Local Authority Transport Partnership Policy Statement 2024/25 Transport policy statement for students aged 16-18 in further education and continuing students aged 19 and over (where applicable)

This policy sets out how South Tyneside Council will exercise its powers and duties in relation to school and college transport for learners aged 16-19 years, and those continuing education to aged 25 whereby eligibility criteria is met.

Duty to provide transport is in accordance with section 509 of the Education Act 1996, as amended by Section 83 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

The purpose of the policy is to ensure that no South Tyneside learner is prevented from continuing in further education due to the lack of transport provision or the lack of financial support with transport costs. It also sets out how the council will support and facilitate those learners attending an educational establishment outside South Tyneside if it is the nearest provider offering the appropriate course.

1. The promotion of increased independence and social inclusion of young people, recognising the context of their age and ability.
2. Travel assistance must support young people to follow an appropriate educational course at the nearest suitable institution to home.
3. Travel assistance must be appropriate to individual needs and circumstances.
4. The policy should encourage and promote travel options designed to improve the physical well-being of those who use them.
5. Any transport assistance offered must be efficient and effective in terms of both sustainability and cost and may require the young person or their family to make a reasonable contribution towards the overall costs.
6. To support young people in this objective South Tyneside Council, in conjunction with the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive and Nexus, will provide affordable transport to allow students to travel within the Tyne and Wear area.

All students, whether attending college or sixth form, may be entitled to claim funds from the learning provider through the 16-19 Bursary Fund that each provider receives from Central Government. The Bursary Fund is means tested but can be used for any expense such as travel, meals, equipment or resources for the course.

There are three types of bursary available. To be eligible to receive a 16-19 bursary in the 2024 to 2025 academic year, a student must be aged 16 or over but under 19 at 31 August 2024.

Vulnerable Bursaries

Bursaries for High-Priority Claimants

Students who are in one or more of the groups below can apply for a vulnerable bursary of up to £1,200 per academic year:

• Young people in care
• Care leavers
• Students getting Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner
• Students receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right.

Discretionary Bursary

Discretionary bursaries can be awarded to anyone who is deemed to require financial assistance, based on the evidence provided. Whilst claims are encouraged at the start of each term, there is a recognition that family and personal circumstances change throughout the year.

Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 to 18, or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Students aged 19 or over are not eligible for vulnerable bursaries.

More information about the discretionary bursary

Additional financial assistance is available via the Disabled Students Allowance (where applicable).

Students aged 16-19 at the start of the academic year (1st September) and living within the Tyne and Wear region are eligible for discounted travel tickets. Tickets are available from the Go North East app and at ticket machines at any Metro station. Tickets are discounted by 25%.

For more information please visit the Network One website or call Network One directly on 0191 276 3706.

This website also provides information on the cost of other tickets and concessionary fares available to students. By using the links to other sites further information can be obtained on services and concessionary fare schemes available from other transport providers in the region. The site also provides a Journey Planner which gives information on timetables for buses, trains, and the Metro.

The two local major bus operators provide the following student travel tickets:

• Stagecoach has the Under 19 ticket for young people aged up to 19 years. This gives unlimited daily travel on the Stagecoach network for £3.00 for a one day ticket. A Stagecoach ID is required. More details can be found on the Stagecoach bus website
• Go Ahead North East offer a 5-25 ticket which offers a range of discounts to passengers who are aged between 5 – 25 years (up to your 26th birthday) including a ‘School Tripper’ ticket for students 19 and under. More information can be found on the Go North East website.

Nexus also offer a Pay As You Go card which offers discounted Metro travel. More information about a Pay As You Go card.

Stagecoach, Go-Ahead, Network One and Nexus passes can be used at any time of the day.

South Tyneside College offer funding towards travel to eligible students, including those aged 19+ who meet the eligibility criteria. Terms and conditions apply, and all applicants will be means tested. If they meet the criteria, they may be offered financial support whilst they are studying, this can include a Network One Travel pass (subject to satisfactory attendance and behaviour).

More information on financial support from South Tyneside College

South Tyneside schools with sixth forms

Students attending Harton Academy can apply to the Director of Sixth Form for a discretionary bursary to assist with travel to and from college. The bursary is means tested. Household income must be below £21,000, or the student must live a considerable distance from the school for students to be eligible.

More information on Harton Academy's bursary

Harton Academy, St Joseph’s Academy and St Wilfrid’s RC College, in line with government guidance, all offer a 16-19 bursary fund to help with education related costs. Students who receive certain benefits or who are in or have recently left Local Authority Care are eligible.

More information from gov.uk on the bursary fund

More information on St Joseph's student finance

More information on St Wilfrid's student finance

More information on Harton Academy student finance

Network One, Stagecoach and Go-Ahead require their own ID cards to be used in order to purchase tickets.

Students attending school sixth forms will need to satisfy an income and / or distance test, be in receipt of DLA/PIP or be in Local Authority Care.

