the Council has also agreed to review its Home to School/College and Adult Learner Transport Policy to ensure it is clear to staff that the cost and suitability assessment of school transport arrangements should be clearly recorded. There should be clear guidance on the statutory guidance’s requirement that for travel arrangements to be suitable, Council staff must be satisfied the travel arrangement is “safe and reasonably stress free, to enable the child to arrive at school ready for a day of study”.

The Council will remind relevant staff of the government guidance in considering and responding to school travel assistance requests and appeals, including telling the applicant about the factors the Council considered and how it made its decision.The Council will provide training to relevant staff about Special Educational Needs travel eligibility where the qualifying school is named on an Education, Health and Care plan.The Council will review all Special Educational Needs transport requests it has declined since September 2021 and identify if it has declined travel assistance to schools named on Education, Health and Care plans. If any are identified the Council will take appropriate steps to remedy any injustice caused by that decision.