get to!

Thanks for reading.
Son is 5 btw and will be going I to year 1 at the SN school in September.

LAs will often only fund transport to the nearest "suitable" school, so I'm not sure how you could back out of this unless you had been given this placement on the basis that the slightly closer school could not meet his needs. I'm not sure if there is a way that you could back out of this agreement, otherwise.

You might find more people clued up about transport issues over on the SN children board. This particular board tends to be overlooked, irincally due to lack of traffic - I only spotted your post because it cropped up in active conversations, as it was freshly posted.

Thanks ouryve.
I will repost in that forum as well.

Ipsea website has a good section on transport.

Thanks headlesslambrini (fab name!) will look on IPSEA x

If Yes, and the Local Authority (LA) has not offered a place at a nearer qualifying school (see definition to right), then the authority must make suitable travel arrangements free of charge if the child’s SEN, disability or mobility problem mean they cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school.

Oh oh oh...he's got hypermobility and has never walked to his local school as he can't manage it. He has physiotherapy. This looks like a good place to start any appeal.

We had to "give in" with transport to get our preferred school. They would have had to provide a taxi otherwise!

just a note that there have been case law proven at tribunal that found in favour of parents after time.The parents had agreed a couple of years before to take the child but asked for taxi after a while as they could no longer take the child. The parents won and it was said It cannot be expected by LA for a parents situation not to change. So they cannot hold you to that decision for ever and case law is what they have to take note of. The case number and name may be on IPSEA website as they detail some case laws.