We have a responsibility to make transport arrangements for all children who cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school because of:
- their mobility problems
- health and safety issues related to their special educational needs (SEN) or disability
Eligibility will be assessed on an individual basis to identify transport requirements. Things that we consider include:
- whether the child could reasonably be expected to walk if accompanied
- whether the child’s parent can reasonably be expected to accompany the child
- the age of the child and whether or not it would be expected for a child of that age to be accompanied
The general expectation is that a child will be accompanied by a parent or carer where necessary, unless there is a good reason why it is not reasonable to expect this.
We promote and ensure equality of opportunity for disabled parents. For example, if a parent’s disability prevents them from accompanying their child along a walking route that would otherwise be considered unsafe without adult supervision, a reasonable adjustment might be to provide free home to school transport for the child.