Last updated:
2nd May 2024
Who qualifies for travel assistance
Eligibility
Your child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or mobility problems may be eligible for travel assistance if they:
- are aged 5 to 16 years
- live in Wokingham Borough
- live outside the statutory walking distance to the nearest suitable school
- cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school or college
They may also be eligible if they either:
- live within the statutory walking distance of their nearest suitable school, but cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school even when accompanied by a parent or carer
- live outside the statutory walking distance to the nearest available and suitable school named in their education, health and care plan (EHCP)
Not all children and young people with SEND and EHCPs in place are entitled to travel assistance.
Statutory walking distance
The statutory walking distance is:
- more than 2 miles if the child is below the age of 8
- more than 3 miles if the child or young person is aged 8 to 16 years
What we mean by the nearest suitable school
The nearest suitable school for travel purposes means physically, the nearest qualifying school the child is eligible to attend.
A school meets this criteria if there is an available place that provides education appropriate to a child’s age, ability, aptitude, and any SEND a child may have.
This may include schools in neighbouring borough’s such as Reading, Bracknell, and Hampshire.
When a child or young person can walk to school accompanied
A child or young person will not normally be eligible for travel assistance based on their SEND or mobility problem, or if the route is unsafe, if they would be able to walk to school if they were accompanied.
Where we assess that a child would be able to walk if they were accompanied, the general expectation is that the parent or carer will take them or make other suitable arrangements for their journey to and from school.
Parent or carer's preference
Parents or carers might decide to send their child to a school other than the local or nearest suitable school that can meet their needs.
If this happens, parents and carers are expected to make their own travel arrangements and pay for travel to their preferred school.
Travel assistance for children aged 5 and under
We do not have a statutory duty to provide travel assistance for children aged 5 and under. Parents or carers are expected to make their own travel arrangements.
Discretionary post-16 travel assistance
As a young person, the older you get, the more we will want to support you in developing the skills and confidence you need to travel more independently.
Independent travel training can help you achieve this. If you're a young person aged 13 years and above, you can access Independent travel training.
We do not have to provide free or subsidised post-16 travel assistance. We will assess each request on a case-by-case basis. You can find out more about our post-16 discretionary travel assistance policy statement.
Travel assistance policies
Our travel assistance policies set out how we assess and decide whether a child or young person receives travel assistance.