Nexus provide free Concessionary Travel Passes for disabled residents of Tyne & Wear. This includes students. Passes are available from the Nexus Concessionary Travel Bureau who can be contacted on 0191 2020 747. Students wishing to use the Metro under this scheme will need to apply for a Metro Gold Card.

Students who receive the High Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance / Personal Independence Payment can also apply to become members of the Nexus Taxi Card Scheme. The taxi card is an annual scheme and there are two opportunities to join each year. If accepted your card will be credited with £225 for 12 months and can be used with taxi companies approved by Nexus. A flat fare is deducted from your Taxi Card each time you travel, regardless of the price of the journey. However, if the taxi fare is more than the flat fare you have to pay the extra amount yourself.

For more information on Taxi Card please visit Nexus or call on 0191 2020 747.

Students aged between 16-25 who have a significant learning difficulty/disability or have a disability that significantly impairs their mobility and attend full time courses at local colleges of further education, sixth forms or special schools may, in exceptional cases, be provided with transport assistance by the Local Authority (LA). To help provide this assistance the LA may seek financial support from its partners such as the further education provider or Social Services.

A full-time course of study is 12 guided learning hours or more per week for a minimum period of one academic year. Support is not available for students on part-time, distance learning or day release courses. Students attending specialist residential colleges with financial support through the Education Funding Agency may also qualify for transport assistance at the start and end of each term.

Any transport assistance provided will be to and from the normal place of residence and the education establishment only. To promote the efficient use of resources students receiving transport may be required to have a period of waiting time either before and / or after the course starts / finishes. This allows student journeys to be combined. Transport will be subject to continual review and where appropriate students will be required to participate in Independent Travel Training.

Application forms for transport assistance can be obtained from Transport.Team@southtyneside.gov.uk, the South Tyneside Council website or by ringing 0191 427 2680.

Completed applications will need to be assessed for eligibility, and the Transport Team will need to access a copy of the young person’s Education, Health and Care Plan from the SEND Team. Young People who qualify for transport assistance through Home to School Transport will be offered the option of a Personal Transport Budget to make their own transport arrangements. In certain circumstances, transport will be arranged to take young people to college.

If applicable, applicants aged over 19 may be required to use their Personal Budgets to support their transport costs.

Staff in school / college may identify programmes to develop and foster independence skills for students and, where appropriate, to encourage independent travel. South Tyneside Council will support structured skills programmes where possible by phasing out transport over a period of time. For those students attending courses at college further information will be available by contacting the individual college directly.

As well as supporting travel training schemes offered by schools and colleges, South Tyneside Council offer their own Independent Travel Training, and will accept referrals and applications from parents, carers and professionals.

For further information, please refer to Independent travel training.

Students with learning difficulties and / or disabilities can apply for support at any time. However, to ensure that transport arrangements are in place for the start of the school year, applications need to be received by 4th May. Students are required to reapply each year. Applications for the next academic year open in March. Late applications will be considered by the Transport Team, however, they cannot guarantee that arrangements will be in place before the start of the academic year.

Students can only apply for the Network One student travel scheme after they begin their course. Information about applying for College Learner Support Funds is available from the individual colleges. Individual school sixth forms will provide information on their bursary schemes.

For students living within the Tyne and Wear area, Network One and Metro Student tickets are available.

Go Ahead and Stagecoach tickets are valid across the region on their own networks.

Students can apply to their college for assistance from the college’s Learner Support Funds and the Residential Bursary scheme if appropriate.

Students with disabilities and / or learning difficulties attending specialist residential colleges with financial support from the Education Funding Agency for England may apply for transport to be provided by Social Services. Students are only eligible from the start and end of each term and half term. Those students whose parents prefer to take them to college by car may be eligible for a Personal Transport Budget.

South Tyneside Council

Transport Team, Access and Inclusion, Children Adults and Health, South Tyneside Council, Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL

Address

Transport.Team@southtyneside.gov.uk

Email

0191 427 2680

Telephone

Nexus

Nexus House, 33 St James’ Boulevard, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4AX

Address

www.nexus.org.uk

Website

0870 608 2608

Traveline phone

0191 202 0747

Lost bus passes

Stagecoach

More information can be found on the Stagecoach website

Go North East

More information can be found on the Go North East website

Should a learner wish to appeal against the decision of the Authority not to provide transport support please write to:

Service Manager

Contact

Access and Inclusion,
South Tyneside Council,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

Address

Transport.Team@southtyneside.gov.uk

Email

Your appeal should include why you disagree with the decision and any additional information to support your appeal. The Authority will review its decision within twenty days in the light of any new evidence provided and will inform the learner of the outcome of the appeal in writing.

Should a learner wish to make a complaint about the content of the policy, the appeal process outlined above should be followed. In your letter please indicate the omissions you consider have been made and how this affects you. The Authority will consider the complaint within twenty days and inform the learner of the outcome.

If you already receive Home to School / College support from South Tyneside Council and would like to let us know about your experience of this service, please get in touch using the contact details above.

If you would prefer to give your feedback via an independent organisation (who will pass your thoughts on anonymously) please contact info@healthwatchsouthtyneside.co.uk