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School transport

This informaton is about transport to a special school or unit at a mainstream school.

When transport is provided

The decision to give entitlement to travelling assistance for your child's journey to school is made by officers in the Statutory Assessment Team of the Children & Young People's Wellbeing & Targeted Services Directorate.
The transport provided is arranged by the School Transport Officers, in the Environment & Transport Directorate.
Travelling assistance may be in the form of a bus pass, reimbursement of costs or more usually transportation by coach, car or minibus.

When transport cannot be provided

Transport cannot be provided in the following circumstances:

pupils attending a school other than that designated by us, such as on the preference of parents
taking a pupil to addresses other than their home address
journeys at other than the normal school start and finish times
taking pupils to hospital appointments, school visits, etc.
between school/home and respite care placements, except where agreed in advance by a School Transport Officer

To keep you informed

Parent and guardians receive the following information in writing when transport arrangements have been made:

type of transport
name of the transport provider
provider's telephone number
name of the passenger assistant
pick up/set down point
starting date

How you can help us

Usually a vehicle will be transporting a number of pupils. To maintain the timetable it is important that your child is ready to join the transport as soon as it arrives. School transport cannot wait for your child for more than a few minutes.

You should also make suitable arrangements for your child when they are returned home. All pupils at primary school must be met from the transport by an authorised person.

Please advise the passenger assistant of any problem that my affect your child's journey to school. If your child will not be attending school for a few days, please inform the transport provider or passenger assistant as soon as possible so that the vehicle does not make unnecessary journeys to your home.

If you move house it is essential that the School Transport team and the Statutory Assessment Team are informed as soon as possible. Passenger assistants will not collect pupils from new addresses or pick up points without authorisation from School Transport Officers

Passenger assistants

Where necessary, passenger assistants are employed and trained by us to look after the welfare of pupils travelling on school transport. Passenger assistants are not expected to leave the vehicle in order to collect or deliver pupils. Parents must take their child to the vehicle.

Where there is no suitable adult to meet a child who is normally collected from transport, it is our policy for passenger assistants to place the pupil for safety with the Duty Social Worker, Children & Families Team at Merefield House, Nutfield Place, Portsmouth.

Child seats, harnesses and seat belts

Seatbelts are provided on all school transport except public service buses and trains. Seatbelts must be worn at all times. Suitable child seats/booster seats are provided as necessary. A harness may be used where use of a child seat is not appropriate or possible.

Please note that pupils may only travel in wheelchairs/buggies suitable for transportation. As these are not provided by School Transport, parents must supply details of type, size and make before transport can be arranged.

Unacceptable behaviour

Parents and guardians should ensure that their child knows how to behave while travelling to school. Transport may be suspended or withdrawn if behaviour is unacceptable.

Examples of unacceptable behaviour are:

refusing to wear the seatbelt provided
using foul or inappropriate language
aggressive behaviour towards others
causing damage to the vehicle

Useful contacts

Queries regarding entitlement to travelling assistance should be sent to:

Statutory Assessment Team
Children & Young People's Wellbeing & Targeted Services Directorate
4th Floor, Civic Offices
Portsmouth, PO1 2AE
Telephone 023 9284 1234

Queries regarding the transport provided should be addressed to:

The School Transport Officer
Environment & Transport Directorate
Civic Offices
Portsmouth, PO1 2AS
Telephone 023 9284 1345

The Children & Families Team at Merefield House can be contact on 023 9284 9111.