Management Information Sheet
Transport Provision for Pupils Attending a Specialist Resource Base (SRB)
The Council’s policy on home to school transport is to provide transport at the beginning and end of the standard school day only.
The updated Operational Guidance Document for SRBs makes it clear (page 8) that a ’session’ cannot be less than a whole school day. However, some current SRB provision do not conform to this and offers part-day sessions, with the pupil travelling between the home school and the SRB at lunchtime.
Lunchtime transport will normally incur additional cost because it cannot link in with other school transport. This is the case even if the child is travelling on their own in the vehicle as many taxi companies offer discounted prices for running linked school transport at the beginning and end of the school day.
In the current climate of financial constraints this extra cost cannot be sustained and therefore the following policy for SRB provision has been decided:
1. New admissions to SRBs will be expected to attend for full days only;
2. If there are exceptional circumstances why a pupil needs to attend for part-days at the start of a placement, for example phased integration to the provision, then this needs to be agreed by the Panel Chair at the SRB admissions panel and reflected on the transport application form forwarded by Business Support following the panel.
3. Any agreement for part-day attendance must be for no more than 6 weeks (where possible a gradual transition to full days should be planned over 4 weeks).
Existing placements: It is recognised that some placements have already been set up for part-day attendance. These will be honoured and transport will be provided at lunchtime until October half-term only. After half-term it is expected that there will be no part-day sessions for existing pupils. If there are, then the SRB will have to fund the lunchtime transport.
Access to any activities organised by SRBs on a part-day basis must be negotiated with the home school, including any transport arrangements and costs thereof.
Further information on the revised admission arrangements for SRBs can be found on MI 152/12.
The updated Operational Guidance Document for SRBs makes it clear (page 8) that a ’session’ cannot be less than a whole school day. However, some current SRB provision do not conform to this and offers part-day sessions, with the pupil travelling between the home school and the SRB at lunchtime.
Lunchtime transport will normally incur additional cost because it cannot link in with other school transport. This is the case even if the child is travelling on their own in the vehicle as many taxi companies offer discounted prices for running linked school transport at the beginning and end of the school day.
In the current climate of financial constraints this extra cost cannot be sustained and therefore the following policy for SRB provision has been decided:
1. New admissions to SRBs will be expected to attend for full days only;
2. If there are exceptional circumstances why a pupil needs to attend for part-days at the start of a placement, for example phased integration to the provision, then this needs to be agreed by the Panel Chair at the SRB admissions panel and reflected on the transport application form forwarded by Business Support following the panel.
3. Any agreement for part-day attendance must be for no more than 6 weeks (where possible a gradual transition to full days should be planned over 4 weeks).
Existing placements: It is recognised that some placements have already been set up for part-day attendance. These will be honoured and transport will be provided at lunchtime until October half-term only. After half-term it is expected that there will be no part-day sessions for existing pupils. If there are, then the SRB will have to fund the lunchtime transport.
Access to any activities organised by SRBs on a part-day basis must be negotiated with the home school, including any transport arrangements and costs thereof.
Further information on the revised admission arrangements for SRBs can be found on MI 152/12.