Annual post 16 transport policy statement

The main objective of the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement is to specify the arrangements for the provision of transport or otherwise that the Council considers necessary to make to facilitate the attendance of all persons of sixth form age receiving education and training. 

Young people are required to stay in education or training until their 18th birthday. There is no statutory requirement for young people to stay in school, they are able to choose one of the following options Post-16: 

• Full time education. 
• An apprenticeship.
• Part-time education or training if they are employed, selfemployed or volunteering full time (which is defined as 20 hours or more a week). 

This policy statement outlines the support young people can apply for if they are over 16 and live in North Tyneside.  It outlines transport schemes and assistance for Post 16 learners who live and study in North Tyneside or those who live in North Tyneside and attend an educational establishment outside of the borough but only if this is the nearest provider offering the chosen course of study. 

The Council supports and encourages safe and sustainable independent travel wherever possible.  It promotes walking and cycling and the use of public transport.  Its aim is to help students prepare for adult life and we will support with independent travel training wherever possible.  

Concessionary tickets for young people 16 – 25 from public transport providers  

 The Council does not provide free transport for Post 16 students. Concessionary tickets for young people are available from transport providers. 

Students who are aged 16 to 19 at the start of the academic year (1 September 2025) in full time further education and studying in Tyne and Wear are eligible for the Student Network One Ticket. 

This ticket for students and young people is the only travel ticket that will let you travel throughout Tyne & Wear on virtually any bus, the Metro, Sunderland to Blaydon rail line and Shields ferry.  You can use it all day, every day, from the start to the end of service. 

Current Network One Pricing 

Pop Blue cards are available from Nexus allowing students discounts on travel.

Go North East Bus Services great value day, week and month tickets for everyone aged from 5 up to and including 25 - valid on most Go North East buses across the whole region. There's also a £1 single fare for people aged 21 and under that can be bought in bundles of 10.

Nexus TaxiCard 

The TaxiCard scheme can help people with mobility difficulties travel independently. It allows its members to travel with one of Nexus’s approved taxi companies at a discounted price.   Applications for taxi cards are available from www.nexus.org.uk.  

You will be issued with a membership card – a TaxiCard – the same size as a credit card.  You will also be issued with a book of vouchers credited with an annual amount of £225.  You will use the vouchers to help pay towards your taxi journey.  

When you arrive at your destination you must present your TaxiCard to the taxi operator, along with a voucher. Each voucher is worth £3.  If the taxi fare is more than £3 you will have to pay the extra amount yourself.   All journeys must start and/or finish in Tyne and Wear. There are no restrictions otherwise on where or when you can travel with your TaxiCard.   

Travel support from schools and colleges  

The 16 to 19 Bursary 

All students whether attending college or 6th Form may be entitled to claim funds from their learning provider through the 16 to 19 bursary funding that their college receives from central government.  The bursary fund is based on individual circumstances and can be used for any expense such as travel, meals, equipment or resources for the course. 

The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund provides financial support to help young people overcome specific barriers to participation so they can remain in education. 

There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursaries: 

A vulnerable bursary of up to £1,200 a year for young people in one of the defined vulnerable groups below:  

• A young person in the care of the Council.  
• Care leavers.
• In receipt of Income Support, or Universal Credit in place of Income Support, in their own right.  
• In receipt of Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit and Disability Living or Personal Independence payments in their own right.  

Discretionary bursaries which institutions award to meet individual needs, for example, help with the cost of transport, meals, books and equipment 

To be eligible for the discretionary bursary young people must: 

• be aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2025; or,  
• be aged 19 or over on 31 August 2025 and have an Education, Health  and Care Plan (EHCP); or,
• be aged 19 or over on 31 August 2025 and continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 to 18 (‘19+ continuers’); or,  
• be studying a programme that is subject to inspection by a public body which assures quality (such as Ofsted), the provision must also be funded by either a Government funding agency or the local authority  

Schools and colleges are responsible for managing both types of bursary.  

Young people who want to apply for support from the bursary fund should contact their chosen school or college to make an application unless the establishment is listed below. 

The Council’s Student Support Team process the 16 to 19 bursaries on behalf of the following schools: 

• Beacon Hill School  
• Burnside Business and Enterprise College  
• Churchill Community College  
• George Stephenson High School  
• Longbenton Community College  
• Monkseaton High School  
• St Thomas More Academy  
• Whitley Bay High School  
• Woodlawn School  

You can read more and apply here. Further information can be found at www.gov.uk by searching post 16 bursaries. 

