Sir Bobby Robson School

Transport

Pupils who are placed at Sir Bobby Robson School by the Local Authority will have transport arrangements made for them, unless they live within a certain distance of the school site. The Local Authority will provide the most cost effective option. This will include one of the following: 

  • Place on an existing route, sharing a taxi with other students 
  • New transport route 
  • Parental mileage (remuneration for miles from home to school) at the approved Local Authority rate. This will only be paid where there has been prior agreement between parents and the Local Authority. Parents must provide a valid driving licence, adequate insurance and a current MOT certificate for the vehicle they intend to use before they can be approved as eligible to be paid the approved mileage rate. Payment should not result in parents and carers experiencing income tax liability, but they should confirm this with their tax office. 

Children/young people will be transported to and from the designated pick up and drop off point to school and back at the end of the school day. The Local Authority will not authorise the collection or return of a child/young person to a different pick up or drop off point during the week unless it has reached a prior agreement with the parents and there is no additional cost. 

Parents are responsible for escorting their child/young person to and from the designated pick up and drop off point for the vehicle and remain responsible for their child until they board the vehicle on their way to school or once they leave the vehicle at the end of their return journey. The Authority is unable to guarantee pick up or drop off times will be compatible with any other arrangements made by parents. On arrival to school, pupils will be met and escorted into the building. Once on school premises the school becomes responsible for the supervision of the pupils. 

The Local Authority aims to keep journeys to no more than 45 minutes for primary and 75 minutes for secondary age child/young person each way, wherever possible. 

The Authority will not provide transport in the following circumstances: 

  • The child/young person is not available to board the vehicle at the scheduled departure time. 
  • For young people on work experience placements. It is the responsibility of the parents/carers to find and be able to access a suitable work experience placement. 
  • When the child/young person has a medical or dental appointment at a time when they would normally be travelling to or from school or during the school day. If a child/young person becomes ill during the course of the school day, the school will notify their parents and ask them to make arrangements to get their child home.  

 A passenger assistant will be provided on Authority-organised transport in the following circumstances: 

  • The child/young person has assessed communication difficulties that prevent them alerting the driver to a problem. 
  • Where the child/young person has individual needs which, in the Authorities’ risk assessment, require provision of a passenger assistant. 

As part of the annual review of the statement/EHC Plan process the travel arrangements for the individual will also be reviewed. The nature of placements means that overall transport arrangements have to be flexible and take into account any new child/young person requiring transport during the course of the year. Frequent changes of operators are avoided wherever possible to ensure the child/young person benefits from consistency and parents will be given prior notification of any changes. 

It is parents/carers responsibility to cancel any taxis that are not required during the course of the year e.g. in the event of illness, medical appointments etc.

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