Many students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are able to travel independently either by public transport or on foot to their post-16 education provision, unless their SEND, medical, or disability prevents this.​

Young people with SEND may be eligible for transport assistance if they meet the following criteria:​

• Live in Cambridgeshire​

• Be aged between 16 and 25 years​

• Have a valid EHCP, and be unable to access public transport, school bus contracts or walk​

• On a full-time course (minimum 15 taught hours) and attending their nearest appropriate centre, offering an appropriate course for that young person​

• Live more than 3 miles from the school/college or not be able to walk less than those distances specified due to SEND​

For families who are in receipt of the following benefits, free post-16 transport provision would be offered, if all the eligibility criteria are met:​

• Income support​

• Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance​

• Income-related employment and support allowance​

• Support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999​

• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit​

• Holds the NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate ​

• Universal Credit with a household monthly net income of no more than £935​

• If you do not qualify for the above benefits, a contribution of £231 per term will be required when applying.

• Once your child reaches 16, parents need to apply for home to school transport for the next school year using the application form on the website, regardless of whether your child was in receipt of home to school transport prior to turning 16. All applications for post-16 home to school transport are assessed and approved by the Statutory Assessment Team (SAT). This can take up to 15 working days to be processed, although this may increase during peak periods.  ​

• Parents need to reapply annually for post-16 transport before the start of the next school year. Applications for post-16 transport are open on the SETT website for September from July. If your child is starting mid-school year, you can make an application online at any time. ​

• Once an application has been submitted for transport, transport will be in place 10 working days from submission or prior to the start of the school term, whichever is longer. Specialist transport may take longer to procure and organise. 

Most children in Cambridgeshire with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) attend mainstream schools, and do not require travel assistance which differs from mainstream arrangements. If your child's application for home to school travel assistance has been approved, the Social and Education Transport Team will assess which method of transport best meets the child's individual needs and is most cost effective to the Council. This could be any of the following: ​​

• A place on an existing vehicle: school bus; minibus; or taxi​

• A personal transport budget, giving families flexibility about how to get their child to school or college​

• In exceptional circumstances, individual transport may be arranged for those children and young people with the most complex needs.

You are entitled to challenge the local authority's decision to refuse to provide assistance with transport for your child to school.  A two-stage home school transport review/appeals process is available for parents who wish to challenge a decision about:​

• The transport arrangements offered​

• Your child’s eligibility​

• The distance measurement​

• The safety of the route​

In the event of an appeal being unsuccessful, you may only request a further appeal if there has been a significant change to the circumstances already considered, such as a house or school move.​

Full details of the appeals process are available on the Cambridge County Council website. Please follow this link for more information : Home to school transport reviews and appeals - Cambridgeshire County Council 

If you have a query about your young person’s eligibility for transport or any other queries relating to transport, please contact the team via these addresses. ​

Social and Education Transport Team​
Box No. SH1013​
New Shire Hall​
Emery Crescent​
Enterprise Campus​
Alconbury Weald​
Huntingdon​
PE28 4YE​

Email: edtransport@cambridgeshire.gov.uk​

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Tel: 01223 706 123