If you are a young parent under 20, Care to Learn can help pay for your childcare and related travel costs, up to £160 per child per week, while you’re learning. Care to Learn can help with the cost of: 

• Childcare, including deposit and registration fees.  
• A childcare ‘taster’ session (up to 5 days)  
• Keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays  
• Taking your child to the childcare provider  

The childcare provider must be Ofsted registered and can be a: 

• Childminder  
• Pre-school playgroup  
• Day nursery  
• Out of school club  

If your child needs specialist childcare, the provider must also be on the Care Quality Commission’s register for specialist provision. 

If you want a relative to get Care to Learn for looking after your child, they need to be both: 

• Providing registered childcare for children they’re not related to; and,  
• Living apart from you and your child  

Payments 

Childcare payments go directly to your childcare provider. Before your childcare provider can be paid: 

• Your childcare provider needs to confirm your child’s attendance; and,  
• Your school or college needs to confirm that you’re attending your course  

Payments for travel costs go to your school or college - they’ll either pay you or arrange travel for you.  Payments will stop if: 

• You stop attending your course; or,  
• You finish your course; or, 
• Your child stops attending childcare  

Eligibility 

You can get Care to Learn if: 

• You’re a parent under 20 at the start of your course; and, 
• You’re the main carer for your child; and, 
• You live in England; and, 
• You’re either a British citizen or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country; and,  
• Your course is publicly funded (check with your school or college); and, 
• Your childcare provider is registered with Ofsted or the Care Quality Commission 

Types of Course 

Care to Learn is only available for courses in England that have some public funding. This includes courses that take place in: 

• Schools 
• School sixth forms 
• Sixth form colleges 
• Other colleges and learning providers, including Foundation Learning
• Your community at Children’s Centres  

  Young parents are also entitled to apply for an Under 19 Bus Only

Ticket or for those aged 19 and over can apply for the 19 – 25 card. 

For more information, please visit the Government’s website.  

There is currently no statutory duty to provide free or subsidised transport for post 16 students.  Should you feel that there are exceptional circumstances around your requirement for transport then please contact the Home to School Transport Team to discuss your individual circumstances at: 

hometoschooltransport@northtyneside.gov.uk  

The Council does not have to provide free or subsidised post 16 travel support, but it does have a duty to ensure effective and responsible use of public funds. 

Overview

Students who have had an Education, Health and Care Plan up to the age of 16 or where appropriate up to 19 who wish to attend a Further Education College as a direct continuation of their education may be eligible for travel assistance if it is appropriate to their needs.  However, having an EHC plan does not mean that a student is automatically eligible for travel assistance.  Eligibility is assessed based on the individual needs of each student taking into account their age, needs, mobility, chosen course and location of their preferred college.  Support is only provided to the nearest college providing the course which can meet the needs of the student.   

For any course which commences after a student reaches the age of 19, requests for support transfers to the Adult Services Team.  Some placements for Post 16 students with SEND are made at specialist establishments outside the further education sector.  These specialist placements are usually agreed for up to two years.   

Cases for transport will be considered on an individual basis but attendance must be at: 

• An establishment funded directly by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. 

• A learning provider funded by the Council to deliver accredited learning. 

• An establishment directly funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency that provides unpaid apprenticeships or traineeships. 

A student with an EHC Plan may continue to receive help past 19 years of age if on a continuing course of study commenced before the age of 19.  The Council considers a period of study to be no longer than 2 years, and in exceptional circumstances up to 3 years at the discretion of the Council.  Transport assistance will not be afforded to applicants over the age of 24 years prior to the start of the new term.   

From age 19 or after 2 consecutive years of travel assistance, any further support will be assessed / provided by the Adult Services Team at the Council.  Please contact the team at adult.education@northtyneside.gov.uk for further information. 

What will be provided? 

Where transport is considered necessary, it will be provided by the most economic means which could include: 

• A seat on an existing service; or, 
• A grant, or; 
• In exceptional circumstances, travel assistance will be arranged  

Where transport is arranged, students travelling on combined transport routes will be expected to wait up to a maximum of 1 hour at the start / end of the day, to facilitate combined pick-up times. 

