Admission to secondary school booklet 2014-15 - South ...

Children with Statements of Special EducationalNeeds who may have no entitlement on distancegrounds or normal South Gloucestershirepolicies will be considered under SouthGloucestershire Council’s Special EducationalNeeds transport policy. Transport is providedto the nearest appropriate school, as defined bySouth Gloucestershire Council, with regard to achild’s particular disabilities. In specific casesentitlement may include access to a Guide Escort.In appropriate cases, a Guide Escort may beprovided to assist a child in walking to school,rather than provision of transport.Entitlement to assistance with transport forchildren with an Education, Health and CarePlan (EHC Plan) will be included as part of theassessment of their needs and there will be noneed to apply for transport separately.Will I be offered travel assistance toa faith school?Children entering faith-based secondaryschools will not be entitled to free home toschool travel even if they are attending ondenominational grounds and regardless of thedistance from home.There are two exceptions to this:❚ where the faith-based secondary school is thenearest secondary school of any status underthe general transport eligibility rules mentionedabove, or❚ where a child aged between 11 and 16 comesfrom a low income family (entitled to free schoolmeals or the maximum level of Working TaxCredits) and attends the nearest faith school onfaith grounds and the home to school journeyis more than two miles and not more than 15miles (further details are available from SouthGloucestershire Council on 01454 868008).Parents/carers considering admission to a faithbasedsecondary school are advised to considerthe journey involved and how their child will travelto school.Application process for assistancewith travel to schoolThe details of home to school transport policiesare available on-line at www.southglos.gov.uk – search for ‘Transport to schools’. Theseinclude information on policies, how to apply, howapplications are considered and how to appeal ifan application is refused.Application forms for home to school transportcan be downloaded from this site or are availablefrom South Gloucestershire Council on 01454868008.Sustainable travelWhere assistance with travel is agreed SouthGloucestershire Council will determine themode of transport. The council is committedto promoting greater use of buses for schooljourneys and will seek, as far as possible, toissue bus passes to students. Alongside this,the council works actively to promote walkingand cycling to school to help reduce congestionon the roads, encourage greater independenceand flexibility and raise awareness of the healthbenefits of sustainable travel. Where walking,cycling or public transport are not feasible, youmay wish to consider car sharing. For furtherinformation contact your local school and ask fordetails of the School Travel Plan.You are advised to consider which schools arewithin walking distance of your home bearing inmind that we cannot guarantee an offer of a placeat your nearest school even if you state it as apreference. Remember, if you choose a schoolsome distance away from your home address youare committing yourself to the journey for at leasta five year period.Appeals processIf, following your application for help with transportcosts, you have a complaint or wish to challengethe outcome of your assessed eligibility fortravel assistance, you may appeal to the councilusing the transport appeals process. Detailsare provided on the council’s website at www.southglos.gov.uk – search for ‘Transport toschools’.Travel assistance to school – what you need to know✆ 01454 868008 cis@southglos.gov.uk15