Following recent consultation on proposed changes to travel support for post 16 students, the council’s Executive Board has approved a new model of assistance for eligible post 16 and post 19 learners with SEND that will, wherever appropriate, prioritise an offer of independent travel training (ITT), enabling young people to develop the skills to be able to travel independently in preparation for adulthood.
Under the new model, where ITT is assessed to be inappropriate for a young person, then an award of a personal travel allowance (PTA) will be given instead. A PTA provides a contribution towards travel costs of between £1,000 and £3,000 per year, depending on the distance between the young person’s home and their school or college. This payment is to support families in making their own travel arrangements.
Sometimes a PTA might not be appropriate either, and the council will continue to consider providing council-organised transport, such as a mini-bus or taxi, on a discretionary basis in exceptional circumstances.
The updated Children and young people’s transport policy sets out full details about eligibility for post 16 and post 19 travel support and the new model of assistance for post 16 and post 19 students. The policy ensures that the council will continue to provide a discretionary transport offer, through the usual application process for post 16 and post 19 students, so we can appropriately and justly award transport assistance of any type.
Why we have made changes to post 16 and post 19 transport assistance travel support for students with SEND
Post 16 transport policy statement
All councils must produce a Post 16 transport policy statement to accompany their Post 16 transport policy. The statement provides families with information about the transport support available to all persons of sixth form age receiving education or training and continuing young people with special education needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 16 to 25. This statement is reviewed annually.
Like a lot of other authorities, we were in a position financially where we needed to review our travel support arrangements for post 16 and post 19 students with SEND to make savings whilst still supporting some of our most vulnerable young people and their families to access education.
Current provision
On average, Leeds City Council provides transport to around 3500 young people to their education setting each day. While the council is statutorily obliged to make free of charge home to school travel arrangements for eligible children of compulsory school age, there is no similar statutory obligation on the local authority to provide transport for post 16 learners.
However, the council has provided substantial discretionary assistance for post 16 and post 19 students with SEND. Recent analysis indicates that this assistance costs the local authority approximately £4m -£4.5m and may not always be promoting independence for young people.
We want to ensure that the travel support we provide is the most appropriate for young people and their families, promotes independence and offers choice. The new Children and young people’s transport policy will continue to provide a level of discretionary assistance, whilst providing a model of travel support that is financially sustainable at a time when the council is facing its largest financial challenge in recent history.
When these changes will be made and who would be affected
The above changes will be implemented for young people newly entering post 16 education in September 2025 and onwards.
All young people already in post 16 education at that point will continue on the current policy, except in a small number of cases where reassessment is required due to a change in circumstances, such as a change in their medical needs, a house move, a change of learning setting, or at certain key transition points in their learning where a new application for transport assistance is required.
How and when the changes to the policy will be communicated and to whom
We’ve shared information about the policy changes with parents and carers through the Parent Carer Forum, and we’ve emailed all parents and carers of children aged 13 and over in Leeds who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or have applied for one.
We’ve also informed all schools, Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres (SILCs), and colleges in Leeds, as well as some nearby colleges, about the changes.
Because of the policy changes, transport discussions will start earlier, beginning in Year 9 during the EHCP review. This will help families understand what Post-16 travel assistance is available under the new policy and give families time to plan for any changes.
Questions and answers about changes to post 16 and post 19 travel support
Will the policy changes impact my child or young person’s current home to school or college travel arrangements?
Changes will only affect new applications for travel support for those entering post 16 or post 19 education at a school or college from September 2025. The changes will also affect those who have a change of circumstances within the academic year commencing September 2025, such as a change of address or change of learning setting.
For further information please see section 10 of the Children and young people’s transport policy.
My child is already in Post 16 or Post 19 education at a school or college and will be returning to the same setting in September 2025 - will they be affected by these changes?
There will be no change for Post 16 and Post 19 students who are already attending a school or college and have been awarded travel support on the existing policy.
The new Children and young people’s transport policy only applies to young people who are submitting a new application for travel support for the academic year starting in September 2025 and onwards. However, if students currently receiving travel support on the old policy have a change in circumstances, such as a change in home address or education setting from September 2025 onwards, then a new application will be required, and this will be assessed against the new Children and young people’s transport policy.
For further information please see section 10 of the new Children and young people’s transport policy.