Closest School College 

If parents /carers prefer to send a student to a school or college which is not the closest school / college which can meet needs offering the same or a similar course, then they are not eligible for transport assistance.  In these cases, the school or college has been chosen on the basis of parental preference and not on the basis that the school / college is the only one offering the course, that can meet the student’s needs. 

Refunds  

The Council does not offer an applicable refund policy for travel, but students may be able to access support via their college or 6th form. 

Charges  

The Council has introduced a Post 16 travel contribution for the provision of dedicated transport where eligibility has been met. The travel contribution for the 25/26 academic year is £672 and can be paid in monthly instalments over 12 months through a Standing Order arrangement. The amount identified is equivalent to 50% of the cost of an annual All-Zone over-16 Nexus Network 1 Anytime Ticket.  The contribution will be reviewed each year when the Annual Post 16 Transport Policy Statement is published.

The Council will continue to organise travel assistance where eligibility has been met and, in all cases, will still subsidise a large proportion of the cost.  

Exemptions to the contribution include:  

• A young person in the care of the Authority.  
• Low-income families (Highest Working Tax Credits or Free School Meals).  
• Young people assessed in their own right who are already making payments to Adult Social Care via a Personal Budget.

How does it work? 

On receipt of a referral for travel training a Council Travel Trainer will contact the student to talk through the travel training experience. The trainer will link in with the student’s school / college to develop the training to suit each young person’s needs.   A risk assessment will be carried out and a training plan will be agreed by all involved.  

The learner will follow a plan of supervised and unsupervised travel and activities including using the bus and Metro, staying safe and using shops and services, handling money and being aware of others. 

Once the learner has been fully trained, the Travel Trainer will regularly carry out observations and catch ups to ensure they are still travelling safely. If a student is transitioning to another school/college, they can provide further training on their new route. The one-to-one service can be used during ‘real time’ journeys, during the day and during school holidays (where available). Students can learn new journeys, build confidence in travelling independently and using public transport.  Ideally travel training will be undertaken whist a young person is still at school to prepare them for transition to further education. 

Applications for travel assistance for post 16/19 learners require parents / carers to agree to independent travel training.  For further information on this please email us at:

hometoschooltransport@northtyneside.gov.uk.  

The Council does not have transport support available for Apprenticeships. 

The Council does not have transport support available for students who are NEET at this time. 

For further information on this please email us at:

hometoschooltransport@northtyneside.gov.uk

Overview

There are limited grounds on which you can challenge the Council’s decision in respect of school transport. Those grounds are: 

• The transport arrangements offered 
• The student’s eligibility 
• The distance measurement in relation to statutory walking distances
• The safety of the route  

All other concerns or complaints should be registered via the Council’s Corporate Complaints Procedure by email to:

customerfirstoffice@northtyneside.gov.uk 

The Council’s Home to School Transport Appeals Process consists of 2 stages, as detailed below: 

Stage 1 Appeal 

If a parent or carer believes the transport policy has been applied incorrectly or feels there are exceptional circumstances which the transport policy does not cover, they can appeal the decision.  

An appeal must be made in writing and parents / carers must provide the reason as to why they are appealing the decision and provide supporting evidence with their appeal.   A senior officer reviews the decision and sends the parent / carer a written notification of the outcome including: 

• The outcome of the decision. 
• Detailed reasons for the decision made. 
• Details of what happens next should the appeal be successful or 
• Notification of option to escalate to Stage 2 (an appeal panel) should the appeal be unsuccessful at this stage.   

The response to an appeal will be made within 20 working days of receipt of the appeal. 

The parent / carer has 20 working days from the date of the Stage 1 decision letter to advise if they wish to progress to Stage 2.  They should do this in writing stating their reasons why they consider the Stage 1 appeal decision was incorrect and why they wish to progress the matter to Stage 2. 

Stage 2 Appeal Review by an appeal panel 

The appeal panel will review the written representation from the parent / carer.  The appeal should be heard within 40 working days of the parents’ / carer’s notification to progress to Stage 2. The panel is independent of the process to date. Meetings will be minuted for evidence purposes. Stage 2 decision is final, there are no further options to appeal to the Local Authority. 

The Appeal panel will confirm their decision in a letter to the parent / carer within 5 working days of the date the panel met. 

Should parents / carers continue to be dissatisfied with the decision, the parent / carer will be informed that they have a right to raise the matter with the Local Government and  Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO). Their contact details are:

You can make an online complaint  to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, 53-55 Butts Road, Coventry CV1 3BH.