Review of Home to School Transport Policy and Annual Post 16 Transport Statement

Our Home to School Transport Service provides travel assistance to enable eligible pupils to attend education provision. Currently, 886 students receive support to travel in North Tyneside, with 622 students receiving a bus pass.

The Department for Education issued new statutory guidance for children of compulsory school age, and we’ve reviewed our service in line with this.

We currently provide assistance significantly over and above the statutory requirements. This, combined with a growing demand for our support and inflation, has seen the cost of running the service increase by 40% since 2019. This has resulted in a £2.9 million financial pressure. We have funded £1.5 million to relieve more than half of this pressure. To meet the remaining pressure, we are proposing to reduce our home to school transport service and post 16 support to meet statutory requirements only.

We know this is a vital service for many children and families and we are committed to:

- ensuring those who need it most continue to have access to our Home to School travel assistance
- ensuring any changes do not come into effect until September 2025
- individually considering the case of anyone affected by any policy change
- providing free independent travel training for more young people to support their independence.  
- supporting the education of children and young people in the borough

Below is additional information and a survey and we would welcome your feedback as no decisions will be made until after this consultation which closes on 7th February 2024