My child will be attending a post 16 school or college for the first time in September 2025, can I still apply for travel support?
Yes, you can still apply for travel support and all new applications will be subject to the eligibility criteria outlined in section 8 of the Children and young people’s transport policy.
What types of travel support are available to my child at Post 16 or Post 19?
Leeds City Council will continue to provide a discretionary transport offer for post 16 and post 19 students, which can be applied for through the usual process. This includes awards such as Independent Travel Training, a Zero Fare Travel Pass, or a banded Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) contribution. Full details can be found in section 9 of the Children and young people’s transport policy.
The cost of arranging home to school or college travel will exceed my granted Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), can Leeds City Council provide any further support along with this PTA?
We understand that the PTA may not allow you the flexibility to fully fund your child’s travel assistance for a full academic year. This PTA is intended for use as a contribution towards costs of travel assistance for your child’s Post 16 or Post 19 education.
Our Post 16 transport policy statement provides information about the travel support available for students including Concessionary fares, discounts, subsidies, passes and travel cards available to young people aged 16 to 25; Independent Travel Training (ITT) to enable the young person to work towards travelling independently on public transport; and the 16-19 Bursary Fund which can be used towards the cost of post 16 transport.
How will the distance for a PTA be calculated, is it a straight-line distance or a travel route?
Eligible young people with SEND in post-16 and post-19 education may receive a yearly flat-rate PTA, where appropriate. The amount will depend on the one-way distance from the young person's home to their learning setting.
Distances will be measured using road routes that are accessible by a suitable motor vehicle.
How will the council decide if there are any exceptional circumstance why a young person should get travel support to attend post 16 school or college, even when they don’t meet the normal rules?
The council’s Children’s transport team will review every application received for post 16 and post 19 travel support. It will then be reviewed against the eligibility criteria set out in section 8 of the new Children and young people’s transport policy.
The Children’s transport team will review the information provided on the application about the young person’s needs to understand if there are any exceptional circumstances why they might be able to get travel support, even when they don’t automatically meet the eligibility criteria. For example, they will consider things like a young person’s individual health needs, if there is a safe walking route or public transport available to their education setting. In exceptional cases, the council may agree to provide a Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), a taxi, or a minibus, when a young person’s needs cannot be met by the criteria set out in the policy.
There is no separate route to apply for exceptional circumstances, as all applications for post 16 and post 19 travel support will automatically be assessed to check if exceptional circumstances apply.
You can find out more about applying for travel support and further information about the what the council consider as exceptional circumstances in section 11 of the new Children and young people’s transport policy.
Can I appeal the transport award that has been made for my child?
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of an application assessment and the award offered to your child, you have the right to appeal this decision in line with government guidance issued in January 2024.
For information on appeals, refer to section 12 of the Children and young people’s transport policy and DfE guidance Home-to-school travel, and Transport to education and training for people aged 16 and over.
Additionally, for further information or guidance on the appeals process, email the team: send.transportapplications@leeds.gov.uk.
How would the family receive the Personal Transport Allowance (PTA) payments?
Payment of the PTA would be spread across an entire academic year, with equal instalments paid directly into parent's or carer's bank account in advance of each new school/college term throughout the year.
Would a Personal Transport Allowance (PTA) affect my entitlement to any benefits?
No, a PTA would not affect what benefits you are entitled to.
When can I apply for post 16 and post 19 travel support?
An application for post 16 and post 19 travel support can be made at any time. The window for applications for the academic year starting in September 2025 will open in February 2025, and these will be assessed against the new Children and young people’s transport policy. We urge that applications are made as soon as possible after February 2025, or as soon as a post 16 or post 19 education setting has been secured.
When will I know what type of post 16 and post 19 travel support I am entitled to?
We will aim to assess all applications for travel support within 15 working days, or prior to the start of the academic year September 2025. For a range of factors this is not always possible, however we will try to ensure you have an assessment outcome prior to the start of the academic year.
Background documents
Executive Board 19 June 2024 - Agenda and recording.
Executive Board 16 October 2024 - Agenda and recording.
Publication of new Children and young people’s transport policy 2024.
Contact
Email post16transport.review@leeds.gov.uk if you have any issues relating to the consultation.
Glossary
Executive Board
The Executive Board is the principal decision-making body of the council. The Leader of Council chairs a meeting of the Executive Board once a month at the Civic Hall.
